EXCLUSIVE: Heather Tilert, who has led Netflix‘s Preschool Content team as Director of Preschool Series since joining the streamer in 2018, has been promoted to VP of Kids & Family Series.
In the newly created role, Tilert will oversee programming strategy and development across preschool series, animation, and kids & family unscripted series (a separate area from Netflix’s Unscripted and Documentary Series group under VP Brandon Riegg). She will continue to report to John Derderian, VP of Kids & Family TV and Animation Series.
Netflix’s kids lineup includes popular early childhood education titles such as Sesame Street, Ms. Rachel, Danny Go! and Mark Rober’s CrunchLabs; other family favorites, including Trash Truck, Gabby’s Dollhouse and The Creature Cases; as well as movies Leo and Swapped, which just set a Netflix viewership record for an animated film.
The streamer recently unveiled an expansion of its preschool and kids’ series, films and games lineup with new preschool series Young MacDonald, renewals for Trash Track and The Creature Cases, and release dates for Sesame Street, CoComelon Lane and Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie, among others. Also coming up are Rober’s competition series Schooled! and Motel Transylvania, a series spinoff from the Hotel Transylvania movie franchise. Additionally, Netflix announced the launch of Playground, a new app where kids can play games and explore their favorite characters, from Peppa Pig to Sesame Street.
Since joining in 2018, Tilert has spearheaded such preschool programs as Sesame Street, which moved to Netflix late last year, Creature Cases, Gabby’s Dollhouse, and CoComelon Lane. She has been instrumental in brining creator-driven content to Netflix, including deals for Ms. Rachel, Danny Go!, Salish and Jordan Matter, and Mark Rober’s CrunchLabs. The slate has earned Daytime Emmys, BAFTAs, and NAACP Image Awards.
Tilert began her career at Nickelodeon, serving as a production coordinator on The Wonder Pets! and later as a development executive. She is an Emmy-nominated producer, writer and showrunner.
