LEADERSHIP TEAM
Ralph Lee
Chief Executive Officer
Ralph is responsible for BBC Studios Productions' creative and editorial strategies in the UK. With ...25 years’ experience in the UK TV sector he was formerly Acting Chief Creative Officer at Channel 4 overseeing a run of hits including Gogglebox, First Dates and Educating Yorkshire.
Martha Brass
Chief Operating Officer
Martha is the Chief Operating Officer of BBC Studios Productions. Working alongside Production’s CEO... and with stakeholders across the Group she will deliver Studios Productions’ ambitious growth plan and meet the needs of a wide pool of clients. Martha oversees Business Operations and Production across all bases and has a wealth of Global Commercial and Operational experience. Most recently, Martha was the Director of International Operations at the Newen Group (France’s largest producer-distributor of audio-visual content) and prior to this she was the Chief Executive Officer of International Operations at the Endemol Shine Group.
Hannah Wyatt
Managing Director, Factual Entertainment and Events
Hannah oversees the creative, commercial and operational strategy for the Factual Entertainment and ...Events production. This includes the Events and Factual Entertainment teams. She also oversees development of new factual entertainment formats to ensure the continued creative growth of IP in this key genre.
Kate Ward
Managing Director, Factual
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.
Suzy Lamb
Managing Director, Entertainment and Music
Suzy joined BBC Studios in April 2018. She is responsible for Entertainment and Music productions as... well as leading the development and commercial growth strategy. Prior to this, she was Head of Entertainment at Thames, launching huge, international brands including Take Me Out (ITV). An award-winning executive producer, Suzy has also worked in the U.S. as showrunner on multiple NBC commissions.
Matt Forde
Managing Director, International Production & Formats
Matt Forde is responsible for overseeing BBC Studios’ international production bases and global form...ats 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.
Mark Linsey
Managing Director, Scripted
Mark is Managing Director, Scripted, overseeing BBC Studios’ teams in Drama Productions, Daytime, Co...ntinuing 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.
Cecilia Persson
Managing Director, Kids & Family
Cecilia Persson drives an ambitious global strategy for BBC Kids & Family, one of our key genres whi...ch 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.
Fiona Hill
Head of Business
As Head of Business, Fiona sits at the heart of Productions evaluating commercial opportunities and ...shaping business practice. Her strategic insight is invaluable to Productions success. An experienced consultant, Fiona has led a range of high-profile projects for Studio and blue-chip clients including Warner, Disney, Apple and Amazon.
Sarah Sparkes
Director of Business and Legal Affairs, Production
Sarah runs the Business and Legal Affairs teams for production globally, managing teams throughout S...tudios’ 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.
Jasmine Wiltshire
Director of Strategy and Business Development
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.
Matt Garside
Director of M&A and Corporate Development
Matt is responsible for BBCS Productions’ M&A activity and development of its equity portfolio, lead...ing 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.
Helen Pendlebury
Director, Digital & Business Development
Helen leads our business development, focusing on new content opportunities including digital origin...als, podcasts, ad-funded programming and branded content. She previously headed up our formats and live events business in Australia and New Zealand, looking after local versions of popular BBC formats including Dancing with the Stars, Mastermind and Coast. She has also held the roles of Controller Multiplatform Solutions at ITV, and Interactive Editor across BBC Radio 1, 2 & 6 Music.
Kevin McCormick
Head of Production, UK Operations
Kevin oversees our production activity and manages our key relationships in Scotland and Northern Ir...eland 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 professio...nals 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 has many years' experience as an HR leader working across multiple industries.
Joanna Rwama
Commercial Finance Director
Joanna oversees commercial activity across all Production Brands. Prior to this she was Head of Fina...nce at BBC Studios for Factual Entertainment and Events, and Entertainment and Music, and before that she worked as the finance lead for investments and acquisitions of independent production companies.
Philip Fleming
Senior Head of Communications
Phil has over 20 years’ experience in UK and global PR and media relations management honed in the a...irline, publishing, broadcast and media industries. He leads a team of communications managers and publicists responsible for all BBC Studios Productions and Brands external communications.