Sherrie Westin appointed CEO of Sesame Workshop

Sesame Workshop's Board of Trustees has appointed Sherrie Westin as the new Chief Executive Officer of the global nonprofit organisation known for Sesame Street. 

Sesame Workshop is a global nonprofit organisation that creates educational media and community outreach programs to help children grow intellectually, emotionally, and socially. Its initiatives reach families in over 150 countries.

Westin is the first woman to lead the organisation since its co-founder, Joan Ganz Cooney. She has served as President since 2021 and Interim CEO since February.

Gaby Sulzberger, Chair of the Sesame Workshop Board of Trustees, said:

"After an extensive CEO search, the Sesame Workshop Board of Trustees unanimously selected Sherrie Westin, who has proven herself to be deeply knowledgeable, tireless in her efforts on behalf of children and families, and passionately committed to our mission. 

“Sherrie is the inspirational leader the Workshop needs, and she has the Board's absolute confidence and support as she accepts this role and leads us into the future."

As President, Westin directed the Workshop's efforts to provide impactful early learning through various media and targeted social impact initiatives reaching children and families worldwide. 

Since joining the Workshop in 1998, Westin has overseen significant organisational efforts across programming, licensing, research, education, and brand strategy, using media to reach children on a large scale.

"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 Joan Ganz Cooney, creator of Sesame Street.

 "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."

Westin led a notable partnership with the International Rescue Committee to deliver early education to children in the Middle East. This project was awarded the MacArthur Foundation's first "100&Change" $100 million grant, making it the largest early childhood intervention in humanitarian response history. 

The initiative has since expanded to support children in Bangladesh, East Africa, Latin America, and those displaced from Afghanistan and Ukraine.

Westin's career includes roles in media, nonprofit, and public service sectors. She served as Assistant to the President for Public Liaison and Intergovernmental Affairs under President George H.W. Bush. She held senior positions at the ABC Television Network and U.S. News & World Report. 

She has received various recognitions, including Foreign Policy Magazine's "Leading Global Thinker," Fast Company's "100 Most Creative People in Business," and Forbes' "50 Over 50." She was also honoured with the Smithsonian's "American Ingenuity Award" and the Thomas Jefferson Medal for Citizen Leadership.

Westin said of the appointment:

"Children are the most important investment we can make in our future. They are the reason Sesame Street was created 55 years ago, and why the need for our work is greater than ever.

“Carrying on Joan Ganz Cooney's legacy is both humbling and inspiring, and I'm honoured to work with Gaby, the Trustees, and my colleagues to make sure that Sesame Street can continue to help children thrive for the next 55 years and beyond."