Disney Junior exec Joe D’Ambrosia has been hired as executive vice president and general manager of Sony Pictures Television’s Silvergate Media. D’Ambrosia will be taking over for Silvergate founder Waheed Alli, who is stepping down from his post as CEO this summer.
In his new role at the Sony-owned children’s programming producer, D’Ambrosia will serve as Silvergate’s creative and strategic business leader, overseeing day-to-day operations of the company. He will work closely with the Silvergate team to drive continued growth and maximize opportunities to expand the company’s position in the market.
D’Ambrosia will report to Ravi Ahuja, chairman of global television studios and Sony Pictures Entertainment corporate development. He will begin at Silvergate Media on April 1 and be based in SPT’s Culver City, California headquarters, while also spending time with the company’s teams in New York and London.
Alli founded Silvergate Media in 2011. The company was acquired by Sony Pictures Television in 2019.
“Joe has a proven track record in leading a successful children’s programming business and knows this unique segment inside and out. His extensive experience in all aspects of the business and his passion for bringing inspired children’s content to life make him a natural fit for the role,” Ahuja said in a statement Friday. “Waheed has done a wonderful job in building Silvergate into a thriving, multi-faceted company, and we are grateful for his leadership in delivering some of the most popular franchises in children’s entertainment. We wish him all the best for the future.”
“I am thrilled to be joining Sony Pictures Television and Silvergate at such an exciting and pivotal time in kids’ entertainment,” D’Ambrosia added. “In my 10 years at Disney Junior, I have had the good fortune of working alongside one of the best teams in the business. This is the ideal next step to be collaborating with Ravi and the incredibly innovative and creative teams at Sony and Silvergate to produce world-class storytelling for kids and families around the globe.”
D’Ambrosia comes to Silvergate from Disney Junior, where he served as senior vice president of original programming and general manager, overseeing all extensions of the Disney Junior brand, on- and off-screen, as well as all development and production of Disney’s original programming content for kids 2-7, and acquisitions for the preschooler demographic.
He joined Disney in 2011 as vice president of original programing at Disney Junior before being promoted to senior vice president in 2016 and then to general manager in 2019. He has overseen production and creative development for some of Disney Junior’s most popular series, including “Doc McStuffins,” “Sofia the First,” “Muppet Babies,” “Elena of Avalor,” “Mira, Royal Detective” and “Marvel’s Spidey and his Amazing Friends.” He was also instrumental in expanding the global hit series “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse” with development and production of multiple new series such as “Mickey Mouse Funhouse.”