Disney Branded TV Promotes Meredith Roberts

Meredith Roberts has been upped to executive VP of TV animation at Disney Branded Television.

Roberts has been promoted from senior VP and general manager of TV animation, a role in which she oversaw development and current animated content and production for kids aged 6 to 14 and families. During her tenure, Disney Television Animation earned more Daytime Emmy Award nominations than in its 38-year history.

Roberts has been instrumental in securing Disney Television Animation as a place for creative talent, including Bruce W. Smith and Ralph Farquhar’s BAR Productions (The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder), Laurence Fishburne and Helen Sugland of Cinema Gypsy and Steve Loter (Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur), Dan Povenmire (Hamster and Gretel, Phineas and Ferb) and Natasha Klime (Primos).

She was also instrumental in the Disney Television Animation Writing Program, which has placed more than 30 junior writers from underrepresented groups into full-time writing jobs. Last year, the program added a mentorship component. Based on its success, Roberts and her team will add initiatives this year that will focus on storyboard artists and songwriters.

Roberts works closely with her counterparts at Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar, Marvel and 20th Television Animation to represent Disney’s leadership in animation, including with ASIFA and Women in Animation, for which she has been in an advisory capacity, and advocacy groups including Black N’ Animated, LatinX in Animation and the Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment.

Prior to her most recent role with Disney Branded Television, she served as general manager of Disneytoon Studios, which launched films such as the Planes franchise and Tinker Bell/Fairies titles. From 2004 to 2007, she was senior VP of creative affairs at Walt Disney Television Animation, where she helped steer Phineas and Ferb, Kim Possible, The Emperor’s New School and Lilo & Stitch. From 2001 to 2004, she was head of development of film and television at Klasky-Csupo Entertainment.

“A leader of incredible vision and a true champion of artistic talent, Meredith has set a new bar for Disney Television Animation, building upon the single greatest animation legacy in the world to lead a team that is creating the most innovative, magical, animated storytelling in the business,” said Ayo Davis, president of Disney Branded Television. “This well-deserved promotion is in recognition of not only her tremendous leadership and creativity but her ongoing commitment to advancing diverse, inclusive storytelling for audiences everywhere.”