Robert A. Eckert
{{Short description|American businessman (born 1954)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Robert A. Eckert
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| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1954}}
| birth_place = Elmhurst, Illinois, U.S.
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| education =
| alma mater = University of Arizona
Northwestern University
| occupation =
| title = operating partner, Friedman Fleischer & Lowe
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| known for = chairman and CEO of Mattel, 2000–11
CEO of Kraft Foods, 1997–2000
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| spouse = {{plainlist|
- Kathie Eckert
- Lisa Marie Bongiovanni
}}
| children = 4
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Robert A. Eckert (born 1954) is an American businessman, chairman and CEO of Mattel from 2000 to 2011, CEO of Kraft Foods from 1997 to 2000, and an operating partner with the private equity firm Friedman Fleischer & Lowe.
Early life
Eckert was born in 1954 in Elmhurst, Illinois.{{Cite web |url=https://labusinessjournal.com/news/all-dolled-up/ |title=All Dolled Up |date=July 5, 2009 |work=Los Angeles Business Journal}} He received a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Arizona in 1976, and an MBA in marketing and finance from Northwestern University in 1977.{{cite web|url=http://topics.wsj.com/person/E/robert-eckert/723 |title=Robert Eckert – News, Articles, Biography, Photos – WSJ.com |publisher=Topics.wsj.com |date=October 3, 2002 |accessdate=May 2, 2017}}{{cite web|url=http://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/about/transforming/donors/bob-eckert/ |title=Bob Eckert | Kellogg School of Management | Northwestern University |publisher=Kellogg.northwestern.edu |date= |accessdate=May 2, 2017}}
Career
Eckert started a 23-year career with Kraft Foods in 1977, rising to president and chief executive officer (CEO) in October 1997.{{cite web|url=https://dealbook.nytimes.com/2014/09/25/former-mattel-chief-robert-eckert-joins-friedman-fleischer-lowe/|title=Former Mattel Chief Robert Eckert Joins Friedman Fleischer & Lowe|website=The New York Times|date=September 25, 2014 |accessdate=July 31, 2017}}
In 2000, Eckert joined Mattel as chairman and CEO,{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/lists/2011/12/ceo-compensation-11_Robert-A-Eckert_6GNF.html |title=#72 Robert A Eckert |work=Forbes.com |date= |accessdate=May 2, 2017}} and remained as CEO until December 2011. He retired at the end of 2011, and was succeeded by Bryan G. Stockton who had been chief operating officer{{cite web|url=http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20111121005952/en/Mattel-Announces-Robert-A.-Eckert-Retire-CEO |title=Mattel Announces Robert A. Eckert to Retire as CEO |publisher=Business Wire |date=November 21, 2011 |accessdate=May 2, 2017}} and chairman until December 2012.{{cite web|url=http://www.levistrauss.com/who-we-are/leadership/robert-a-eckert/ |title=Robert A. Eckert |publisher=Levi Strauss |date= |accessdate=May 2, 2017}}
In 2004, under Eckert's leadership, Mattel began a seven-year legal war against tiny, California-based MGA Entertainment. In a surprise defeat, a jury decided that MGA Entertainment was the rightful owner of the once-billion dollar line of Bratz dolls. A BMO Capital Markets analyst said the failure to settle will go down as a “tremendously bad decision” by Mattel management. “It means they wasted $400 million or so of shareholder money to get zero return,” he said.{{Cite web|url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/mattel-loses-lawsuit-with-mga-bratz_n_852223|title=Mattel Loses Huge Suit Over Popular Dolls|date=April 21, 2011|website=HuffPost|language=en|access-date=November 29, 2019}}
In 2014, Eckert joined the private equity firm Friedman Fleischer & Lowe as an operating partner.
He is a non-executive director of Levi Strauss and McDonald's since 2003, Amgen since 2012, and Uber since 2020.{{Cite web |last=Lin |first=Ed |date=June 20, 2020 |title=Uber Technologies’ Newest Director Robert Eckert Bought Up Stock |url=https://www.barrons.com/articles/uber-technologies-director-robert-eckert-bought-up-stock-51592501607 |access-date=2025-06-03 |work=Barron's }} Since May 2021, he is the board chair of Levi Strauss.{{Cite web |last=Clark |first=Evan |date=March 9, 2021 |title=Levi Strauss Names Robert Eckert Chair |url=https://wwd.com/feature/levi-strauss-robert-eckert-chair-chip-bergh-1234775332/ |work=Women's Wear Daily}}
Personal life
Eckert was married to Kathie, and they had four children.{{cite web|url=http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/biography/A-E/Eckert-Robert-A-1954.html |title=Robert A. Eckert 1954— Biography – Low-profile beginnings, Climbing the corporate ladder at kraft |publisher=Referenceforbusiness.com |date= |accessdate=May 2, 2017}} In June 2017, Eckert and his wife sold their Park Tower condominium for a little over $2.92 million.{{Cite news|url=http://www.chicagobusiness.com/realestate/20170606/CRED0701/170609936/former-kraft-mattel-ceo-sells-michigan-avenue-condo|title=Former CEO of Kraft, Mattel sells Michigan Avenue condo|work=Crain's Chicago Business|accessdate=June 6, 2017}}
On June 1, 2019, Eckert married Lisa Marie Bongiovanni, a former Mattel communications executive.{{Cite web|url=https://thegoodbeginning.com/registries/lisa-marie-bongiovanni-bob-eckert/|title=Wedding Registry|work=The Good Beginning|accessdate=December 9, 2020}}
References
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Category:20th-century American businesspeople
Category:21st-century American businesspeople
Category:American chairpersons of corporations
Category:American chief executives of food industry companies
Category:American chief executives of manufacturing companies
Category:Businesspeople from Illinois
Category:Levi Strauss & Co. people
Category:Northwestern University alumni
Category:People from Elmhurst, Illinois
Category:University of Arizona alumni
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