Sara works closely with the businesses in the Group to drive growth, both organically and through acquisition. She brings her expertise as an industry leader in television production, talent management, rights and deal-making to support and build the growth of the business in the UK and overseas.  

Sara’s career to date has spanned TV, film and digital, in both business and creative roles and covers all genres. As CEO of Fremantle Media UK, she led a major restructure of the company, devising and implementing its “label” strategy.

Prior to this, Sara held the post of Head of Commercial Affairs at Channel 4 and Director of Rights & Business Affairs at the BBC. Sara has also held roles including Head of Film & TV at Avalon, Head of Production at Miramax Films and Channel 4 Drama’s Co-Production Executive; her television career began at LWT as a production accountant.

Sara is Chair of Pact and sits on the BAFTA Board of Trustees as Chair of the Commercial Committee. She is a barrister and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.
 

Alex initially worked in production, starting his career at Thames Television over 18 years ago where he cut his teeth on long running drama and soap.

Red Planet Pictures is a dynamic and truly independent TV production company founded by renowned showrunner Tony Jordan. Current productions include Sanditon, a bold and exciting new drama commissioned by ITV and Masterpiece, Death in Paradise, the BBC commissioned sun soaked hit crime drama now in it’s eighth series. Other recent productions include Hooten & The Lady, a rip-roaring action-adventure series for Sky One, Dickensian, an ambitious, original and critically acclaimed 20-part series for BBC One; The Ark, a one-off drama retelling the biblical story of Noah’s Ark, and The Passing Bells, a one-off BBC One flagship drama which commemorated the start of the First World War.

Since Archie founded Wingspan in 2008, it has been renowned for singular, innovative and entertaining blue-chip factual programming in history, science, music and arts, current affairs and ob doc. It has won multiple awards for titles as varied as ‘Our Gay Wedding-The Musical’ (for C4), ‘The Joy of Stats’ and ‘Don’t Panic-The Truth about Population’ (for BBC) and pioneering AI experiment ‘Computer Says Show’ (for Sky). Wingspan has made all Ian Hislop’s BBC documentaries for the last decade – from ‘Ian Hislop’s Scouting for Boys’ to his recent films on welfare and immigration. Wingspan won the 2017 BBC tender round to produce Horizon documentaries for the BBC along with BBC Studios and one other indie. Archie execs or co-execs all Wingspan’s output.

Before Wingspan, Archie founded and co-ran Takeaway Media, having spent the first 12 years of his career at the BBC, working mainly as a director and series producer in Current Affairs, Documentaries and History. 

As a director, Archie has won awards and nominations for films as varied as ‘Joanna Lumley in the Land of the Northern Lights’, ‘Motherland-A Genetic Journey’, ‘Alexander Solzhenitsyn – the Homecoming’ and the Ian Hislop episode from the format-defining first series of ‘Who Do You Think You Are?’ Archie’s book, ‘An Indian Affair – From Riches to Raj’, charts the relationship between Britain and India before 1857.

Archie is serving a third term on Pact Council.

Darrall Macqueen is a multi Bafta award winning UK indie producing high-quality and innovative children’s and pre-school entertainment for major broadcasters around the world.  Formed in 2000 by former Disney execs Maddy Darrall and Billy Macqueen, the company has a proven track record of devising and producing returning live action and animated series and has championed long-running serialized storytelling for under-7’s, including BAFTA awarding winning live action drama Topsy and Tim and current comedy hit Waffle the Wonder Dog.

Prior to Darrall Macqueen, Billy worked as a youth worker in London,  switching to devising young people’s formats for Channel Four, Tyne Tees and ITV, before joining Walt Disney TV International staying for 5 years and then leaving as  VP of Programming EMEA to launch a tiny Indie with long term colleague Maddy - quickly realising  that joining PACT was a key to survival, and in 2019 it still is the case.

Synchronicity has an active slate of high-end international TV drama projects in advanced development, and a first look deal with international distributor DRG.

Through Synchronicity, Claire recently developed and exec-produced the UK hit BBC One mini-series, The Cry, a psychological thriller starring Jenna Coleman, adapted from Helen FitzGerald’s novel by Jacquelin Perske. Other recent production credits include Karen Gillan's 2018 directorial debut feature, The Party's Just Beginning and Only You, a modern day love story starring Laia Costa and Josh O'Connor, written and directed by Harry Wootliff and produced in collaboration with The Bureau.

