It’s perhaps no surprise that Robert Eckert’s office looks more like a toy store than an executive suite. There’s a trove of Barbies on the floor near the door, a giant Winnie the Pooh nearby and a huge display of Hot Wheels and Masters of the Universe action figures. Behind his desk, there are even a few dolls in his likeness, including a “Bob Barbie” with gray hair, dress shirt and mini employee badge.
Yet even after a decade at the helm of the world’s largest toy company, Eckert, 56, says he still doesn’t know what children really want. Every winter, he tries to predict a best-selling “toy of the year”-and his record is hit or miss. He isn’t even sure if his company’s biggest bet in years-a new brand of toys, books, dolls and clothing called Monster High-will be a hit. “There’s no magic formula,” he says.
Eckert might not be Willy Wonka, but he’s presiding over what some analysts say is a reinvigorated company. Sales are expected to reach nearly $6 billion this year, with profits projected to jump 44 percent.