Manners takes over as Keo chief

Long-serving Keo Films MD Zam Baring has been appointed as the company’s non-executive chairman, with Pact chairman Debbie Manners moving into the MD role.

Debbie Manners

Manners joined Keo as a non-exec director six months ago to advise on the Fish Fight producer’s growth but has now been named MD to oversee the day-to-day running of the indie.

She has just completed nine months as interim chief operating officer for BBC Studios and Post Production but will keep her role as chairman of UK indie trade association Pact for the rest of the year.

Previously she was chief operating officer at Hat Trick Productions, group commercial director for RDF Media Group and director of rights and business affairs at the BBC.

Baring joined the company in 1997 as a film editor and has been the MD for the last seven years. He will now chair the company’s board of directors and steer overall strategy.

Manners told C21: “There is definitely room to grow this business in the UK and internationally. Creatively Keo is second-to-none but I think it could definitely make more shows than it is making at the moment and could do more internationally with its formats.

“We definitely won’t be moving away from the ethos and Keo brand, but things could be done to adapt to the international market.”

Keo enjoyed an outstanding 2011 picking up Baftas for Hugh’s Fish Fight and Welcome to Lagos, a Scottish Bafta for the controversial but acclaimed doc Terry Pratchett: Choosing to Die and a Grierson Award for Fish Fight. It has been in discussions with broadcasters for overseas versions of Fish Fight but none has yet materialised.

Baring and Manners told C21’s Factual Weekly last week that international growth, particularly in the US, was a key target for 2012.

Manners said: “There has been the potential for growth for a few years and it has been bumping up against the same number for a few years so it would be nice to see us break through.”