Eric Ostendorff

Eric Ostendorff is a senior staff designer for Hot Wheels®, creating innovative Hot Wheels® toys. Since joining Mattel in 1983, he has designed and developed successful and innovative track sets that are fun to play with, such as Gorilla Attack™, Terrordactyl, Formula Circle™ and his first Hot Wheels® track set – Leapin’ Demons™.

 Prior to joining Mattel, Ostendorff worked as an engineer at Pratt & Whitney Jet Aircraft Engines. His expertise was used to create engines for F-15 and F-16 aircrafts. He graduated from Virginia Tech University with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering.

 Ostendorff’s motivation to work for Mattel was so strong, that he secured his interview by claiming he had created a “revolutionary invention,” although he had not yet created it. However, his background of growing up in a family of designers and experience from Pratt & Whitney helped him in making an electro-mechanical flight simulator, a “revolutionary invention” at the time of the interview. The innovation showcased his skill set in design, mechanics and electronics, helping him to secure the very next job opening at  Mattel.