Ade is Group Director of Diversity & Inclusion at ITV. She is the first Diversity Director on the Management Board of a FTSE 100 company. She has responsibility for all diversity and inclusion related matters across the Group, leading, developing and delivering ITV's global Diversity, Equity & Inclusion strategy. ITV recently launched an £80 million Diversity Commissioning Fund.

Prior to joining ITV, she led the Creative Diversity team at Channel 4, spearheading the delivery of the 360° Diversity Charter and was part of the team responsible for C4's coverage of Rio 2016 Paralympics and London 2012 Paralympics, which broke records for disabled presenters and production staff. Ade also worked in the Features Commissioning team at C4, as a Producer on shows including: Big Brother, The Big Breakfast and This Morning.

Ade sits on the Board of BAFTA, chairing their Learning, Inclusion & Talent committee and is a Trustee of The National Trust, and a Board member of Times Up UK.

Alison Barrat is Vice President of production and development for Love Nature4K, a natural history channel that reaches 150 million households in 110 countries. Alison works with production companies and coproduction partners to help shape and greenlight new projects for Love Nature4K.

For more than two decades Alison has produced, written, and directed wildlife documentaries. Her work has been seen on PBS, National Geographic, The Smithsonian Channel, Discovery, and Animal Planet among others. She is an Emmy, and multi award-winning filmmaker. Alison has a B.Sc. in Zoology from Glasgow University, an M.A in film and documentary, and a certificate in Environmental Communication from Duke University.

Babita is Head of Creative Diversity at Channel 4 – leading a team tasked with fulfilling one of Channel 4’s key priorities - ensuring the broadcaster continues to improve on and off-screen diverse representation and authentic portrayal across its content. Providing guidance and expertise on all aspects of inclusion and diversity to Channel 4’s commissioning team as well as its independent production partners, Babita also supports start-ups, Black, Asian and minority led and regionally based companies alongside projects with diverse content or talent attached.

Babita works with partners across the industry to attract, retain and develop talent from underrepresented backgrounds to increase representation and career progression in production crews. Babita is committed to making broadcasting more inclusive and reflective of the diversity of the UK. She is a member of the Edinburgh TV Festival Foundation board and the Grierson DocLab Advisory Group.

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.

Claire Mundell is an award-winning creative executive and MD / Creative Director of Synchronicity Films. She exec-produced the BAFTA winning BBC One / ABC series, The Cry, a psychological thriller starring Jenna Coleman, adapted from Helen FitzGerald’s novel by Jacquelin Perske, which debuted to critical acclaim in the UK and internationally. Other recent credits include Karen Gillan's directorial debut, The Party's Just Beginning and BIFA nominated Only You, starring Laia Costa and Josh O'Connor. Through Synchronicity, Claire and team have an extensive slate of high-end scripted projects in development including a limited series adaptation of the Sunday Times / New York Times Bestseller The Tattooist of Auschwitz. Claire is a PACT Council Member and Co-Chair of Scotland’s TV Working Group. Prior to Synchronicity she enjoyed ten years at the BBC leading the Children’s BBC department at BBC Scotland, and latterly as an Executive Producer within BBC Drama.

Craig joined STV in 2019 and during this time has overseen a wide range of productions. These include: delivery of a production on the Royals and the Press during lockdown for Channel 5; an investigative documentary for Channel 4 called Is Covid Racist; a brand new format transforming farms in crisis for Channel 5; and an innovative new six-part series blending factual and drama for Channel 4, Murder Island – making STV Studios the first production company to win funding from Channel 4’s contestable fund.

In his previous role as Lead Commissioning Editor for Natural History and Specialist Factual at the BBC, Craig’s commissioning credits include BBC’s Blue Planet Live, Drowning in Plastic and Inside the Factory and he has worked across a range of formats including blue chip series, live events, social experiments, competitions and returning formats.

