LEADERSHIP Team
Zai Bennett
CEO and Chief Creative Officer
Zai Bennett is CEO and Chief Creative Officer for BBC Studios’ global content-making division BBC Studios Productions, a position he took up in November 2024. Reporting to CEO Tom Fussell, Zai is a member of BBC Studio’s Executive Committee. Zai’s remit spans the company’s UK and international production units (including the world-renowned Natural History Unit), owned labels and invested indies across its Global Entertainment, Factual, Scripted, Kids & Family and Audio genres. He is tasked with building high value, distributable IP, maintaining BBC returning series and key brands, securing new commissions, and expanding BBC Studios’ international format pipeline through development capabilities in existing markets as well as expansion into new territories. He joined BBC Studios from Sky where he was Managing Director of Content, principally responsible for Sky’s portfolio of entertainment services. His credits included Chernobyl, Gangs of London, Patrick Melrose, Brassic and Rob and Romesh Versus…Zai’s extensive background in television started at Channel 5, where he scheduled the network’s launch night. He has also held successful positions at ITV, becoming Director of Digital Channels, as well as the BBC, where he was Controller of BBC Three. ...
Mark Linsey
MANAGING DIRECTOR, SCRIPTED
Mark is Managing Director, Scripted, overseeing BBC Studios’ teams in Drama Productions, Daytime, Continuing Drama Series and Comedy Productions, alongside its scripted labels (Lookout Point, Sid Gentle, Clerkenwell Films, Baby Cow Productions, House Productions), and the Scripted indie minority shareholdings and distribution relationships. He took up the role in February 2022 when BBC Studios combined its Productions and Content Partnerships businesses to create a single content powerhouse for all productions, talent relationships, and content investment. Prior to this Mark was the Chief Creative Officer at BBC Studios, having joined from the previous BBC Studios (formerly BBC in-house production) after it merged with BBC Worldwide in April 2018. Before this, Mark held a number of senior positions across both the BBC and the independent production sector, working for companies including Talent Television, Zeal TV and Tiger Aspect. ...
Matt Forde
President of Global Production
Matt Forde is responsible for overseeing BBC Studios’ international production bases and global formats business outside of the UK – including the USA, France, Germany, Australia, India, South Africa, and the Nordics. He took up the newly created global role in October 2018. Matt Forde has a wealth of commercial and creative experience having worked in both Europe and North America and through leading teams in both sales and production. From 2016-2018 he headed up the BBC Studios’ Los Angeles Production office, where he led the development of the Dancing with the Stars brand, extending it into spin-offs Dancing with the Stars Athletes and Dancing with the Stars Juniors for ABC, as well as overseeing the multi-Emmy® award-winning franchise Life Below Zero for National Geographic Channel. The Los Angeles unscripted team produces the hit game show Weakest Link, Top Gear America and When Nature Calls with Helen Mirren, all based on UK formats. ...
Cecilia Persson
MANAGING DIRECTOR, KIDS & FAMILY
Cecilia Persson drives an ambitious global strategy for BBC Kids & Family, one of our key genres which make up BBC Studios Productions. As Managing Director, Cecilia works in partnership with all areas of the business to ensure the most creative, efficient and effective approach to bring children’s content to our audiences around the world. Cecilia has extensive creative and commercial knowledge, including more than 15 years at Warner Media, where she most recently held the role of VP Programming & Content Strategy EMEA; Acquisition & Co-Production International. ...
Kate Ward
Managing Director, Unscripted Productions
Kate is responsible for driving the ambitious commercial and creative growth strategy of one of the industry’s largest and most respected production portfolios. These include BBC Studios Productions’ world-renowned Natural History Unit, Documentary Unit and Science Unit, wholly owned BBC Studios independent label Voltage as well as the 3rd party content distribution relationships with a raft of prestigious and award-winning independent production companies. Most recently, Kate was President at VICE Studios (the international television and feature film production arm of the youth media company VICE Media). She has also held commercial and strategy roles at Refinery29 and Endemol Shine Group. ...
Richard Knight
DIRECTOR OF AUDIO
Rich leads BBC Studios’ audio business which is home to iconic BBC brands and specialist formats, comedy, fiction, factual storytelling and science teams delivering premium output for the BBC and other platforms. As director, Rich works in partnership with other areas of the BBC Studios business, including distribution, to drive growth and deliver world-class audio to audiences around the world. Rich previously worked for Amazon, leading Wondery UK, and was BBC Radio 4’s factual commissioning editor. He has held other senior roles in news, radio and production. ...
Jasmine Wiltshire
Director of Strategy, Operations and Performance
Jasmine is Director of Strategy and Business Development for Productions, working with Production’s Executive and stakeholders across the Studios Group to shape the company’s content strategy and plans for creative and commercial growth. She also leads a number of strategic development initiatives, including TalentWorks, BBCS efforts to find and develop early career IP creators. ...
Kevin McCormick
HEAD OF PRODUCTION, UK OPERATIONS
Kevin oversees our production activity and manages our key relationships in Scotland and Northern Ireland as well as working on projects across production in the UK. Kevin has nearly 30 years’ experience in production, business, finance and project management roles within the industry. ...
Lisa Hardy
HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR
Lisa is responsible for the People agenda at BBC Studios Productions, leading a team of HR professionals to drive HR activity across all our genres. Focused on all elements of the HR strategy, Lisa works with the team to ensure we provide the most creative and diverse environment for our people to succeed. Before BBC Studios, Lisa had many years' experience as an HR leader working across multiple industries. ...
Matt Garside
DIRECTOR OF M&A AND CORPORATE DEVELOPMENT
Matt is responsible for BBCS Productions’ M&A activity and development of its equity portfolio, leading on investments into startup ventures and acquisition of existing labels. Matt partners closely with genre leadership to identify and secure growth opportunities through investment and works with management of the labels via board directorship. Recent deals include the acquisition of Sid Gentle Films, House Productions, Clerkenwell Films, Firebird Pictures, Voltage TV and investment into Moonage Pictures, Turbine Studios and Mothership. Previously, Matt had number of strategy and advisory roles across BBC Group and worked in consulting and corporate finance at Deloitte. ...
Philip Fleming
SENIOR HEAD OF COMMUNICATIONS
Phil has over 20 years’ experience in UK and global PR and media relations management honed in the airline, publishing, broadcast and media industries. He leads a team of communications managers and publicists responsible for all BBC Studios Productions and Brands external communications. ...
Sarah Sparkes
DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS AND LEGAL AFFAIRS, PRODUCTION
Sarah runs the Business and Legal Affairs teams for production globally, managing teams throughout Studios’ bases across the UK and in EMEA, APAC and the USA and our arrangements with independent producers. The teams negotiate talent deals, development and commissioning agreements, co-production and other funding arrangements, clear rights and provide general production and deal-making support. Prior to this, Sarah was UKTV’s General Counsel. Sarah spent c10 years in private practice (with CMS and Olswang) before joining ITV where she held various roles including as Director of Rights and then the BBC in 2011. ...