Claire’s feature film career started when she produced the 2009 BAFTA award winning Crying With Laughter, written and directed by Justin Molotnikov, followed by the double BIFA-winning, Weekend, written and directed by Andrew Haigh, and which Claire co-produced. Shortly thereafter, Claire produced Not Another Happy Ending starring Karen Gillan in her first leading feature role. This feature closed the 2013 Edinburgh International Film Festival and played the 2013 Busan International Film Festival. 

Claire has extensive experience in network television having developed prime-time television drama as an executive producer for the BBC, and having spent 10 years in the BBC in a senior leadership role. Prior to launching Synchronicity, Claire was Head of CBBC Scotland, originating, producing and exec-producing various TV shows including the BAFTA and RTS award winning Shoebox Zoo.

Claire consults widely for film and TV organisations and is a Council Member and Board Director of PACT. 

Danny Fenton is CEO and Executive Chairman of Zig Zag Productions. He founded Zig Zag with Kevin Utton in 1999 and has established the company as an innovative transatlantic television production company, respected for its eclectic approach to nearly 700 hours of programme making. The company is one of the largest remaining truly independent UK production companies.

Prior to Zig Zag, Danny began his career at the BBC and spent a brief time in the independent sector working with the likes of Chrysalis, Sunset & Vine and Wall to Wall.

Danny is renowned in the international TV industry not only as a pioneer of audacious ideas, but he has a strong track record of unearthing new TV talent. Recent discoveries include magicians Dynamo and Troy and adventurer Richard Parks, whom he took to international audiences.

Danny is executive producer on all Zig Zag productions. Recent shows he has created include I Wanna Marry Harry for Fox, Scam City and Apocalypse 101 for National Geographic, Troy for Channel 4 and The Herbert Brothers for A+E. Other recent hit productions include Body Bizarre for Discovery, Split Second for Nickleodeon and Ultimate Brain for CBBC.

Danny is a regular speaker at major industry conferences, judge for several industry awards and a commentator in the international trade media.

Gwenda started her career in city law firm, Reed Smith, before moving back home to Cardiff. After a spell as a commercial lawyer for regional law firm, Blake Morgan, Gwenda moved in-house as Senior Legal and Business Affairs Manager for BBC Wales. There Gwenda spent 10 years advising BBC Wales and its production and commissioning teams on compliance, business and legal matters. Gwenda worked in all genres (Drama, Music, Arts, Factual, Education) on all platforms (TV, Radio and Online) as well as advising on large events, outreach and educational projects for BBC Wales.  

After a spell as a freelance commercial lawyer for Lawyers on Demand, Gwenda worked as a consultant for Welsh language broadcaster, S4C and then niche law firm, Wiggin. Gwenda joined Wildflame Productions Limited and the Flame Media Group in 2016 and works across the production, distribution and business advisory parts of the organisation. Gwenda is based in Cardiff, speaks fluent French and has recently learnt Welsh to ‘A' Level standard.

Hakan joined See-Saw for the purely commercial role of co-running the TV division of See-Saw with it’s creative head Jamie Laurenson.

Throughout his career Hakan has overseen the finance and production of hundreds of films and television programmes and brings a real depth of knowledge and experience to his role as Chief Operating Officer.  In addition to managing the day-to-day activities of the television division, Hakan is responsible for designing and implementing company strategy, overseeing the funding and production of all television programmes and controls all of the sales and marketing activity for the division’s output.

Since joining, he has overseen the production of See-Saw’s series Love, Nina for BBC1 written by Nick Hornby and based on the bestseller by Nina Stibbe – which aired in 2016 as well as the second series of Jane Campion’s critically and commercially successful show Top of the Lake which stars Elisabeth Moss and Nicole Kidman which is currently in post-production.
 

Having established a strong reputation for high quality and thought provoking content, several of the company’s long running series have received Royal Television Society and Australian Academy Awards.

Helen has developed and executive produced a wide range of series and one-off documentaries at Title Role, which have been successful both in the UK and around the world, with the ‘Crimes That Shook’ series transmitting in over 100 hundred countries. Some of the shows include ‘Secret Vlogs’ (All4), ‘Betrayed and He’s Going to Pay’ (Channel 5), ‘Britain’s Worst Crimes’ (Channel 5), ‘The Trial of Alan Morris’ (ITV News), ‘Crimes That Shook Britain’ (AETN) and ‘Crimes That Shook Australia’ (Foxtel).
Helen focuses on growing and attracting the best talent both on and off screen to the company and leading the company in its creative and business strategies.
 

