Endemol Shine UK Taps Head of Factual

LONDON: Kim Shillinglaw, a former BBC executive, has been hired by Endemol Shine UK as director of factual, effective in September.

In her newly created role, Shillinglaw will oversee the strategy for factual across Endemol Shine UK. She will also manage the production companies Dragonfly, Dragonfly West, DSP and Tigress. She will report to Richard Johnston, the CEO of Endemol Shine UK.

Shillinglaw previously worked for the BBC, where she was a BAFTA- and Emmy-nominated program maker and served in a number of senior commissioning positions over the past decade, most recently as controller of BBC Two and BBC Four. During her time with the company, she was charged with such hit series as The Real Marigold Hotel, The Town That Took On the Tax Man and Chinese School: Are British Kids Tough Enough, among others.

Peter Salmon, the chief creative officer at Endemol Shine Group, stated: “We see factual as a growth area and Kim as the ideal person to champion our ambitions. She is a creative who develops and delivers big ideas and has a great track record in innovation plus a wealth of high-level experience. She will be an incredibly valuable addition to the U.K. team.”

Johnston noted: “Factual is key to the U.K. group and Kim’s brief is to ensure we can be absolutely top of our game in the genre, through supporting the teams, productions and shaping our factual strategy. We’re delighted to welcome her to the group.”

Shillinglaw added: “It’s a very exciting time to join Endemol Shine UK; there is a rich track record in factual and genuine desire to build and grow this further. We want to be a home for the best talent to do inventive, exciting, high-quality work that punches through and grabs the audience’s attention, right across the range of factual. I’m really looking forward to working with the great teams and companies here and collaborating with Peter Salmon, Richard Johnston and Lucinda Hicks to take factual across the group to the next level.”