By Allison Watkinson
TLL Reporter
Sesame Workshop has appointed Brett Robinson as Chief Financial Official and Executive Vice President of Finance, Technology, and Facilities.
In his new role at Sesame Workshop, Robinson will be responsible for advising on all fiscal matters. This includes annual and long-term planning, accounting, budgeting, risk management, compliance, and analysis.
He will also oversee the IT and Engineering divisions and play a key role in ensuring that the organization has the systems and technology to support the work environment. In addition, Robinson will help track and identify key metrics to achieve Sesame Workshop’s goals.
Sesame Workshop says Robinson will also be a key strategic partner for the nonprofit organization’s senior leadership. He will be serving as an officer of the organization with the Board of Trustees and will sit on Sesame Workshop’s leadership team. Robinson will report to the CEO of Sesame Workshop, Steve Youngwood.
“Brett has dedicated his career to public service and social good,” said Youngwood. “He possesses a depth and breadth of experience, having held multiple finance and administrative roles in city government, being the CFO at a large community-focused not-for-profit in the Brooklyn Public Library, and most recently at UNICEF USA, where he was not only the COO and CFO but also interim co-CEO during their transition,” continued Youngwood.
“With over 20 years of experience operating at the intersection of strategy, technology, and finance, Brett brings visionary leadership, a sharp focus on data-driven decisions, and a high level of energy with a can-do mindset. We are thrilled to have him join to continue elevating Sesame Workshop’s operations and facilitate our mission of helping kids everywhere grow smarter, stronger, and kinder.”
Sesame Workshop is the nonprofit educational organization behind the popular television show Sesame Street. The organization focuses its efforts on research and social impact initiatives to improve access to meaningful education for children around the world.
Prior to his appointment at Sesame Workshop, Robinson served at UNICEF USA, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving children’s and families’ lives through advocacy, education, and fundraising. At UNICEF USA, he was responsible for developing strategy and managing operations while leading several departments including finance, human resources, technology, institutional partnerships, and more.
Before his time with UNICEF USA, Robinson spent five years as Executive Vice President of Finance & Administration and Chief Financial Officer for the Brooklyn Public Library. He has also served in executive positions at NYC Department of Information Technology & Telecommunications and the NYC Mayor’s Office of Management and Budget.
Robinson received higher education at New York University where he earned a Masters of Public Administration, Policy and Management. He also previously studied at Cornell University where he received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History.