Mattel Appoints Kenvue CFO Paul Ruh As Finance Chief As Toy Maker Navigates Tariff Challenges

Mattel Inc. (MAT) on Thursday announced the appointment of Paul Ruh as its chief financial officer, replacing soon-to-retire Anthony DiSilvestro.

Ruh spent eight years as CFO of Johnson & Johnson’s (JNJ) consumer health division, including two years in the same role at Kenvue (KVUE), the standalone consumer health company spun off from Johnson & Johnson.

He was earlier at PepsiCo (PEP) for 17 years and was a senior vice president and CFO of the beverage giant's Latin America business just before exiting.

Mattel shares rose 1.3% in extended trading.

Ruh will join in the new role on May 19, Mattel said in a statement.

He will oversee Mattel's global finance organization, including financial planning and analysis, global shared services, real estate, internal audit, investor relations, tax, and treasury, as well as the company's global technology organization, according to the statement.

His appointment comes at a challenging time for the toy maker.

Mattel, known for its Barbie dolls and Hot Wheels cars, is among the companies worst affected by U.S. President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs and particular escalation with China.

The firm pulled its annual forecast earlier this week and expects $270 million in additional costs this year.

Mattel said it will offset those costs through price increases, cost cuts, and supply chain diversification. Among other changes, it will buy less than 15% of its toys sold in the U.S. from China by 2026, and less than 10% by 2027.

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment for the company dropped to 'neutral' from 'bullish' the prior day, while message volume stayed 'extremely high.'

Currently, 11 of 14 analysts covering the stock have a 'buy' or higher rating, and three rate it 'hold, according to Koyfin data. Their average price target is $23.73.

As of their last close, Mattel shares were down 2.6% year to date.

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