BBC Studios promotes Opie

BBC Studios (BBCS) in the UK has promoted its MD of factual production to an overarching role covering its business plan and commercial strategy.

Lisa Opie

Lisa Opie has been upped to MD of UK production at the commercial and production arm of the UK pubcaster.

She will report to Ralph Lee, who joined BBCS as director of content in August last year having previously been deputy chief creative officer at rival public broadcaster Channel 4.

Opie currently leads the creative heads, production management and business teams responsible for factual programmes such as Blue Planet II, Killed By My Debt and Basquiat – Rags to Riches.

Under her leadership, the factual production team has secured numerous third-party commissions, including BBCS’s first non-BBC commission – Discovery’s Wildlife Warriors (formerly The Red List) – plus Royal Wedding Watch for PBS, Fatberg Autopsy: The Secrets of the Sewers for Channel 4 and Stay Free: The Story of The Clash for Spotify.

Prior to her role leading BBCS factual production, Opie was the BBC’s controller of business for factual and daytime. She joined the pubcaster in 2013 from Two Four Digital, where she was MD, helping create digital channels and content for brands, broadcasters and businesses.

Previously she was MD of content at Channel Five, responsible for the creative and editorial strategy for the broadcaster’s family of channels, and MD of Flextech Television, a former partner with the BBC in UKTV.