ITV’s Leftfield shakes up top team

ITV America’s Leftfield Pictures has reshuffled its senior exec team, promoting two unscripted execs and rejigging development.

Gretchen Palek

Gretchen Palek and Shawn Witt, previously senior VP for talent and casting and senior VP of programming respectively, have been elevated to co-presidents and will report to ITV America president David George.

Witt joined the Pawn Stars producer in 2011 and has overseen such hits as History trio Alone, Forged in Fire and Counting Cars plus FYI’s Tiny House Nation.

Palek, who has been at Leftfield since 2013, has worked on Netflix’s reboot of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy as well as American Grit (Fox) and The Book of John Gray (OWN).

The promotions come after UK commercial broadcaster ITV moved its Leftfield Entertainment label under the ITV America umbrella earlier this year. It also appointed George, the prodco’s former CEO, as president of the US division and retired the Leftfield Entertainment moniker.

Shawn Witt

Meanwhile, Joe Weinstock, previously head of West Coast development for Leftfield Entertainment, becomes senior VP of development and reports to Palek and Witt. He will oversee all development on both coasts for the company, which he joined in 2015.

Will Nothacker, who currently serves as senior VP of development for Leftfield Pictures, will take on an expanded but as-yet-unspecified role within ITV America.

George described Palek, Witt and Weinstock as “a stellar team of executives, each with specific skill sets to lead Leftfield into a constantly evolving marketplace.”