Jane Muirhead set up Raise the Roof Productions with Sarah Walmsley, Kirstie Allsopp and Phil Spencer in 2010 to nurture new ideas and grow production talent in Scotland.

Raise the Roof aims to provide a creative and stimulating environment. Helping staff and freelancers grow to their next role is central to the company's ethos. Employees at all levels are encouraged to learn new skills whether it’s writing, editing, shooting or taking on their first directing job.

Raise the Roof is signed up to the CDN Diversity pledge.

Jane is Pact's Scotland regional representative

Kieran Doherty has built a reputation as one of the industry's leading format producers. and is responsible for the creation of a number of international entertainment formats such as Secret Fortune BBC/SRF/TV4 ,Take The Money And Run ABC and Can’t Touch This BBC/FOX. Kieran comes from a writing background. His television writing credits include The Sparticle Mystery for CBBC, Pajanimals for US network Sprout, the IFTA award winning Big City Park and the American CINE Gold Eagle and HUGO Certificate of Excellence winning Sesame Tree series 1 & 2. 

After leaving school Laura spent a year in Paris working for Henri and Martine Cartier-Bresson and on return went to work for the Toby Eady Literary Agency and the author and scientist Iain Douglas Hamilton.  She then went to work with the documentarian Roger Graef, of Films of Record before moving to the Murray Pollinger Literary Agency.  

As CEO of Icon Films, she is responsible for the overall strategy of the company, personnel development and drives its marketing. Laura also executives much of Icon Films’ production, credits include Savage Kingdom,  River Monsters, Big Foot: The New Evidence, Yeti or Not, Spawn of Jaws, Primal Survivor and Wild India.

Icon Films is an internationally established production company creating a broad range of unscripted content, our hybrid vigour allows us to deliver, delight and entertain. We deliver stories with a twist.  Energetic, ambitious and constantly evolving, Icon Films has been making films for over 20 years.

Marc Samuelson was formerly a director of the Association of Independent Producers (a forerunner of Pact) and of the Edinburgh International Television Festival, and MD of Umbrella Films, producers of 'White Mischief and '1984'.  He is an ex-board member of the UK Film Council and governor of the National Film and Television School, and he is a member of the British Screen Advisory Council. Marc is currently Chairman of the Film Committee and a Board member of BAFTA.

From 1990 to 2006 he worked as an independent film producer, partnered in Samuelson Productions Ltd with his LA-based brother, Peter Samuelson, and produced films such as 'Tom & Viv', 'Wilde', 'Arlington Road', 'Gabriel & Me', 'The Gathering', 'Things To Do Before You're 30', and 'Stormbreaker', and executive produced 'The Libertine', 'Keeping Mum' and 'Chromophobia'.

In August 2007 Marc became a director of CinemaNX, the film investment company backed by the Isle of Man Government.  Marc produced 'Me and Orson Welles', 'TT3D: Closer to the Edge' and executive produced 'The Disappearance of Alice Creed', 'A Bunch of Amateurs', 'Heartless', the Oscar-nominated 'Chico & Rita', 'Wild Target', 'Albatross', 'The Shadow Line', 'The Decoy Bride', 'Ashes' and 'Honour'.

Marc departed his position with CinemaNX in mid-2012 to relaunch his company, and he has a slate of film and television projects in various stages of packaging and development.  In 2014 he executive produced "The Silent Storm" written and directed by Corinna Macfarlane starring Damian Lewis and Andrea Riseborough and in 2016 he executive produced ‘City of Tiny Lights’ directed by Peter Travis starring Riz Ahmed.

In 2016 his new TV company Route 24 Ltd sold a minority stake to ITV and entered into a long term distribution deal with ITV GE.

Prior to that, she completed The Silent Storm, a drama starring Andrea Riseborough and Damian Lewis. The film was Executive Produced by Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson - their first film outside of the Bond series. It premiered at the BFI London Film Festival and was released theatrically by Sony in 2016. 

Other feature producing credits include Duncan Jones’ multi award-winning sci-fi Moon starring Sam Rockwell, released internationally by Sony Pictures Classic, and the BAFTA nominated theatrically released feature documentary Taking Liberties. 

