MDs to exit Warner Bros UK

Claire Hungate and Nick Emmerson, MDs of Warner Bros Television Production UK, are stepping down from their roles.

Claire Hungate

The pair assumed their positions at the business, formerly known as Shed Media, when Warner Bros Television Group took full ownership in 2014.

Warner Bros Television Production UK includes prodcos Wall to Wall, Twenty Twenty, Ricochet and Renegade. Warner Bros first bought a majority stake in the business in 2010.

Hungate originally joined Wall to Wall as commercial and legal director in 2004, setting up and running the company’s in-house distribution arm and rolling out the Who Do You Think You Are? format globally.

She became MD in 2008 following her part in Wall to Wall’s sale to Shed Media and subsequently took on the commercial director role at Shed. She led the company’s delisting from the stock exchange and subsequent management buy-out backed by Warner Bros in 2010.

Hungate then became chief operating officer of the Warner Bros-owned Shed Media in 2011 and, along with Emmerson, was promoted to MD following the rebranding of the group in 2014.

Nick Emmerson

Emmerson joined Ricochet as exec producer in 2001 and moved to LA after co-creating and producing global format hit Supernanny. He became executive VP of Ricochet Television USA before being named president of the newly launched Shed Media in 2009.

He returned to the UK to become CEO of Ricochet in 2013 before stepping up to the MD role alongside Hungate in 2014.

In a joint statement, Warner Bros Television Group president and chief content officer Peter Roth and business and strategy president Craig Hunegs said: “Nick and Claire have done an outstanding job in helping to redefine, shape and manage Warner Bros Television Production UK as the company transitioned from its previous incarnation as Shed Media.

“Their hard work and talent are matched only by their integrity and character and we are enormously grateful for their contributions towards our success. We wish them both the very best in all of their future endeavours and thank them again for their excellent service.”

Emmerson said: “When I joined Ricochet in 2001, there were a handful of us working in a tiny office in Brighton. Now our group’s TV shows are enjoyed by many millions of people in the UK and around the world every week. It’s been a wonderful journey and the time feels right for a new adventure.”

Hungate added: “I’m hugely proud to have worked with such a successful group of TV production companies and to have helped create a super-indie worthy of incorporation into a company as iconic as Warner Bros.

“It’s been a privilege to work with and learn from some of the most talented and creative people in the business, with high quality continuing to be our benchmark. After an exhilarating rollercoaster ride, it now feels like the right time to embrace new challenges.”