BBC Studios has handed both Karl Warner and Suzy Lamb expanded roles as it “deepens its engagement with the fast-expanding creator economy” to help “identify, partner with, and scale the next generation of creator led IP for global television formats.”
Karl Warner has been appointed to a newly defined global creator focused role. In parallel, Suzy Lamb, Managing Director of BBC Studios Entertainment Productions, will take on responsibility for development alongside her existing production remit, overseeing the unit’s business end to end.
Warner will relocate to Los Angeles as EVP, Global Creator Partnerships & Creative Development, reporting to Zai Bennett. He will focus on identifying creator led IP with the potential to scale into BBC Studios’ international production pipeline, acting as a bridge between its UK and global production labels across entertainment and specialist factual, including natural history and science. “Working with creators ready to move beyond digital platforms, he will develop co-created IP and adapt formats for global, multi-platform audiences.”
The role complements BBC Studio’s Digital Brands’ commercial business that houses creator incubator TalentWorks, headed by Helen O’Donnell which has been discovering and growing creators since 2018. Warner and O’Donnell will work closely together to offer one BBC Studios creator proposition.
Lamb will assume responsibility for development alongside her existing production remit, leading BBC Studios’ Entertainment unit’s business end-to-end. Lamb currently oversees an entertainment business producing more than 1,000 hours of programming each year, including Strictly Come Dancing, The One Show, Pete Wicks: For Dogs’ Sake, Dragons’ Den and The Weakest Link, with bases across the UK including Glasgow and Salford.
As part of her expanded responsibilities, she will drive BBC Studios Entertainment Productions’ development strategy via its label structure, taking line management responsibilities for ‘Run Run Run’ (led by Pete Tierney), ‘Absolute Notions’ (led by Fernando De Jesus) and Studios Central (led by Mel Bezalel). She will continue to report to Zai Bennett and operate as part of the wider Unscripted portfolio led by Kate Ward.
Zai Bennett, CEO and Chief Creative Officer for Global Content at BBC Studios says: “Together, Suzy and Karl will help drive our creative ambitions and open new opportunities across markets and platforms. Karl’s new role is an important step in how we evolve our creative organisation and engage more deeply with the creator economy. He brings a genuine ability to connect talent, ideas and production at scale. Suzy is one of the most accomplished and respected creative leaders in the industry, and this expanded remit ensures we are well placed to create the next generation of hit formats.”
Jon Creamer
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