UIS Taps Ed Havard to Lead U.K. Unscripted

Ed Havard, former VP of creative partnerships for Universal Studio Group, has been promoted to senior VP of creative for unscripted programming at Universal International Studios (UIS).

Based in London, Havard will be responsible for leading the studio’s unscripted strategy in the U.K., building on the studio’s partnerships with creators, producers and on-screen talent to source shows for the global market.

In his new position, Havard will report to David O’Donoghue, head of studio.

Since joining NBCUniversal in 2019, Havard has developed a range of projects involving NBCU talent and IP. With his promotion, he will be tasked with tapping further into the company’s talent roster and library of IP, identifying new opportunities to build on its unscripted superbrands and play a critical role in fostering further creative partnerships between Monkey, Matchbox Pictures, the studio’s formats division and Universal Television Alternative Studio.

Prior to joining NBCUniversal, Havard spent seven years at Channel 4 across various roles, including head of entertainment and TV events. He began his career at the BBC, where he went on to become the editor of BBC One’s Question Time and executive producer for BBC Arts and Entertainment.

O’Donoghue said: “Ed is a highly respected and gifted creative executive, with a flair for identifying great shows with global potential and fostering talent both on- and off-screen. Under his leadership, we will supercharge our stellar unscripted business and continue to break new ground with our programming.”

Havard added: “It’s a very exciting time for Universal International Studios. The scale and ambition of unscripted programming across NBCUniversal are extraordinary. I can’t wait to drive this next phase of growth in our unscripted strategy, ensuring that UIS remains the home for the most exciting ideas and talent in the U.K. and international market.”