The 50-strong cohort for the fourth iteration of the TV Collective’s groundbreaking Breakthrough Leaders program has been unveiled.
The initiative is in partnership with Fremantle, BBC Studios, Amazon, SKY, and ITV Studios. The program has identified and will empower 50 exceptional individuals from Black, Asian and global majority (a collective term for people of Indigenous, African, Asian, Latin American descent, who constitute some 85% of the global population) backgrounds who are poised to become the future leaders of the U.K. TV industry.
This year’s selection process saw a significant increase in female leaders and a broader geographic representation beyond London. Among those recognized are BAFTA-nominated screenwriter and director Shiva Raichandani, documentary filmmaker Georgie Yukiko-Donovan and Ellie Sabine-Singh, head of development at Chatterbox Media. The full list of leaders is here.
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The leaders will have access to a year-round curated program designed to advance their progression and leadership in the industry. It includes exclusive access to 10 masterclasses, direct engagement with headline sponsors and their top decision-makers and networking with prominent industry figures. In addition, there will be personalized career guidance from 10 expert coaches specializing in resilience, mind management and transformative strategies.
Ade Rawcliffe, ITV group director of diversity and inclusion, said: “The new cohort shows the outstanding talent we have in our industry, and we are looking forward to working with the TV Collective to further support this impressive group.”
Luke Seraphin, head of diversity and inclusion, Sky original programming, added: “It’s really encouraging to see that the TV Collective’s Breakthrough Leaders program has received a record number of nominations this year. It reflects the industry’s growing ambitions to drive real change in senior leadership representation. We’re really excited to work with those who have been shortlisted and support our future leaders in their career development.”
Lisa Hardy, director of HR, BBCS Productions, said: “The engagement levels and extraordinarily high standard of applications gave us just a glimpse of the skill and ambition prevalent in this cohort and I’m really excited to see what everyone goes on to achieve.”
Simone Pennant, founder of TVC and Breakthrough Leaders, added: “In these turbulent times for our industry, we are especially thrilled that with the help of our partners, we are still able to amplify the voices of a diverse array of Britain’s finest TV talent and support them not only to endure but also thrive amidst challenges. This not only underscores our unwavering commitment to diversity but celebrates the rich tapestry of talent our nation offers.”
