he Young and the Restless has a new co-executive producer… who’s actually not new at all. Sally McDonald has been with the soap since 1989, when she was hired as a production supervisor. Seven years later, she also joined the show’s directing team, helping to steer Young & Restless to eight Emmy victories in that category.

Young & Restless Remix: All the Changes That Are About to Hit the Show

McDonald will work alongside the daytime drama’s current co-executive producer Josh Griffith, Soap Opera Digest said in breaking the news. He will continue in that capacity as well as headwriter.

More: Latest Young & Restless cast changes

New Producer, New Vibe

Word of McDonald’s promotion comes at a key moment for The Young and the Restless. This fall, the show is undergoing a sea change, welcoming back a legacy character (with Days of Our Lives’ Lucas Adams stepping in as Noah Newman) and introducing Emmy winners Tamara Braun (ex-Ava, Days of Our Lives) and Roger Howarth (ex-Austin, General Hospital) in roles that are shrouded in mystery. (You can read more about the changes hitting Young & Restless here.)

More: Victor Newman wouldn’t… would he?!?

That cast shakeup comes on the heels of Cane Ashby’s recasting, with the younger, significantly less Australian Billy Flynn (ex-Chad, Young & Restless) replacing Daniel Goddard (who’s now Henry on General Hospital). The erstwhile Aristotle Dumas has a master plan, he loves to say. But only time will tell whether it amounts to more than the show’s last scheming tycoon Tucker McCall’s did.

Get a sneak peek at what Young & Restless holds in store Thursday in the below photo gallery.