ITV promotes Sam Tatlow MBE to Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

ITV has today announced that Creative Diversity Partner Sam Tatlow MBE has been promoted to take on the newly created role of Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, as Ade Rawcliffe takes up her expanded role as ITV’s Chief People Officer, from January 2025. Sam will continue to report to Rawcliffe and her role will be integrated into the wider People Team.

As Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at ITV, Sam will join ITV’s Executive Leadership team, and will be responsible for leading the team and overseeing ITV's overarching DE&I Strategy, including: leading the delivery of ITV's Diversity Acceleration Plan across its three pillars of Mainstream Content, Creating Opportunities, Inclusive Culture alongside embedding Accessibility and Disability Equity at ITV. 

In this role, Sam will lead, drive and inspire the DEI agenda across all parts of ITV, so that colleagues can play their part in creating an equitable organisation and culture for all;  and more broadly across the industry, working with key industry stakeholders {including BAFTA, CDN, DDPTV, TAP and The TV Collective} to amplify ITV’s work and contribution across the sector and in society more generally. In this role, Sam will drive delivery of ITV's on, off-screen and workforce diversity commitments. 

Sam joined ITV in December 2020 as a Creative Diversity Partner, recruited to support the implementation of ITV’s Diversity Acceleration Plan, which was launched in that year. 

In this role she has spearheaded the delivery of ITV’s Disability agenda and worked closely with Producers and the commissioning and Studios teams to ensure a diverse and inclusive team are involved for ITV commissions, working particularly closely with the teams in Entertainment, Factual Entertainment, Sport, Daytime and the soaps. She developed initiatives such as the ITV Inclusive Language Guide, ITV Studios Disabled Writers initiative and ITV’s Production Principles, embedding D,E&I in all ITV commissions. 

Prior to joining ITV, Sam worked for training and consultancy company thinkBIGGER!, on projects such as the Channel 4 Production Training Scheme and on the training programme for the Disabled presenters and reporters for the coverage of the London 2012 Paralympic Games and members of the production team for Rio 2016 Paralympics which broke records for representation of Disabled people off-screen..

Sam began her career in television on Channel 4’s Production Training Scheme, and worked as a Production Coordinator in drama on shows such as The Inbetweeners and Misfits.

Sam is Chair of BAFTA's Disability Advisory Group, is part of BAFTA's Diversity Steering Group for the Awards and chairs the Disability Advisory group for Arts Council England’s All In initiative, the access scheme for Deaf, Disabled and Neurodivergent people accessing arts and culture in the UK and Ireland. In 2021 and 2023 she was listed in the Shaw Trust's Power 100, the list of the top 100 most influential Disabled people in the UK and was awarded an MBE for her services to Disabled People in the Queen's Jubilee Birthday Honours list in June 2022.

Ade said: “We are delighted that Sam Tatlow, MBE is taking on this important leadership role at ITV. She has played a crucial role in transforming representation both on and off screen both within ITV and the wider industry. Amongst very many things, she has been a driving force behind Amplify 2.0 for Deaf Disabled and Neurodivergent leaders at ITV, led the creation of ITV’s Inclusive Language Guide and has been instrumental in her support of shows like Ralph and Katie and the upcoming The Assembly and Code of Silence alongside championing and offering strategic support to our Staff Networks, particularly ITV Able and ITV Pride.”
Sam said: “I am thrilled to be given this opportunity and am looking forward to continuing the work to drive increased representation and creating an equitable and inclusive culture at ITV. There are still so few Disabled leaders in our industry so getting this role is something I am incredibly proud of and hope my appointment creates opportunities for others. I’m lucky to work with a brilliant team, who are some of the best in the business, and am excited to lead this change with my colleagues whilst continuing to work closely with Ade. We have seen significant improvement across ITV in the DEI space but there is always more to do; and I can’t wait to get stuck in!”