Other commissioning highlights include The Doctor Who Gave Up Drugs, Big Life Fix, The Parkinson’s Drug Trial: A Miracle Cure? Grizzly Bear Cubs and Me, Animals with Cameras and Amazing Hotels: Life beyond the Lobby. In production, Craig was Executive Producer for BBC Science and KEO Films, with credits across Specialist Factual, Features, Current Affairs and Documentaries, including the multi award-winning Terry Pratchett: Choosing to Die for BBC Two.

Dawn is an international development expert with over 25 years’ experience in the broadcast industry (television and radio). This includes Managing Director, Commercial Director and Broadcast Development Director roles at local, national and international television channels.

Dawn was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire for services to Exports in the 2017 Queen’s Birthday Honours.

Currently Dawn leads on both the business development and international strategy at Pact, creating strategic opportunities and activating projects which enhance global exploitation for the UK TV sector. In 2017 she launched the Global Creative Alliance, attracting 15 country partners to help stimulate co-production activity.

Fiona's focus is on launching shows that attract the UK under 35 audience in scripted and unscripted. Her work also involves the social media and off platform journeys that can drive a show's success.

BBC iPlayer is the home of youth skewing titles such as RuPaul's Drag Race UK, Glow Up, The Rap Game UK, I Kissed A Boy as well as scripted shows such as Dreaming Whilst Black, Man Like Mobeen, Normal People, BAFTA winning Mood from Nicole Lecky and the forthcoming Boarders ( ALL3Media ), Kidnapped (BBC Studios) and Good Girls Guide to Murder (Moonage Pictures).

Previously Fiona was Digital Director of BBC News working on BBC News content and partnerships with global platforms such as Facebook, Snap, Apple, Twitter and Jio. In her early career Fiona produced current affairs documentaries internationally including, Iraq, Afghanistan, Kosovo, Africa and Asia and was also a Commissioning Editor on Channel 4 News in the UK.

Hilary Rosen leads UKTV’s team of commissioners, overseeing UKTV's growing slate of original content. Hilary has commissioned some of UKTV's biggest successes including BAFTA-winning show Taskmaster and award-winning Mel Giedroyc: Unforgivable. While running the Factual and Factual Entertainment slate, she and her team commissioned breakout hits Emma Willis: Delivering Babies, Stacey Dooley Sleeps Over, the double BAFTA-winning Big Zuu's Big Eats, Blackadder: The Lost Pilot, and the Bangers and Cash franchise. As Director of Commissioning, her team has delivered hit shows including The Marlow Murder Club, Annika, Battle in the Box, and At Home with Katherine Ryan. Prior to UKTV Hilary was creative director at Silver River, and a senior executive producer at Lion Television having begun her career in BBC News and Current Affairs at Panorama. Hilary is Chair of the BAFTA Television Committee and is passionate about mentoring women in television.

Karl Warner is controller of E4, where he leads the creative vision and commissioning for the youth channel brand. In his role Karl also oversees, 4Music, as well as the six channels that fall under the Box Plus network, (The Box, Box Upfront, Box Hits, Kiss, Magic and Kerrang) and is the lead on Channel 4’s online content strand for teenagers, which will be distributed on YouTube and social media.

Prior to joining Channel 4 he was the co-Managing Director of producers, Electric Ray, a joint-venture with Sony Pictures Television which was launched in January 2014. Electric Ray commissions include The Class of 92, Million Pound Menu, Alone at Home and Bromans. Prior to launching Electric Ray, Karl was a commissioning editor at the BBC, where he commissioned a range of shows including, Undercover Princes, Russell Howard’s Good News and Junior Doctors for BBC Three and John Bishop’s Britain, Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow and Live at the Apollo for BBC One.

Before joining the BBC, Karl was Head of Development at Monkey Kingdom.

Our host Kirsty Wark has built up a reputation as one of the UK's most formidable and versatile television journalists. She is best known as an anchor on the BBC's flagship news and current affairs show Newsnight.

Born in Dumfries and now based in Glasgow, Kirsty's broadcasting career began with a wide range of radio programmes in Scotland and London before she moved to television and became Reporting Scotland's first female editor.

