Sesame Workshop CEO Exits, Interim Chief Appointed

A new CEO is on the way to Sesame Street. Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit organization behind the beloved educational children's series, announced Tuesday that CEO Steve Youngwood decided to step down as Chief Executive Officer and as a member of the Board of Trustees. Sesame Workshop President Sherrie Westin, who has been with the company since 1998, has been appointed as Interim CEO. The company also announced that Youngwood will remain available to Sesame Workshop in an informal advisory role to help ensure a smooth transition, and that the board has hired an executive search firm to find a permanent CEO. 

"Under Steve's leadership, Sesame Workshop has expanded its reach and impact globally, and is well positioned for ongoing success. On behalf of the Board, I thank Steve for his commitment to Sesame Workshop, our mission, and people and wish him the best in his next chapter," said Gabrielle Sulzberger, Chair of the Sesame Workshop Board of Trustees.

Youngwood said, "It has been a highlight of my professional career to work alongside the talented and creative individuals on the Sesame Workshop team. I look forward to watching Sesame Workshop's immensely positive social impact continue long into the future."

Formerly the Executive Vice President & General Manager of Digital Media & Entertainment Products at Nickelodeon, Youngwood joined Sesame Workshop in 2015. In 2018, Youngwood and Westin were elevated from Executive Vice Presidents to Divisional Presidents; as the then-Chief Operating Officer for the Workshop and Executive Vice President for Media & Education, Youngwood was named President of Media & Education and Chief Operating Officer.

According to his bio, Youngwood has held various senior management positions in TV and consumer products focusing on Nickelodeon, Paramount and Comedy Central properties, and previously served on the Board of Directors for the educational toy company Leapfrog Enterprises. Youngwood is an Interactive Emmy Award and Webby Award winner and is also on the Board of Directors of the not-for-Profit Northside Center for Childhood Development.

Previously Sesame's Executive Vice President, Global Impact and Philanthropy, Westin is a 25-year veteran of Sesame Workshop who led the company's efforts to serve vulnerable children through mass media and targeted initiatives in the United States and around the world. As Sesame Workshop's chief philanthropic ambassador and President, Global Impact & Philanthropy, Westin led the creation of Sesame Street in Communities, Sesame's comprehensive initiative designed to give children the tools they need to overcome traumatic experiences.

Sulzberger said of Westin, "Sherrie is a highly regarded executive who knows Sesame Workshop well and has played an important role in advancing our mission. The Board is incredibly grateful to Sherrie for stepping into the Interim CEO role. We are confident that with her unique mix of skills, experience, and insight, Sherrie is the right interim leader to drive the organization forward while we work to identify our next permanent CEO."

Westin added, "Sesame Workshop's mission has never been more critical and I am honored to step into this role on an interim basis. We are fortunate to have an incredibly deep bench of purpose-driven individuals, and I look forward to working closely with the entire team as we advance the important work underway to meet the needs of young children in an evolving media and education landscape. We will continue investing in our best-in-class programming and launching new resources to provide access to quality early learning to children around the globe."

Sesame Workshop recently announced that Sesame Street will be reimagined for its 56th season in 2025 along with the new five-minute animated series Tales From 123.