BBC Studios has strengthened its Los Angeles leadership team with three key appointments. Jenny Groom, previously responsible for unscripted competition formats at NBCUniversal, has been named Executive Vice President of Unscripted Development. Meanwhile, Ryan O’Dowd has been promoted to President of Unscripted, and Krystal Whitney has advanced to Executive Vice President of Current Programming.
O’Dowd will continue to lead the Los Angeles-based Unscripted business, reporting directly to Matt Forde, Managing Director of BBC Studios Global Entertainment. Both Groom and Whitney will report to O’Dowd.
Matt Forde expressed enthusiasm about the appointments, stating: “We are delighted to be welcoming Jenny Groom to BBC Studios. She has had an absolutely stellar career to date, and we know she will bring incredible drive and ambition to our unscripted business in the U.S. market. Coupled with Ryan’s expertise at the helm and Krystal in her new role, the Los Angeles team is perfectly placed to build on the tremendous success already achieved. I’m very much looking forward to seeing what they deliver in the future.”
Ryan O’Dowd, now President of Unscripted, added: “In what is a transformative time across the global entertainment landscape, it’s a true privilege to lead our growing Los Angeles unscripted business and to have this opportunity to work with such a brilliant team, who are the absolute best-in-class. Jenny has proven to be one of the most respected executives in the business, boasting an impressive track record building and leading some of the nation’s biggest unscripted hits across both broadcast and streaming. I’ve had the pleasure of working with her on multiple series, and she’s the perfect person to lead our U.S. development as we grow domestically and internationally. Krystal is a force of nature, and our success would not have been possible without her. Her passion for the craft, relentless work ethic and unflappable demeanor have enabled her to win the trust, respect, and admiration of our talent and network partners. We have exciting projects on the horizon, and I couldn’t imagine a better team to work with to bring these shows to life.”
The U.S. team will maintain close collaboration with top producers in the U.K., continuing to develop and launch global hit formats such as "Dancing with the Stars," "Weakest Link," and "The 1% Club." O’Dowd will also work in partnership with Mark Linsey, President of Scripted, to oversee BBC Studios Los Angeles Productions.