Channel 4 appoints Katie Jackson as Chief Marketing Officer

2 July 2024

Channel 4 today announced it has appointed Katie Jackson as the organisation’s new Chief Marketing Officer.

Katie will lead marketing and brand strategy across Channel 4 and will play a key role in its ambitious Fast Forward strategy, accelerating its transformation into an agile and genuinely digital-first public service streamer.

Katie will have oversight for elevating the organisation’s impact and ensuring the channel’s important, distinctive and disruptive content and brands stand out in a crowded market. She will sit on the organisation’s Executive Team and will report directly to Chief Executive Alex Mahon.

Alex Mahon said: “Katie is an outstanding and passionate creative leader who has already made an indelible mark at Channel 4. I am excited about the impact she will have across our business, our leadership and with our audiences to elevate the Channel 4 brand.”

Katie Jackson said: “I feel unbelievably lucky to be given the opportunity to lead Channel 4’s exceptionally talented, award-winning and Altogether Different marketing, 4creative and content communications teams. At such a pivotal moment for the organisation, it’s even more important to leverage our trademark creativity in new and innovative ways – I can’t wait to get stuck in.”

Katie was most recently Channel 4’s interim Chief Marketing Officer. Previously, she was Managing Director of the organisation’s multi-award-winning in-house agency, 4creative. She led 4creative through a period of change towards a greatly expanded vision, and played a key role in driving growth, with 4creative most recently winning seven Cannes Lions at last month’s awards. Prior to Channel 4, Katie was Chief Operating Officer for TBWA\London and Joint Head of Account Leadership at Grey London.

Katie takes up her new role with immediate effect.

About Channel 4

Channel 4 exists to create change through entertainment. Publicly owned yet commercially funded, Channel 4 generates significant and sustainable cultural, economic and social impact across the UK – at no cost to the taxpayer. 

The broadcaster’s distinctive remit is set by Parliament, and it has a role to represent unheard voices, challenge with purpose and reinvent entertainment. For more than 40 years, it has been a British success story, engaging generation after generation of young people.

With a unique publisher-broadcaster model, Channel 4 commissions its content from the UK independent production sector. Working with hundreds of creative companies every year, Channel 4 makes a major contribution to the local, regional and national economy, creating and supporting thousands of jobs and businesses across the country. 

In 2024, Channel 4 launched its Fast Forward strategy to accelerate its transformation into an agile and genuinely digital-first public service streamer by 2030. It is designed to ensure Channel 4 embraces the generational shift in TV viewing, elevates its impact across the UK and stands out in a crowded market.

From its bases in London, Leeds, Manchester, Bristol and Glasgow, Channel 4 is fully committed to harnessing the power of its regional structure to increase its impact across the UK. Through its training and development initiative 4Skills is opening up opportunities in broadcasting, with a particular focus on disadvantaged young people and addressing skills gaps across the Nations and Regions. 4Skills invests £5m in training, development and learning opportunities annually and this will double to £10m by 2025.

Channel 4 has the UK’s biggest free streaming service. Through Film4 Productions, Channel 4 also invests in British filmmakers to huge critical acclaim, producing 43 Oscar wins and 97 BAFTA wins in its history.