YouTube Originals Chief Nadine Zylstra Joins Pinterest to Lead Programming
Pinterest has tapped Nadine Zylstra, most recently the global head of YouTube Originals, to lead global programming and originals at the San Francisco–based social media platform.
Reporting up to Malik Ducard, Pinterest’s chief content officer and formerly YouTube’s vp content partnerships, Zylstra will lead strategy, development and distribution for Pinterest’s original programming. Her hiring comes shortly after Pinterest struck an exclusive, multiyear content deal with Tastemade that will result in 50 new shows and a slew of in-person programming.
More from The Hollywood Reporter
YouTube TV Hits 5M Subscribers, Outpacing Hulu's Live TV Tier
Digital Creators Rethink Hollywood As Some Push to Work On Their Own Terms
“As we continue to make Pinterest the most inspiring place for content creators, we are so thrilled to be expanding and welcoming Nadine to the team. This role is crucial as we work to drive meaningful engagement with creators, partners and their communities,” Ducard said in a statement on Thursday. “Nadine’s creativity and passion for creators and content, and her significant accomplishments across digital and television, spanning formats and genres, have not only inspired me – but more importantly, have inspired countless millions of viewers for years, and I look forward to seeing her inspiring leadership come to life at Pinterest.”
Zylstra joins Pinterest after serving as YouTube’s head of Originals, where she filled a role vacated by longtime TV executive Susanne Daniels, who departed YouTube at the beginning of March following the company’s decision to cut back its original programming. Before then, Zylstra led YouTube’s kids programming under the Originals team after more than a decade as an executive at Sesame Workshop, where she last held the role of vp production and programming for Sesame Street.
“I couldn’t be more excited to join Pinterest, a platform that I have been admiring and using passionately for many years,” Zylstra said. “Pinterest’s mission to bring people the inspiration they need to create a life they love resonates deeply with me. I can’t wait to contribute towards this mission and empower even more creators on Pinterest to bring their passions and authentic ideas to the platform.”
It’s not immediately clear if or when YouTube will be hiring a replacement for the head of original programming position, but a YouTube spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter that the Originals team is still creating programs that fall under the Black Voices and YouTube Kids & Family funds and fulfilling its commitments to shows that were already contracted prior to the company’s decision to reduce its content slate. The Originals team also remains under the purview of Tara Walpert Levy, who oversees YouTube’s business organization in the Americas and global content verticals.
