Kudos Appoints Joint CEOs

LONDON: Diederick Santer and Dan Isaacs are to share the CEO role at Kudos, succeeding Jane Featherstone.

Santer most recently served as managing director at Lovely Day, the label he established with Kudos in 2010, and was formerly responsible for the ITV hit series Grantchester. Isaacs, who joined Kudos in 2003, moves up from his role as COO, a position he's held since 2011. Santer will lead creatively, and Isaacs commercially.

Santer said: “It’s a privilege to take the helm of the U.K.’s preeminent drama production company and to build upon its extraordinary legacy of excellence and creativity. It’s particularly thrilling to be doing this in partnership with Dan whose commercial acumen and international financing experience within the scripted world is without match.” 

Isaacs added: “Diederick and I have been great friends since university and have enjoyed a close working relationship over the last five years. Jane is a tough act to follow but Diederick is definitely the man for the job. There is no one I would rather partner with to lead our amazing team at Kudos.”

Featherstone said: “Everyone knows how much I love Kudos, so I am hugely delighted and relieved that we’ve been able to bring through from within this brilliant team of Diederick and Dan, whose exceptional and complementary creative and commercial skills will allow them to take the company to its next exciting stage. I know they will be great leaders of the extraordinary team at Kudos, and great partners to our extended family of creative talent.”

Tim Hincks, the president at Endemol Shine Group, commented: “Diederick and Dan both know implicitly what makes Kudos tick and what it stands for. I’m absolutely delighted they’re stepping up and I look forward to the next generation of brilliant, ambitious Kudos drama under their leadership.”