Speakers - Wales Screen Summit

Guest Speakers

Ian Katz

Chief Content Officer, Channel 4

Ian Katz is Chief Content Officer of Channel 4. Ian has overall responsibility for the creative output across Channel 4, its portfolio and All 4, leading the creative commissioning team to ensure Channel 4's unique remit to innovate, take creative risks and represent all of the UK on screen is reflected in its programmes and content. Under his leadership, award-winning output includes It's a Sin; For Sama; Derry Girls; Help; Stath Lets Flats; This Way Up; We Are Lady Parts; Joe Lycett's Got Your Back; Jeremy Kyle: Death on Daytime. Ian has led Channel 4's digital-first commissioning strategy which has seen viewing to Channel 4's On Demand platform increase by more than 20% over each of the last two years. Before joining Channel 4 in 2018, Ian was editor of BBC's Newsnight, a role he took up after 23 years as a newspaper journalist, including serving as Deputy Editor and Head of News at the Guardian.

Siân Doyle

Chief Executive, S4C

Siân Doyle has been S4C's Chief Executive and designated Accounting Officer since January 2022. Prior to S4C, Siân has had extensive experience in the telecommunications and retail sectors in the UK, Canada and the United States. A former Managing Director of telecommunications company, TalkTalk, and prior to that she was Director of Retail at EE, responsible for developing the retail strategy and leading a team of 3500 staff across 600+ stores in the UK. She was also Senior Vice President, Retail of Comcast Cable in Philadelphia.

Ben Frow

Chief Content Officer, UK Paramount

Ben is Chief Content Officer, UK, at Paramount (formerly ViacomCBS), with oversight of Channel 5 and its digital brands, the wider Paramount channel portfolio, and the global streaming service Paramount+ UK which launched in June 2022. Under Ben’s leadership, Channel 5 has undergone a creative transformation through continued investment in high quality originations across all genres, and a focus on increasing original commissions for peak time. Channel 5 has broadened the scope of its programming, commissioning drama, history and more, to build on its roots in factual programming and attract talent including Michael Palin, Susan Calman, Jay Blades and Jeremy Vine. This fundmental shift in the channel’s perception – and wider audience appeal – has been recognised with a raft of industry awards, including Channel 5’s first ever BAFTA for Cruising with Jane McDonald, Channel of the Year awards from Edinburgh and the RTS, and accolades for programmes across a range of genres.

Jo Street

Head of Daytime & Features and Head of Hub Glasgow, Channel 4

Jo Street is Channel 4’s Head of Daytime & Features and Head of Hub in Glasgow. She was responsible for Steph’s Packed Lunch which started in Leeds in 2020 and amongst other things: Escape to the Chateau DIY, Come Dine with Me, Four in a Bed and Countdown. Before joining C4, Jo spent 25 years at the BBC where she started as a PA in radio at Pebble Mill in Birmingham and ended up as Commissioning Editor for Entertainment & Daytime based in Glasgow. She’s pretty much worked all over the UK in various production and commissioning roles. Some shows she’s worked on include: Countryfile, Weakest Link, Homes under the Hammer, Money for Nothing, Eggheads, The Hit List, I’ll Get This, Antiques Road Trip, Getting Hitched Asian Style, Rogue to Wrestler and Test Drive.

Maartje Horchner

EVP of Content, All3Media International

Awaiting Bio...

Dawn McCarthy-Simpson MBE

Managing Director of Business Development & Global Strategy

Dawn has had a varied media career spanning over 20 years, which started with five years in the world of commercial radio with Emap Plc, before launching her career in TV. As a pioneer of local TV, she was head hunted to launch Yorkshire’s first local terrestrial TV channel, where she remained for a further two years as Managing Director. Dawn then went on to be involved with the launch of a second channel, which was the UK's first short film channel which aired on the Sky platform. In her final year she successfully launched the channel into a further seven European countries. Not satisfied with having experience both in TV & radio, Dawn also ventured into the literary world when she became a published author in June 2006.

Kaoi Grizzelle

Digital Commissioning Executive, Channel4

Kaio has been working in the production of original entertainment programming on YouTube since 2017, with an ongoing focus on reaching young audiences through premium, format-led digital series starring youth talent and creators. Spent 3 years directing and leading creative on PAQ, a hit fashion & streetwear entertainment show created by digital publisher Kyra. Now part of team overseeing original commissioning for Channel 4’s new digital-first brand Channel 4.0, which was created to reach 16-24s with series featuring the UK’s most exciting content creators. Bringing Channel 4 values to a new, digital audience through joyous, playful, and mischievous entertainment programming.

Evie Buckley

Digital Commissioning Editor, Youth & Entertainment, Channel 4

Awaiting Bio...

