Mattel Chief Executive Robert Eckert receives $7.9 million in 2009, down 8 percent from 2008

Mattel CEO receives $7.9M in compensation in 2009

NEW YORK — Robert A. Eckert, chairman and chief executive of Mattel Inc., received compensation valued at nearly $7.9 million in 2009, down about 8 percent from the prior year.

Eckert, 55, received a base salary of $1.25 million, equal to last year, and a performance-based bonus of $2.5 million.

The bulk of his award came in the form of stock option and awards valued at about $3.7 million on the day they were granted.

He also received other compensation of $502,893. That includes $108,628 for personal use of company aircraft, $30,937 for a company car program, $30,646 in other perquisites or “perks,” such as tax return preparation, physical exams, a home security system, insurance, country club membership, grants and matching charitable donations.

He also received $26,950 in contributions to his 401(k) plan, $115,865 under a defined contribution plan, and $189,867 in tax grossups related to financial counseling and Medicare taxes.

The Associated Press formula is designed to isolate the value the company’s board placed on the executive’s total compensation package during the last fiscal year. It includes salary, bonus, performance-related bonuses, perks, above-market returns on deferred compensation and the estimated value of stock options and awards granted during the year. The calculations don’t include changes in the present value of pension benefits, making the AP total different in most cases than the total reported by companies to the Securities and Exchange Commission.

For the full year, Mattel, which makes Barbie and Hot Wheels toys, reported profit rose 39 percent to $528.7 million, or $1.45 per share, as the company cut costs to offset lower spending by consumers. Sales slipped 8 percent to $5.43 billion in 2009.

Shares rose 25 percent during 2009.