Nickelodeon Expands Animation Leadership Team With One Hire, Three Promotions

It’s a heady time for animation production at Nickelodeon. Just a month after Ramsey Naito was made president of its animation studio, the company has hired a new vice president and upped three other executives.

Here are the details:

• Conrad Montgomery has joined the company as vp of current series, animation. As well as overseeing the production of animated series from greenlight to delivery, he will help shape the creative vision for Nickelodeon and its studio, in collaboration with creators, producers, and executives.
• Previously, Montgomery was senior director, current series at Cartoon Network, where he supervised award-winning series including Adventure Time, Regular Show, and Steven Universe. Before that, he was a development executive at Walt Disney Television Animation, where his credits include Fish Hooks and Motor City.
• In a round of promotions, Dana Cluverius has gone from vp to senior vp of current series, animation; Claudia Spinelli from vp to senior vp of animation development; and Kelley Gardner from director to vp of current series animation. Cluverius and Spinelli will report to Naito; Gardner and Montgomery will report to Cluverius.
• Cluverius will oversee the current series department, while still serving as executive in charge of series The Loud House and The Casagrandes. She will also work with network executives to create content for other Nick brands.
• Spinelli will manage the pipeline of new animated content, while identifying new creators and other talent to work with. Her current projects include Star Trek: Prodigy, Kamp Koral: Spongebob’s Under Years, and a Rugrats reboot.
• Gardner will serve as executive in charge on Kamp Koral, Spongebob Squarepants, and Star Trek: Prodigy. Her past credits include The Fairly Oddparents, Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness, and The Penguins of Madagascar.
• “I am incredibly excited to see Conrad, Dana, Claudia, and Kelley take on these roles as we grow our original and franchise animation slate,” said Naito in a statement. “Over time, they have demonstrated their undying passion for developing new content and delivering successful shows to Nick’s lineup. These animation veterans are invaluable members of our creative team, and I look forward to their leadership in our animation group.”
• Nickelodeon’s animation studio has hired more than 150 people during the pandemic, and continues to work almost entirely remotely. It’s on track to nearly double its production slate by the year’s end.

Image at top © Nickelodeon. Left to right: Conrad Montgomery, Kelley Gardner, Dana Cluverius, Claudia Spinelli.