Ex University of Oxford Tutor Anna Mallett appointed Chief Executive of ITN

She joins ITN in a period of sustained business growth over the last ten years, during which the company has built on its traditional base of high-quality broadcast news to diversify into television production, advertising, sports and corporate content.

ITN Productions also produces a wide variety of content in the corporate and education sectors, and syndicates high-impact global news content for online and broadcast audiences around the world. Its clients include ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, the BBC and Sky in the UK, as well as international broadcasters such as Netflix, Discovery and CBS.

ITN Productions have also recently been working with AoC to launch “Learning for Life” which showcases the vital role of colleges, The International Baccalaureate (IB) to launch ‘A Better World Through Education’ The Chartered Association of Business Schools (Chartered ABS) to launch ‘The Impact Factor’ and with Universities UK (UUK) to reveal the positive impact that universities have on people’s lives in the UK and internationally.

Anna replaces John Hardie, who will leave at the end of 2018, having earlier this year announced his decision to step down from ITN after almost a decade leading the company.

Anna will take up her new role in 2019, with Chief Financial Officer Bryan Martin and ITN Productions Editorial Director Chris Shaw assuming the respective roles of Acting CEO and Acting Editor-in-Chief in the interim.

Anna is currently Chief Operating Officer and MD, Production of BBC Studios, a commercial subsidiary of the BBC, spanning development and production, content financing, sales, branded services and ancillaries. 

In this role, Anna led the successful integration of BBC Worldwide and the BBC’s UK production business, which covers scripted, factual, entertainment and factual entertainment programming, to create BBC Studios as it is today: the UK’s most awarded production company and the leading television distributor outside the US. 

Before joining the BBC, Anna spent around eight years at the Boston Consulting Group and was a part-time tutor at the University of Oxford. She has an MBA from Harvard and a doctorate from the University of Oxford.

Christy Swords, Chair of the ITN Board, said:

“Anna is a proven leader, with an extremely impressive commercial background and a fantastic pedigree in TV production. Her track record speaks for itself, and she’ll bring energy, expertise and impeccable credentials to the job.

“Anna will join at an exciting period in the company’s history, with ITN’s award-winning journalism stronger than ever and ITN Productions having grown substantially over the last decade. The Board is confident that, under Anna’s leadership, ITN is well-positioned to deliver continued growth and further achievements over the coming years.”

Commenting on her appointment, Anna Mallett said:

“I am very honoured to be appointed CEO of ITN. Having spent over a decade at the BBC, I have a profound belief in the importance of high quality news to all of us, and a huge respect for the journalists, crew and production teams whose curiosity and craft lies behind ITN’s reputation. And the success and diversification of ITN’s award-winning production arm also means there is now a further strong platform for future growth. At a time of immense change in all parts of the media, I am excited about leading the ITN team on the next chapter in an already impressive history.”