Magical Elves has hired Hillary Olsen as head of current programming. For Olsen, it’s a return to the company where she previously served as Season 11 showrunner for “Top Chef.”
This time around, Olsen gets a senior vice president title. She previously earned producing credits on “Top Chef Masters,” “Top Chef: Last Chance Kitchen,” “Work of Art” and “Sugar Rush,” as well as on other “Top Chef” seasons.
“As Magical Elves continues to grow its slate of quality, aspirational programming, Hillary’s expertise in production and development will be a tremendous asset to the team,” Magical Elves Co-CEOs Casey Kriley and Jo Sharon said on Tuesday. “Hillary’s institutional knowledge of the Magical Elves’ brand also makes her an ideal leader to maintain our standard of excellence across all of our current programming.”
“My first producing job with Magical Elves was back in 2008 on the Season 4 finale of ‘Top Chef.’ To reunite with the team in this capacity, at such an incredible time for the company, was too exciting an opportunity to pass up,” Olsen added. “I look forward to developing and producing many more hit television shows with an outstanding group of colleagues.”
Previously, Olsen was vice president of development for Our House Media, where she oversaw the U.S. development team that developed and sold “Killer Affair” to Oxygen, as well as the Jenna Lyons series for Turner. Prior to Our House Media, Olsen served as director of current programming at Esquire Network.
Magical Elves also produces “Project Runway,” the upcoming “Brain Games” reboot for National Geographic Channel, and streaming series “Nailed It!”