ITV colleagues from diverse backgrounds sign up to new senior leadership programme

ITV has launched new programme Amplify to create more opportunities for senior leaders from ethnically diverse backgrounds, as part of its Diversity Acceleration Plan.

A range of high potential senior leaders across ITV from diverse backgrounds have been chosen for the bespoke programme led by ITV’s Creative Diversity Partner Nahrein Kemp.

Amplify aims to supercharge their leadership skills and match them with board level sponsors to champion their development.

Amplify, which runs from March to July, consists of sessions on leadership development and coaching with industry coach Tracy Forsyth PCC, and panels with internal and external speakers. 

Each colleague gets a Management Board or PLC sponsor, with Carolyn McCall, Sir Peter Bazalgette, Salman Amin and Sharmila Nebhrajani amongst those signed up as sponsors for the programme.

The 17 selected leaders come from a wide range of different areas across ITV including commissioning, production management, business affairs, finance, HR, content supply and distribution, legal, news and more.

To put their new skills into practice, colleagues taking part in the programme will themselves be sponsors to ITV’s newly joined Kickstarters.

The government-backed Kickstart scheme is designed for 16 to 24-year-olds on Universal Credit and aims to address the lack of job opportunities for young people and gives them the opportunity to Kickstart their careers with their first jobs.

In March 2022,17 Kickstarters joined ITV for a sixth-month placement (with ITV working with Creative Access as their Kickstart Gateway) for experience and training across a range of roles, including daytime programming, commercial, production, sport, diversity and inclusion and with ITV-backed Studio 55 new venture, Woo.

ITV’s Diversity Acceleration Plan commits to improving representation at entry-level as well as middle and senior leadership levels, as well as improving diversity and career progression in TV production.

ITV has launched initiatives such as  ‘ITV Rise’ and ‘StepUp 60’, creating opportunities for internal staff and creatives from ethnically diverse and underrepresented backgrounds to progress to their next level roles. As well as its £80 million diversity commissioning fund, driving change towards racial equity and disability equity.

Ade Rawcliffe, ITV’s Group Director of Diversity and Inclusion said: “We’re committed to delivering on our Diversity Acceleration Plan commitments to nurture a diverse and inclusive workforce at ITV. 

“Our senior leaders play a key role in our culture. This tailored programme is designed to ensure they thrive. Not only will they enhance their leadership skills but this will help build their profile both internally and externally with their Management Board/PLC Sponsors actively championing them. 

“We also recognise the part these senior leaders play in guiding the next generation so we are delighted that they themselves will be Sponsors to those on our Kickstart scheme and new to ITV.”