BBC Studios taps Juli Porter as commercial and operations chief at Natural History Unit

BBC Studios (BBCS) has appointed Wildstar Films exec Juli Porter as director of commercial and operations for its Natural History Unit (NHU).

Juli Porter

The newly created role is a “critical senior business and operations position in the NHU,” BBCS said, which will see Porter working in partnership with Jonny Keeling, head of the NHU, on growth plans for the production unit.

Taking up her role in April and reporting to Nicola Pinn, chief operating officer at BBCS Factual Productions, Porter will lead all business, functions (production, operations and commercial activity), Execs including NHU head of production Maria Norman will report directly to her.

Porter will join the senior leadership team of the renowned Bristol-based NHU alongside recently appointed Sreya Biswas, who joins in May as director of programmes to expand the unit’s output.

Biswas is set to oversee a move into new programming areas at the NHU, including adventure and travel.

Porter joins the NHU from Wildstar Films, where she oversaw production of Underdogs with Ryan Reynolds, Sentient with Darren Aronofsky and the groundbreaking series Queens as chief operating officer (COO).

With 20 years of production experience in the UK and US, she has worked on a range of programmes including Strictly Come Dancing, as well as flagship sports coverage for Formula 1, the NFL and the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics. Prior to Wildstar Films, Porter was COO at Whisper for a decade.

BBCS NHU has been responsible for some of the most successful factual content of the last decade, with programming including The Green Planet, Seven Worlds One Planet, Dynasties and Blue Planet II and III.

Keeling said: “Juli is a proven strategic business leader who has guided multiple companies through significant growth and transformation. Her production experience spans a variety of genres, working on some of the world’s most ambitious and popular television on both sides of the Atlantic.

“Her commitment to fostering an inclusive and ambitious creative culture, and her extensive commercial expertise make her the perfect fit for the NHU. I cannot wait to work with her as we look to grow the unit.”

Porter added: “I am delighted to be returning to the BBC and joining the Natural History Unit at this pivotal and exciting time. The NHU is one of the crown jewels of BBC Studios, and I can’t wait to be a part of its future as it delivers a new era of bold and brilliant programming to audiences worldwide.”