Kate Phillips

Director of Unscripted, BBC

Kate is responsible for the strategy and output of all Entertainment, Factual, Arts and Classical Music, Daytime and Events programming across BBC Channels and iPlayer amounting to over 3000 hours of content a year. Previously she was Director of Entertainment at the BBC commissioning over 500 hours of original programmes a year, including shows such as Strictly Come Dancing, The Apprentice, Top Gear, The Graham Norton Show, Have I Got News For You, Would I Lie To You, Masterchef, University Challenge, Dragons’ Den, The Wheel, The Hit List, Drag Race UK, Eurovision, the BAFTA awards and The Traitors During the pandemic Kate was Acting Controller of BBC One, overseeing a vast array of programmes, working and commissioning with many genres including all of Factual, Current Affairs, Sport, Comedy, Drama and Entertainment. In 2014, Kate was Creative Director of Formats for BBC Worldwide. In this role Kate oversaw all of BBC Worldwide’s scripted and non-scripted formats, over 200 in total. She led the Formats team in London and worked closely with Sales and Production teams across all of BBC Worldwide’s Global Territories. Prior to this Kate worked as Channel Executive for BBC1 and BBC3, working closely with the Controllers to oversee all editorial content on both channels, managing early development of commissions and formatting and liaising with scheduling, budgeting, marketing, press, and social media planning and strategy. Kate’s extensive TV production experience was garnered through producing numerous comedy and entertainment shows for many broadcasters, as well as being a co-owner and Director of Mast Media, an award winning television formats company which developed multiple shows airing on the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and across the globe. From here Kate turned her attention to development, joining the BBC as Head of Development for BBC Children’s, and overseeing the development of multiple BAFTA winning shows for CBBC and CBeebies. She consequently became Head of Development at BBC Entertainment, increasing production turnover significantly and helping to win multiple commissions for the department. Kate also created and ran the successful BBC training scheme Future Formats and resided as the BBC Formats Representative on the European Broadcast Union. In this role she helped devise and establish the annual Creative Forum in Berlin. Kate has a degree in Politics from Bristol University.

Steven Handley

Commissioning Editor, Entertainment, Channel 4

Steven is a BAFTA nominated and award-winning Commissioning Editor in Entertainment and Events at Channel 4, with a wide variety of experience including Studio, Fact Ent, Ob-doc, Reality, Children's and Live. Steven’s slate includes The Last Leg, The Bridge, Jimmy Carr’s I Literally Just Told You, One Night In and Let’s Make a Love Scene. Steven has a wide remit that takes in reality, gameshows, comedy entertainment and live and is particularly keen to hear noisy, channel defining celebrity reality ideas, with real noise and scale.

Sebastian Cardwell

Deputy Chief Content Officer, UK, Paramount

Sebastian Cardwell is Deputy Chief Content Officer, UK, at Paramount (formerly ViacomCBS) which includes Channel 5 and its digital brands, the wider Paramount channel portfolio, and the streaming service Paramount+ UK. Reporting to Ben Frow, Chief Content Officer, Sebastian is responsible for devising strategy across the portfolio, with a specific focus on drama and original content. Cardwell first joined Channel 5 in 2011 and has been instrumental in Channel 5’s continued evolution into a destination for high quality originations across a range of genres, with an emphasis on drama and original commissions in peak slots. Spearheading Channel 5’s increased investment in drama, Cardwell has changed the face of the genre on the channel, giving rise to hit-rating titles such as the All Creatures Great and Small reboot, Penance, The Deceived and The Drowning, Prior to his current role at Channel 5, Cardwell was Digital Controller, responsible for the day-to-day running of Channel 5’s digital channels, overseeing all commissioning, acquisitions and channel management. Here, he commissioned titles such as prison drama Clink, as well as Celebs on the Farm and It’s Your Fault I’m Fat. In his time at Channel 5 Cardwell has also held roles as Commissioning Executive and Channel Manager, and Channel and Acquisitions Manager, primarily for 5STAR, as well as undertaking a stint as Acquisitions Manager for the Channel 5 family. Prior to this, he spent five years in the programming and acquisitions team at the BBC. Cardwell holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in American Studies from Kings College London, which he attended in 2000.

Rhuanedd Richards

Director of BBC Wales

As Director of BBC Wales, Rhuanedd has overall responsibility for the content strategy and editorial priorities for BBC Wales across all media platforms and services – radio, video and online - in both the English and Welsh languages. Rhuanedd started her career with BBC Wales as a journalist in 1997, initially as a TV and radio Reporter in the Swansea region, before being becoming a Political Correspondent in the Welsh Parliament. During the formative years of the National Assembly for Wales, she was a familiar face and voice to audiences as presenter of some of BBC Wales’ flagship news and political programmes. Rhuanedd continued to present TV and radio programmes after becoming Assistant News Editor at BBC Wales. Having left the BBC in 2007 she worked as a special adviser to the Welsh Government, chief executive of Plaid Cymru and latterly as a policy adviser to the Presiding Officer of the Welsh Parliament. In 2018, Rhuanedd returned to the BBC taking up the role of editor of Radio Cymru and Cymru Fyw before being appointed Director in 2021.Originally from the Cynon Valley, Rhuanedd now lives in Pontypridd with her family. She is a member of Aberystwyth University Council and will this year be awarded an Honorary Fellowship.

Nick Andrews

Head of Commissioning, BBC Wales

Nick leads BBC Wales commissioning across television, iPlayer and interactive platforms. He is part of the Content Group which brings radio, television and online together to share cross-platform ideas and seek out ambitious and impactful content. His recent scripted commissions include hit crime dramas Keeping Faith, The Pact, Steeltown Murders and Wolf. In Unscripted factual series Slammed, Reunion Hotel and A Killing In Tiger Bay. He has also been responsible for launching BBC Wales comedy strategy green-lighting situational comedies The Tuckers and In My Skin.

Wales Screen Summit