Nate Hayden has been promoted to VP, originals and branded entertainment at AOL. Hayden will oversee original-programing for the company in the wake of the departure of Gabriel Lewis, who has stepped down as head of AOL Originals.
Hayden joined AOL Studios as creative director in 2013. He previously served as VP, development at FremantleMedia and as a producer and director working with MTV and Mark Burnett Productions.
Under Lewis, AOL Studios unveiled a new programming slate tied to its May NewFront presentation in May that was heavy on celebrity producers such as James Franco, Zoe Saldana and Ellen DeGeneres.
AOL has also promoted Naomi Yasuda to senior director of AOL Studios. She will head the company's New York and Los Angeles production facilities.
“AOL’s original programming strategy has seen tremendous success over the past few years, and just three months after NewFronts, our momentum is still going strong,” said Ran Harnevo, AOL president of video. “Both Nate and Naomi are committed to creating the engaging, authentic content that AOL viewers know and love, while also constantly innovating and pushing beyond the status quo. I couldn’t think of better candidates to shepherd the AOL Originals team into the next chapter of its growth.”
News of the reorganization was first reported by Variety.
