Meet Amy Huang, the CEO bringing iconic brands to life

This year’s Asian Pacific American Heritage Month we spoke to Mattel163 CEO Amy Huang, an inspiring leader who brought together industry giants Mattel and NetEase to create amazing digital games around iconic IPs everyone loves.

Amy Huang: I started my career as a management consultant, then worked in e-commerce and investment from early to mature stage businesses, before joining the games industry back in 2012.

In 2017, I helped bring together the iconic toy company Mattel and the internet giant NetEase to form Mattel163, a game studio focused on creating engaging digital games for a global audience. Since then, I've been steering the ship as the CEO of Mattel163.

Mattel is an iconic toy company with a rich history and a portfolio of over a hundred globally recognized franchises, while NetEase has a strong foothold in gaming for over 20 years, excelling in game development with proven commercial successes. Both are product-focused companies. The mandate was to create evergreen digital entertainment for the global market. The match was perfect.

Our games connect with so many because they're adapted from Mattel’s franchises with over 50 years of heritage in fun and social experiences! We keep the classic gameplay, modernize with mobile experiences, and keep things fresh with live events every week.

On top of everything, we make sure everyone feels included, like with our "Beyond Colors" deck across UNO! Mobile, Phase 10 Mobile, and Skip-Bo Mobile, people can distinguish classic colors through unified card symbols. Plus, our games’ events embrace global cultures and holidays, and we design a diverse range of new gameplay that appeals to everyone, crossing cultural and generational boundaries.

I love playing games created by Mattel163 and many casual games in the market. I’m a game junkie. I've been into card games since I was a kid, especially UNO, which was the first game that I learned when I moved to the US. These mobile games are a great way to relax any time of the day.

I am inspired by strong women who are pioneers, the ones who are not afraid to tackle the unknown, and the ones who break the rules. Marie Curie, Rosa Parks, Oprah Winfrey, and many, many more – these rule breakers are my power of 10,000. They inspire me to reach higher, despite doubts and fear. If we have just one life to live, what is there to lose?

The games industry is dynamic and constantly changing. Keep an open mind, keep on learning, thinking, and exploring. Don’t be afraid to enter the industry because you think it’s a boy’s club. If you love games, go after it.