Viacom alum Tanya Haider is among two new hires joining the ranks at Sesame Workshop, where she will work closely with a slew of former Nickelodeon execs – including Sesame Workshop CEO Jeffrey Dunn.

Haider (pictured) is stepping into the new role of EVP for strategy, research and ventures, and she is joined by Diana Lee, who is now EVP of human resources.

As the head of strategic planning for the Workshop, which serves as the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street, Haider will lead planning efforts surrounding content and market research, as well as oversee the organization’s partnerships with venture companies, with a focus on social impact.

Previously, Haider was head of global licensing and video content partnerships at Russian gaming studio ZeptoLab, where she built the global licensing and merchandising business for its mobile game Cut the Rope. Before ZeptoLab, she headed up international licensing at MTV Networks International, managing the global expansion of brands such as SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer, and she also held senior positions in strategy and business development in the Viacom Kids and Family Group.

As the former SVP of human resources at MTV Networks, Lee is now responsible for leading the Workshop’s human resources strategy and function that includes staffing, compensation, performance management, and individual development.

Both positions will report to Dunn, who joined the company last September. Dunn spent more than a decade at Nickelodeon (1993 to 2006 ) as group COO and president of Nickelodeon Film and Enterprises.

In April, Dunn appointed former Nickelodeon execs Steve Youngwood and Brown Johnson as the company’s new chief operating officer and EVP and creative director, respectively.

Their hires were part of a broader company-wide reorganization designed to increase the company’s contribution and impact through more content and research-driven initiatives.

Sesame Street, which reaches 156 million children in more than 150 countries, celebrated its 45th anniversary last November with the launch of its new SVOD service Sesame Street GO and surpassing 1.5 billion views on its YouTube channel.