Samantha Juneman appointed Mattel's Head of Music

Samantha Juneman started as Head of Music at Mattel on August 31. She reports to Chief Consumer Products and Experiences Officer Natalia Premovic, who confirmed the appointment on LinkedIn.

Juneman will oversee efforts to make music a more strategic part of Mattel's franchise and commercial strategy. This spans content, products, marketing, and experiences. Mattel stated she brings over 15 years of music and entertainment experience to the role.

Background and Previous Roles

Juneman arrives from Irving Azoff's Iconic Artists Group. There, she served as Senior Vice President, leading legacy artist management for a roster that included Wu-Tang Clan, Cher, and The Beach Boys.

Before Iconic, she joined Warner Music Group's ADA Worldwide as Head of Marketing & Services in December 2021. She came to ADA from Universal Music Group, which she joined in 2016. At UMG, her most recent role was Vice President of Music Strategy & Tactics. She worked across marketing, content, and commercial partnerships for artists including Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, and Big Sean.

Broader Leadership Appointments

Juneman's hire was one of three executive appointments announced by Premovic. Gerardo Leon returns to Mattel as Head of Consumer Products for the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand after five years at Netflix. He reports to Meredith Norrie, Mattel's Head of Global Consumer Products.

Rahul Lakhwani joins as Head of Strategy and Operations for Consumer Products and Experiences. He arrives from Fever Originals and reports directly to Premovic. Mattel said these appointments reflect its investment in leadership to build its brands into wider cultural and commercial platforms.

Premovic herself joined Mattel on January 5, 2026, from Netflix. There, she built the streaming company's consumer products business. Her title at Netflix was Head of Consumer Products for the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, the same title Leon now holds at Mattel.

Mattel's Music Catalog and Warner Ties

Premovic reports to Mattel Chairman and CEO Ynon Kreiz. Kreiz has served on the board of Warner Music Group since May 2016. Warner Music Group distributes Mattel's music catalog. WMG's proxy statement lists Kreiz as an independent director and a member of its Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.

Noreena Hertz, a WMG director, sits on Mattel's board and chairs its Governance and Social Responsibility Committee. WMG's Arts Music division has distributed Mattel's music catalog since May 2020 under an exclusive, multi-year global music licensing agreement.

When the deal was signed, the catalog contained more than 1,000 songs from brands like Barbie, Hot Wheels, Thomas & Friends, American Girl, and Fisher-Price. Fred Soulie, then Mattel's Senior Vice President of Content Distribution and Business Development, said, "Music is an important part of Mattel’s DNA, and has been integral to our brands’ ability to connect with children of all ages to help them learn and grow."

WMG's proxy statement discloses the distribution arrangement as a related-person transaction due to Kreiz's and Hertz's roles. The financial details from the statement are shown below.

According to the source, Iconic Artists Group holds a controlling stake in The Beach Boys' intellectual property, acquired in February 2021, and bought Cher's full interest in her past sound recordings and compositions in 2023. The company reportedly acquired Frank Sinatra's name, image and likeness rights in October 2025.