Judd Zebersky officially stepped down as CEO of Jazwares on March 20, 2026, ending a tenure that began in the late 1990s when he left a law career to learn toy manufacturing in rural China. Under his direction, Jazwares grew from a startup into a global toy company with a workforce of approximately 1,400 and distribution across more than 100 countries.
Chief Operating Officer David Neustein, a 14-year company veteran, assumed the CEO position three days later on March 23, 2026.
A Founder Who Started From Scratch
Judd Zebersky holds a JD from the University of Miami School of Law and built a law firm before pivoting to the toy industry. In 1997, he traveled to China with no manufacturing knowledge and spent extended periods learning production processes inside factories across the southern part of the country.
“I went to remote places in China on dirt roads where entire families get around on a single motorcycle,” he told Miami Law in 2014. The experience gave him deep operational knowledge across injection molding, blow molding, rotocasting, hair rooting, and design engineering.
Jazwares built a foundation through licensed entertainment products, forming partnerships with Minecraft, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Fortnite. Acquisitions accelerated growth: Wicked Cool Toys arrived in 2019, and Kellytoy in 2020 brought with it the Squishmallows brand.
The Squishmallows Phenomenon
Squishmallows became one of the more unlikely retail success stories of recent years. The huggable plush toys, each with names, birthdays, and personal bios, caught fire on TikTok and drew celebrity endorsements from Lady Gaga and Kim Kardashian among others. More than 100 million units sold in a single year at retail prices between $5 and $30.
Alleghany Capital Corporation took a stake in 2014 and a majority position in 2016, with Zebersky maintaining daily operational control. Berkshire Hathaway inherited the position after acquiring Alleghany in the fourth quarter of 2022.
Jazwares earned recognition on TIME’s Most Influential Companies list, Fast Company’s Best Workplaces for Innovators, and Fortune’s Best Workplaces in Manufacturing and Production. Judd Zebersky received the South Florida Business Journal’s Ultimate CEOs honor in 2024. See This Page for more information.
Visit about Judd Zebersky on https://toybook.com/jazwares-leadership-transition/