WarnerMedia Entertainment Networks has brought on board Carlene Tan as the new director of original production and development for its Kids division in Asia Pacific. As departmental lead, she will focus on identifying new IP and producing original series for Cartoon Network, Boomerang and POGO.
Based in Singapore, Tan will immediately get involved with the current slate of Asia Pacific originals including the International Emmy-nominated Lamput and the just-launched Monster Beach. She will also help steer the long-running Roll No. 21 series in India, as well as both Titoo and Lambuji Tinguji, which will launch on POGO later this year.
Commenting on Tan’s appointment, WarnerMedia Entertainment Networks Asia Pacific Kids head Leslie Lee said, “Tan combines strategic business experience with her love of storytelling to connect with audiences. Her relationships with studios and talent in the regional and global animation ecosystem will be instrumental in bringing new stories to life.”
Prior to WarnerMedia, Tan developed original animation with The Walt Disney Company (Southeast Asia) and was the studio head at One Animation where she produced Oddbods and Insectibles. Before that, with the founder of Dreamworks Animation, she managed the Singapore arm of Cloudpic Global and produced various digital projects for mobile apps launched across Asia. She was also one of the founding members of Singapore’s first animation studio, Peach Blossom Media.
Besides Tan, Hoyoung Jung from Lee’s team has been promoted as the APAC Kids director of acquisitions and co-productions. Based in Japan, Jung is now tasked with the discovery and negotiation of third-party programming for WarnerMedia’s Kids platforms in the region, and will be the face of the networks at key international markets and trade shows.
Jung is a former Mattel employee who worked in the strategic IP partnerships team responsible for APAC content distribution in Hong Kong. He also worked at Daewon Media, which represented iconic Japanese IP, in Korea, such as Power Rangers, Doraemon and One Piece.