As vice president of development and talent for WE tv, Deirdre O’Hearn is responsible for creating brand defining original series and specials that personify WE tv’s position as the premier women’s destination for unfiltered stories that showcase “every kind of family, all kinds of drama.” She leads the charge in commissioning and scouting projects that will drive WE tv’s viewership, as well as identifying talent – both known celebrities and unknown, everyday women – whose stories will appeal to the network’s audience.
O’Hearn has been instrumental in developing a number of WE tv’s popular series, including, Mary Mary, Kendra On Top, and L.A. Hair, as well as upcoming series Cyndi Lauper: Still So Unusual, showcasing the hectic life and career of the music icon, and WE tv’s first spin-off series, Tamar & Vince.
Before joining WE tv in January 2011, O’Hearn served as vice president in charge of the New York office of non-fiction media producer Darlow Smithson Productions.
An industry veteran, prior to Darlow Smithson, O’Hearn spent 16 years at A&E Television Networks. As vice president of Non-Fiction and Alternative Programming she developed and launched the hit reality series Gene Simmons Family Jewels. She also served as the executive producer of the Emmy® Award-winning Biography series, and director of Programming for the Biography Channel. Before joining the Biography Channel, O’Hearn spent 10 years as a producer and senior producer of programming for A&E Network and HISTORY where she wrote and produced biographies on F. Scott Fitzgerald, Truman Capote, Sen. John McCain and Eva Peron.
O’Hearn is the winner of five Golden Eagle Awards, and has been nominated for six Emmy® Awards. She earned her Bachelor’s degree from Amherst College and her Masters degree from the Columbia School of Journalism. She is a member of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and WICT.
