[quote]Local and regional entertainment ranging from interactive exhibits to integrated, high-tech experiences are an exciting and contemporary way for National Geographic to bring the world a little closer in vivid and exciting ways to audiences of all ages around the world.” — Terry Garcia, National Geographic Society Chief Science and Exploration Officer[/quote]
Washington, DC, USA (June 4, 2014)—Emmy Award-winning producer and media executive Peter van Roden will join the National Geographic Society as senior vice president, global experiences & events, on Monday, June 9. He will oversee National Geographic’s emerging location-based operations, including themed entertainment and touring shows, as well as National Geographic’s public programs, speakers’ bureau, National Geographic Museum and traveling exhibits.
Van Roden comes to National Geographic from Sesame Workshop, where he was vice president, themed entertainment, overseeing global business development and brand management in theme parks, tours, exhibits and other nontraditional media ventures. In addition to managing Sesame Workshop’s worldwide live touring business, including Sesame Street Live, van Roden also oversaw new business ventures, including a global partnership with the USO; the interactive museum exhibit “Sesame Street Presents: The Body”; a planetarium film; a partnership with Beaches Resorts; and the global expansion of theme park relationships, including Universal Studios Japan and Universal Studios Singapore, and a domestic partnership with SeaWorld and Busch Gardens Parks.
Van Roden was previously chief Web officer of BigChalk.com. Other positions he has held are president and CEO of HomeworkCentral.com; vice president of production and themed entertainment at The Jim Henson Company; director of network specials and reality programs at The Walt Disney Company; and manager of promotions and associate producer at ABC Sports.
“Peter is the perfect leader to help us realize our vision, and we are delighted to welcome him to the organization,” said National Geographic Society Chief Science and Exploration Officer Terry Garcia, to whom van Roden will report.
Van Roden has a B.A. in politics from Ithaca College, and he won his Emmy Award for Outstanding Sports Programming, Olympics Marketing Campaign.