Between 2012 and 2015 Nicky acted as Executive Producer on the BFI’s high profile shorts scheme, delivering 17 films that went on to gain accolades at Cannes Directors’ Fortnight, the BIFAs and BAFTAs and launch a new generation of British filmmaking talent. Nicky is an active member of BAFTA and Women in Film & Television and is one of the founders of the equality campaigning organisation, Raising Films. 

Neon is currently working with Pathe on a film written by Richard Bean (ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS) and Clive Coleman (BBC legal correspondent) about the UK’s first art heist. Alongside this Nicky has assembled a slate of diverse projects with both established and emerging talent backed by Film4, Ingenious, the BFI, The Wellcome Trust, Creative Scotland and Screen Australia. 

Richard Johnston is the current Chair of ScreenSkills. Richard was previously CEO of the Endemol Shine group. The UK group is comprised of over 20 unique production companies and labels which together produce a diverse range of content for both domestic and international audiences. Output includes Black Mirror, Peaky Blinders, Hunted, MasterChef, Ambulance, The Island, Tin Star, All Together Now, Pointless and many more. 

Richard was appointed CEO in January 2015 having overseen the merger of the Endemol and Shine companies in the UK. He began his television career in 1996 when he joined Bazal Productions, the independent production company established by Sir Peter Bazalgette, as Financial Controller. Bazal later became part of Endemol where Richard went on to hold a number of senior positions including Joint Managing Director, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer.

Richard is Chair of ScreenSkills (previously Creative Skillset) and a Trustee of LAMDA (London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art) and is committed to improving education, training and access to the creative industries. He is also an elected member of the Pact Council representing the interests of its members across the UK independent production landscape.

Sarah started her media career at the BBC in the early days of independent production and became Head of Business Affairs for the Independent Planning Unit. She then moved to Selec TV, the first publicly quoted independent producer, working on iconic shows such as Birds of a Feather and leading the business team in the sale of the company with its cable channel. Sarah subsequently moved to Celador as Director of Business Affairs, helping to launch Who Wants to be a Millionaire and thereafter dealing with all aspects of its worldwide exploitation. In the succeeding years she has also worked at Channel 5 and DCD Media in senior roles before joining Banijay UK in 2013.
 

Sue began her producing career at Tiger Aspect in 1991 with 'Mr. Bean'. She went on to produce Emmy Award winner 'The Vicar of Dibley', 'Hospital' (which was the opening night comedy for Channel 5 and a winner at Banff), and 'The Last Englishman' which was a Bafta nominated single drama starring Jim Broadbent.

She then had an idea for a flat share between a gay man and a straight girl, got Jonathan Harvey on board and they created 'Gimme, Gimme, Gimme' which was frequently top of the BBC2 ratings and subsequently moved to BBC1.
In 1998 Sue left Tiger Aspect to produce Comic Relief before joining Hartswood Films. She continued to executive produce Gimme with Tiger and for Hartswood also produced four series of 'Coupling' which was created and written by Steven Moffat, her husband.

Sue has produced several more comedies: 'Fear Stress and Anger', 'Carrie and Barrie', 'The Savages', 'Supernova' and 'The Cup', and has recently helmed all four series of the multi award-winning drama 'Sherlock' starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman for BBC1.

Steve brings a journalistic edge to popular programming and has carved out a reputation for gaining hard-won access.

Experts in access-based programming, Raw Cut has worked hard to earn the trust and confidence of police forces across the UK and is proud of the reputation it has achieved.

A few examples: the company makes Police Interceptors for C5 (currently in its sixteenth series); The Detectives: Inside the Major Crimes Team for ITV1; Defenders UK for BBC1; Am I A Murderer? for ITV; and the long-running series Cops UK: Bodycam Squad for Really.

Raw Cut is also currently producing an Exposure for ITV and a Dispatches for C4.

Raw Cut’s ITV documentary The Murder of Sadie Hartley won the Royal Television Society award for Best Documentary.

Wil is currently CEO of Fusebox Games, an interactive entertainment company he co-founded in 2016 that develops and publishes mobile games based on hit TV shows. 

Wil started his first business aged 23 and as Founder and CEO of Cube TV, he led the company to win BAFTAs and Broadcast Digital Awards for their ground-breaking gaming and interactive TV formats. 

After growing Cube TV to offices in Cardiff and London, he joined the leadership team at video streaming company Boxee based in New York to build out their international business, later acquired by Samsung Electronics.

Wil was born and raised in Aberystwyth and now lives in Brixton, London. He is a member of ‘Speakers for Schools’ which provides talks to state schools to empower the next generation and is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.