Ed Havard
Ed Havard, former VP of Creative Partnerships at Universal Studio Group, has been appointed as SVP of Creative, Unscripted Programming at Universal International Studios. Based in London, Havard will be responsible for leading the studio’s unscripted strategy in the UK, building on its partnerships with creators, producers and on-screen talent. He will report to David O’Donoghue, Head of Studio.
Since joining NBCUniversal in 2019, Havard has developed a range of projects involving key talent and IP – and will be tasked with tapping further into NBCUniversal’s talent roster and library of IP, identifying new opportunities to build on the company’s unscripted brands, and 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, where he built a slate of shows and projects, including “The Lateish Show with Mo Gilligan.” 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.
“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,” David O’Donoghue said.
“It’s a very exciting time for Universal International Studios. The scale and ambition of unscripted programming across NBCUniversal is 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 UK and international market,” Ed Havard added.