Bela Bajaria

Bela Bajaria serves as chief content officer at Netflix, overseeing all scripted and unscripted content worldwide. Bajaria leads a global team of programming executives across 27 countries, responsible for greenlighting series and movies in 50 languages. She manages a content budget that ranks among the largest in the entertainment industry.

Bajaria began her career as an assistant in the TV movies division at CBS, eventually rising to senior vice president, where she managed the department. She also held roles as senior vice president of cable programming for CBS TV Studios and senior vice president of movies and miniseries for CBS Network. Bajaria later became president of Universal Television, where she was the first woman of color to oversee a major studio. During her tenure, she developed programming including the Emmy-nominated Netflix comedy "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt," as well as "Brooklyn Nine-Nine," "The Mindy Project," and "Chicago Fire." Bajaria has spoken about her professional experiences, including her departure from Universal Television, which she has described as a significant learning opportunity.

At Netflix, Bajaria initially oversaw the company's expansion into unscripted programming, including "Queer Eye," "Nailed It!" and "Tidying Up with Marie Kondo," as well as scripted originals such as "Never Have I Ever" and "YOU." She later managed local language originals, leading teams behind series like "Elite" (Spain), "The Witcher" (Poland), "Lupin" (France), "Dark Desire" (Mexico), "Sacred Games" (India), "Kingdom" (Korea), "Blood & Water" (South Africa), and "Sintonia" (Brazil). As head of global TV, Bajaria was responsible for hit series including "Squid Game," "Stranger Things," "Wednesday," "Bridgerton," "La Casa de Papel," and "Cobra Kai."

Under Bajaria's leadership, Netflix has received significant recognition at the Oscars and Emmys, with nominations across numerous series, TV movies, and specials. She has overseen international successes such as "Squid Game" and "Adolescence," and managed the conclusion of "Stranger Things," which achieved record-breaking viewership. Bajaria has also played a key role in expanding Netflix's live programming, securing partnerships with World Wrestling Entertainment and the National Football League.

Bajaria has been recognized by The Hollywood Reporter Women in Entertainment list, Variety LA Women's Impact Report, TIME 100 Most Influential People, and Fortune Most Powerful Women. She is set to receive the 2026 International Emmy Founders Award in recognition of her significant contributions to global television content and leadership at Netflix. She serves on the board of directors for The Coca-Cola Company, the LA Board of Governors for the Paley Center, the board of LA's Saban Community Clinic, and the Board of Trustees for Meridian International Center.