by Rob Doherty
In this series we talk to high profile executives in the animation and kids television industry. We aim to take a look at the person behind the title, find out a little more of what they do, how they got there, and maybe a little more about them along the way. Enjoy the journey. This series is powered by Liberi Consulting - https://libericonsulting.com/ - and hosted by Julian Scott, Animation Consultant
Language
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Publishing Since
6/4/2024
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June 29, 2026
"I learned most of my leadership skills from Kermit the Frog." Emmet O'Neil, CEO of StoryToys, is living proof that the most chaotic CVs often hide the most deliberate and creative minds. Uprooted from Dublin to rural Cork at age six, he channelled that childhood trauma straight into creativity — a habit that's never left him. A career as an illustrator was derailed by a rare degenerative eye condition, which, combined with a newborn on the way, pushed him reluctantly into management. What followed was a decade of digital transformation work across film, advertising and publishing before landing at StoryToys, where he took over from his own brother as CEO. His leadership philosophy? Largely borrowed from Kermit the Frog. His stance on AI? Cautiously optimistic — he's waiting for the hype bubble to burst before the genuinely useful tools emerge. His biggest bugbear? The myth that creatives can't do business, which he believes has enabled the exploitation of creative talent for centuries. Oh, and he's an award-winning pumpkin carver. LinkedIn will confirm.
June 9, 2026
Today's guest, Olexa Hewryk, is Vice President and Head of Animation at Sesame Workshop. Starting his career as an animator, he has since directed, produced, and now oversees a broad portfolio of animated content — from Sesame Street itself to YouTube originals and Roblox activations. A graduate of Rhode Island School of Design, he's the recipient of four Daytime Emmy Awards and has shaped shows including Esme & Roy and Little Einsteins. Olexa's journey is rooted in a childhood love of cartoons at his grandparents' house and children's books (Curious George being his first obsession). At RISD he switched from illustration to animation after a winter session course revealed that animation combined everything he loved — children's books, theatre, and set design. A formative post-grad year in Kraków, Poland immersed him in Eastern European animation, whose slower storytelling pacing and dark absurdist humour has quietly influenced his work ever since. He speaks passionately about why preschool content matters and about Sesame Workshop's non-negotiable commitment to curriculum-driven content: "our goal is to create content that helps children become smarter, stronger and kinder." He's candid about AI, describing himself as personally curious but emphatic that it plays no part in current Workshop productions. "If kids are not enjoying the content, the curriculum is ineffectual."
March 23, 2026
“One minute you’re making cartoons in Kilkenny, the next you’re chatting with Quentin Tarantino over champagne.” This week on the podcast, we’re joined by Paul Young of Cartoon Saloon — producer, director, co-founder, accidental salesman, and possibly the only man in animation whose career began with Greek beach caricatures and illegal late-night sandwich sales. Paul chats to Julian about building Cartoon Saloon from a scrappy Kilkenny startup into one of the most admired studios in the world, why some of the best industry deals happen after midnight, and how a studio can still make world-class animation while letting people go home at 5pm. It’s a funny, honest and quietly inspiring conversation about creativity, persistence, and making beautiful 2D films in a 3D world. Perfect listening for anyone recovering from Animation Dingle this weekend — or anyone who’s ever wondered how sandwiches, cartoons, Oscar nominations and beatboxing somehow end up in the same career. With immense thanks to Paul for his time and candidness and, as always, to the fantastic Julian Scott for hosting and the rock that is Janet Balmforth at Liberi Consulting.
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Sueann Rochester
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Mary Coleman
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Neil Court
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In this series we talk to high profile executives in the animation and kids television industry. We aim to take a look at the person behind the title, find out a little more of what they do, how they got there, and maybe a little more about them along the way.
Enjoy the journey.
This series is powered by Liberi Consulting - https://libericonsulting.com/ - and hosted by Julian Scott, Animation Consultant
This podcast updates weekly.
This podcast is available on 7 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
Yes, this podcast regularly features guests.
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