Sesame Workshop has selected interim CEO Sherrie Westin to take on the role permanently. 

A long-time Sesame executive, Westin started in 1998 as an EVP and chief marketing officer and eventually moved into managing its social impact efforts. She was elevated to leading the company’s philanthropy division as president in 2021, after delivering more than US$300 million in grants and donations to kids around the world. 

One of her biggest achievements is securing a partnership with the International Rescue Committee to bring early education to kids in the Middle East. The MacArthur Foundation supported this work with a US$100 million grant, and the program has expanded to providing educational materials to kids affected and displaced by crises in Latin America, Bangladesh, Ukraine, Afghanistan and East Africa. 

Westin replaces Steve Youngwood, another Sesame vet, who was named CEO in 2021 (at the same time Westin was promoted to president). Youngwood, who is now advising on startups, worked at Sesame for nearly a decade in executive roles. As CEO, he oversaw productions including digital-first series Tamir on the Street and the animated series Mecha Builders and Bea’s Block, both for Warner Bros. Discovery.  

Notably, Westin is the first woman to lead Sesame Workshop since its co-founder and Sesame Street creator Joan Ganz Cooney (now 94 years old), who gave Westin her seal of approval.  

“Sesame Workshop’s mission is to help children everywhere grow smarter, stronger and kinder—and no one has done more to advance that mission than Sherrie Westin, a seasoned leader with both proven experience and an unwavering dedication to uplifting the lives of children,” said Cooney in a release. “I can think of no better person to lead Sesame Workshop as it addresses the most pressing needs of children and families around the world.”