Disney Branded Television recently promoted Alyssa Sapire to lead pre-school brand Disney Junior's content as SVP of development, series and strategy. “Alyssa is a dedicated champion of the power of storytelling and the absolute right leader for the Disney Junior brand,” Davis said. “She has assembled a best-in-class team and developed an incredibly strong content slate with one overarching goal: to create magical, memorable stories that provide joy, stoke curiosity and live in the hearts of young audiences everywhere.”
Reporting to Disney Branded Television president Ayo Davis, Sapire oversees all Disney Junior content, directing strategic oversight of development, current and acquired programming for linear and streaming. She also works closely with Disney Media Entertainment and Distribution to identify, develop and advance Disney Junior franchise opportunities. She has fulfilled duties related to the role since March, when Joe D’Ambrosia departed from the company to join Sony Pictures TV, with her appointment now secured permanently.
During her time at Disney Junior, Sapire has built a slate of series, specials and shorts for Disney Junior that includes upcoming projects such as "Young Jedi Adventures," the first "Star Wars" series for pre-schoolers; "Doc McStuffins" stop-motion shorts; "SuperKitties," "Kindergarten: The Musical," a new "Winnie The Pooh" shorts series; and recently launched series "Firebuds" and "Rise Up," "Sing Out."
Soon after taking on her new role, Sapire has restructured her Disney Junior senior leadership team, with Kim Berglund as VP of development, overseeing all series, specials and shorts in development, including identifying new creative talent. Meanwhile, Diane Ikemiyashiro and Lori Mozilo, both VPs of current series, will now co-lead current for the brand with oversight over all series, specials and shorts in production.
Sapire first joined Disney in 2016 and previously served as SVP of original programming. Prior to the Mouse House, she was VP of development and programming for Fremantle Media Kids & Family Group, overseeing live-action and animated series, including My Babysitter’s A Vampire, Wizards vs. Aliens and the Danger Mouse reboot. She also served 10 years at Nickelodeon, where she helped launch Noggin and TeenNick and oversaw development and production of series including A Walk In Your Shoes. She was also a producer at Scholastic, overseeing projects for the I Spy franchise, and began her career in production and research for PBS/WNET-TV science documentaries.
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