Carolyn McCall is ITV’s new CEO effective January 8, 2018. According to The Hollywood Reporter, McCall will soon leave her post as easyJet’s CEO and take over the UK TV corporation. With this new position, McCall will be ITV’s first female CEO and the first woman to serve on its board.
McCall beat out several other company heads for the role at ITV, including Rob Woodward, formerly of Scottish Television, and Paul Geddes of the insurance company Direct Line. ITV’s CEO of the last seven years, Adam Crozier, revealed his plans to step down in May.
“In a very impressive field of high caliber candidates, Carolyn stood out for her track record in media, experience of an international operation, clear strategic acumen, and strong record of delivering value to shareholders,” ITV chairman Peter Bazalgette explained. “I’m delighted we’ll be working together at ITV.”
In addition to easyJet, McCall previously served as CEO of The Guardian Media Group. Currently, she is also a non-exec director of designer Burberry, is a board member of the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, and is a Royal Academy trustee. Her resume also includes non-exec director positions Lloyds Bank, grocer Tesco, and fashion retailer New Look.
“I’m really pleased to be joining ITV,” McCall commented. “It is a fantastic company in a dynamic and stimulating sector. I am looking forward to getting to know all of the people at ITV and helping it make the most of the amazing opportunities that it has in the future.”
McCall will make 900,000 euro (about $1.2 million USD) per year as head of ITV. Her salary and benefits — like the company’s pension, bonus, and long-term incentive plans — give her “broadly the same remuneration opportunity as to ITV’s previous CEO,” ITV said in a statement.
ITV is home to series like long-running soap “Coronation Street,” reality competition “The X Factor,” “Prime Suspect” prequel “Prime Suspect: Tennison,” and cultural phenoms like “Downton Abbey” and “Broadchurch.”
