“Fostering relationships is a pivotal driver of innovation”: Mattel’s Tara McGrath on nurturing strong bonds with inventors

Tara, it’s great to chat! To kick us off, how did you find yourself working in this industry? Was it always part of the plan?
Toys were not part of the plan, but creativity was… As a child, I loved to create and make things. I would beg my parents for art supplies and craft toys for my birthdays and holidays. I have strong memories of my sister and me designing everything in our dollhouse, from furniture to picture frames, sculpting food in the fridge made from clay – and sewing quilts on little beds. I loved drawing throughout elementary school and high school, and I knew at a very young age I wanted to go to art school for college.

I went to FIT in NYC and began focusing on advertising design. One of my graphic design professors at the time – Judy Ellis – told me about a toy program starting in FIT and that I would be a perfect candidate, since my designs were playful. I switched majors to Toy Design, which is how I entered the industry – I had yet to learn this type of career existed.

I credit Judy Ellis for guiding me in this direction; she did an incredible job forming the program. Judy worked closely with the Toy Association of America and all the major toy companies to curate a program, and it’s still going strong; each year, we get fabulous creative toy designers from FIT.

You spent some time as an inventor with the wonderful team at Pace Development prior to joining Mattel. Did your experience there shape your approach to working with inventors today?
Yes! After college, I worked at Pace Development in NYC. Working at Pace Development as an inventor has been one of the highlights of my career. I was celebrated as a designer and felt like part of the team, given opportunities to meet and present to many toy companies and attend special meetings and events. February Toy Fair in the Toy Building on 23rd St. will always be a great memory for me!

Now that I am working in the Inventor Relations department, there are many advantages to having been on the inventing side. I know what fun is, and I know a good toy when I see one. Regarding product pitches, I understand the time, effort and passion that goes into all ideas presented by inventors to our teams at Mattel. I understand what is unique about each idea shown, and I know that – at times –the execution of the concept is where the invention lies. I can see the essence of a great toy through a rough foam-core model.

I also understand that being an inventor comes with rejection. This business has many ups and downs, and you must celebrate every success during that toy cycle, no matter the outcome. Mattel looks at thousands of ideas each year, so inventing teams must celebrate a hold, an option, and a licensed deal!

Absolutely. Now, talk me through what your current role at Mattel entails?
I head our Inventor Relations and Innovation Team. We aim to find innovative products and technologies within our global inventing community. This can only be done by nurturing strong relationships with our inventors. We couldn’t do this without a great IR team who champion the products and these relationships along the way.

I believe fostering relationships is the pivotal driver of innovation. We highly respect our inventor community and see them as an extension of our design team. As an IR team, we are always evolving and constantly look towards the future to ensure we’re better than we were in the past.

What are some of the key aims of your IR team?
I have several goals for our team. The first is to further strengthen our relationships with inventors and partner with them on special projects and collaborations. Another goal is to promote more inventor champions within Mattel to ensure those ideas reach the finish line.

Inventors offer a reservoir of fresh ideas, bringing a new perspective that can lead to ground-breaking products and drive a brand’s growth. Inventors are crucial partners for Mattel as we remain competitive, broaden our product offerings and continue to drive innovation.

Great answer. Linkedin tells me you’ve been with Mattel for an impressive stretch of time! And you’re not alone – plenty of people stick around at the company! What is it about Mattel that has kept you there so long?
What initially drove me to Mattel were its strong power brands. Once I got there, the people, opportunities and flexibility to work and collaborate on various brands kept me there. Over the years, I have worked on incredible brands, from Disney Princess to Polly Pocket, UNO, Barbie and Action Figures…

I’ve had excellent leaders who have inspired and believed in me during my creative journey. The people are what make Mattel special. When you come into the office, you are surrounded by creativity everywhere, and that inspires me. There is no other company quite like it. I genuinely feel we have the best talent in the industry.

Fantastic. I have one last question Tara. What inspires you?
I get inspiration everywhere: travel, nature, museums and spending time with kids. I love volunteering at schools to talk about design. Working with students fuels my creativity and gives me a sense of fulfilment and happiness.

I am also inspired by my team. I find it inspiring when my team starts to break through expectations and innovate in new ways about processes and working with inventors.

Lovely. A pleasure to chat Tara. Thanks again.

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