Atiya Henry is leaving Netflix for Disney, and the kids-and-family space just got a serious production upgrade.
Henry has been named EVP of Production at Disney Branded Television, reporting to Disney Entertainment Television Head of Production Carol Turner and joining President Ayo Davis’ senior leadership team.
The hire was confirmed exclusively by Deadline.
She steps into the role vacated by Susette Hsiung, who retired at the end of 2025 after 28 years at The Walt Disney Company, including a run as Disney Channel Head of Production and most recently EVP, Studio Production, Network Programming Operations at Disney Branded Television.
That’s a deep institutional legacy to follow.
Henry comes with seven years at Netflix, where she rose from manager to director of physical production in the drama series division. Her production credits there include “Firefly Lane,” “Sweet Magnolias,” “Raising Dion,” and “Ransom Canyon,” plus the upcoming “Little House on the Prairie” reboot. Before Netflix, she logged time at Annapurna Pictures and BET Networks/Viacom — a résumé that covers indie prestige, broadcast legacy, and streaming scale.
In her new seat, Henry will oversee all production across Disney Branded Television’s animated and live-action slate for Disney+, Disney Channel, and Disney Jr. That means the “Descendants” franchise, “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse,” “Phineas and Ferb,” and whatever comes next on what Davis and Turner called “the industry’s most ambitious slate for kids and families.”
Courtesy Disney
“Atiya is a highly accomplished production executive who knows how to bring ambitious storytelling to life,” Davis and Turner said in a joint statement. “Her experience across a wide range of genres and her collaborative leadership style make her an ideal partner.”
The move is notable for what it signals about Disney Branded Television’s operational priorities. Davis has been building out her leadership structure with intention — and bringing in an exec with Henry’s physical production depth, across genres and budget levels, suggests the division is serious about execution, not just development. Big IP requires machine-level production discipline. Henry has it.
For Netflix, it’s a loss in the drama production infrastructure — though at the director level, those roles turn over. The bigger story is the directional flow: Netflix-trained talent moving into legacy studio infrastructure is a pattern worth watching. The streaming wars produced a generation of production executives who learned to move fast and at scale. Disney is hiring that muscle.
Henry framed the move in the language of cultural legacy. “Disney has played an important role in shaping many of the most iconic stories for kids and families around the world,” she said. “I’m excited to partner with Ayo, Carol, and the talented Disney Branded Television team to help deliver stories that audiences will grow up with and carry with them for years to come.”
The kids-and-family space doesn’t get the industry heat of prestige drama or peak-TV auteur projects. But it moves serious money, commands deep audience loyalty, and — under Davis — has been the site of some of Disney’s most meaningful representation pushes in recent years. The exec running production shapes what actually gets made, on time, on budget, and on screen.
Henry starts with receipts. Now she runs the machine.
