ABC Taps Simran Sethi as Head of Scripted Development

Simran Sethi, a veteran programming executive who has held positions at Netflix, Freeform and NBC, has been appointed executive VP of development and content strategy for ABC Entertainment.

Sethi will head up all of ABC’s comedy, drama and long-form series development. She will also be responsible for developing new content strategies for the network. Sethi takes on the newly created position on August 19, reporting to Karey Burke, president of ABC Entertainment.

Burke and Sethi previously worked together at Freeform. Most recently, Sethi served as director of international originals for India and the Middle East at Netflix, where she helped shape the launch strategy and steered the growth in the roster of Indian originals for the global streaming company.

“Simran is a creative force with deep relationships across the industry and a proven track record of finding and championing impactful series that resonate with viewers,” said Burke. “I’m so happy to welcome her back to the Disney team. Her fierce passion for developing authentic stories and her exceptional taste will guide our talented development team as we strive to make ABC a leader in brave, quality storytelling.”

“I am both thrilled and humbled to have the opportunity to once again work with Karey Burke and her trailblazing development team during such an exciting and transformative time at ABC,” said Sethi. “The network is a force in the industry that understands the importance of legacy, creating content that delivers the broadest audience possible and supports projects from start to finish—I can’t wait to be a part of a company whose leadership is truly looking to the future.”