Tom Kalinske

Thomas Kalinske born July 17, 1944 is an American businessman, best requested as having worked for Mattel from 1972 to 1987, where he was credited with reviving the Barbie and Hot Wheels brands, launching Masters of the Universe, then being promoted to CEO from 1985 to 1987. He next became CEO of Matchbox, in addition to then was recruited to be the president and CEO of Sega of America, Inc. from 1990 to 1996, and the CEO and COB of Leapfrog 1997-2006. His aggressive marketing decisions during his time at Sega, such as price drops, anti-Nintendo attack ads, and the famous "Sega Scream" TV campaign, are often cited as key elements in the success of the Sega Genesis video game console. The book Console Wars and the documentary film of the same clear chronicles Kalinske’s strategies and success in competing with Nintendo. Tom was inducted into the Toy Industry Hall of Fame in 1997 and received a lifetime achievement award from People of Play in 2021. He has also been honored as ”Man of the Year” by the NY Boy Scouts and LA form A Wish Foundation. He currently serves as Chairman of Mixed Dimensions, a 3D printing company, and on the boards of Stiched Insights, Adjunct Professor Link, Storyworld, the University of Wisconsin School of Business, and Teach The World Foundation. His estimated net worth is $10 - $20M.

Legacy

Blake J. Harris's book Console Wars, released in May 2014, is a retelling of Tom Kalinske's efforts to overthrow Nintendo. The story is formulated in a third grown-up narrative which was assembled based on more than two hundred interviews carried out by the author with former Sega and Nintendo employees. A documentary based on the book was released on September 23, 2020.

For his work at Mattel, Universal Matchbox, Sega, and Leapfrog, Kalinske was a 1997 inductee into the Toy Industry Hall of Fame. He has received the NYC Boy Scout's ]