As well as Newsnight Kirsty hosts The Reunion on Radio 4 and conducts big cultural interviews with a wide range of high-profile figures. She has fronted numerous documentaries for BBC Television including the critically acclaimed Blurred Lines: The New Battle of the Sexes and more recently The Insider's Guide To The Menopause, which was nominated for a BAFTA.

Away from the studio lights, food is her passion. She reached the final of Celebrity MasterChef in 2011 and was crowned top celebrity baker on The Great British Bake Off for Comic Relief.

Kirsty has several major accolades to her name including BAFTA Awards for Outstanding Contribution to Broadcasting, Journalist of the Year and Best Television Presenter.

Laura is based in London and works alongside international and domestic producers to develop prime-time series for the US networks, while helping to steer strategy for new projects.

During her time with the network, Crowson has been an instrumental part of the Discovery team that is responsible for developing such hits as Naked and Afraid, Gold Rush: Dave Turin's Lost Mine and Undercover Billionaire.

Before joining Discovery, Crowson was a Development Executive/Producer for Gurney Productions in Los Angeles, CA. Prior to her work with Gurney Productions, she was in the highly prestigious agent trainee program at Creative Artists Agency.

Lisa began her career in journalism at Time Out Amsterdam, going on to work in reporting and editing roles on a range of specialist media titles spanning PR, music, marketing and advertising. After working as a freelance writer for national newspapers and magazines, Lisa joined TV industry bible Broadcast magazine where she enjoyed a ten year career in a variety of roles, including editor, a post she held for 7 years. Lisa was then appointed as Festival Director for the Edinburgh International Television Festival, boosting the Festival’s global profile, attendees and reputation as the biggest and most prestigious media event in the UK. She joined ITN in January 2020 and is director of communications, responsible for managing internal and external branding and messaging, alongside strategy, policy and public affairs.

Nigel has worked as a Natural History film-maker for 25 years. Creating landmark Natural History hits such as Springwatch, Big Cat Week, Secret Life of Elephants and Hebrides – Islands on the Edge.

He’s also worked with gorillas in the Congo, Polar Bears in Arctic Canada, Orangutans in Borneo and Ospreys in Scotland. Trained at the world-renowned BBC Natural History Unit Nigel is a multi-award winning producer known for his creative and innovative flair.

He left the BBC to co found Maramedia with Jackie Savery in 2008 which has won and been nominated for Wildscreen, Jackson Hole, RTS, BAFTA and Emmy awards attracting some of the best talent in the industry.

Nigel also specializes in Children’s TV and in 2017 created popular CBeebies character – Gudrun the Viking Princess. His company Maramedia is currently producing international Nordic-style wildlife epic Stormborn with Blue Ant Media, Smithsonian channel, BBC Scotland, Arte and Screen Scotland. Marakids is in production with pre-school drama Olga da Polga, based on Michael Bond’s loveable guinea pig character.

Paul Mortimer has worked at ITV for 9 years, recently moving to head up programming within ITV’s On Demand division which includes the ITV Hub, ITV2, ItvBe and CITV.

Paul has overall responsibility for the commissioning, scheduling and acquisition of content for several of ITV’s channels which are also now very much focused on ITV’s VoD service, the Hub.Under Paul’s leadership, ITV2 moved ahead of E4 to become the most watched digital channel for young adults. ‘Love Island’ has likely the highest profile of all of his shows. It is the biggest programme on television for 16-34yr olds, averaging around 2m of this premium demographic per episode, and delivering over 100m viewer interactions on the ITV Hub in 2019.

Paul’s other commissions include Don’t Hate The Playaz, The Stand Up Sketch Show, The Cabins & Celebrity Juice for ITV2, TOWIE and Sam & Billie: The Mummy Diaries for ITVBe, How and the Rubbish World of Dave Spud for CITV.

Before joining ITV in 2012, Paul spent five years at Channel 4, becoming the Head of E4. He has also worked for the Discovery Channel as well as Channel 5 but began his career at the ITV Network Centre in 1994.