Khari named C4 Head of Digital Commissioning
March 23, 2021
Channel 4 has appointed Sacha Khari to the newly created role of Head of Digital Commissioning, reporting into Head of Youth and Digital, Karl Warner.
Khari will take on responsibility for all digital content commissioning and acquisition across social and digital platforms, working closely with the Leeds-based 4Studio. He will oversee a team of digital commissioners, including Laura Marks who commissions branded ents and factual; Navi Lamba who is across E4, ents and Teens, and a third digital commissioner whose main focus will be comedy, who is yet to be appointed.
Prior to joining Channel 4, Khari was Group Director of Video at UNILAD, overseeing strategy, development, production and delivery of all original and commercial content globally, before moving over to LADbible Group as Head of Video. Under his leadership, the team won both the Digiday Video Team of the Year Award 2018 and Marketing New Thinking Awards, Media Team of the Year.
Warner commented: “We’re thrilled Sacha’s joining us to head up a group of top-class creatives in our new digital commissioning team. He brings with him an absolute wealth of experience in producing digital content that young audiences love, and alongside the brilliant 4Studio, who’ve produced amazing content this last year, we look forward to cementing our digital ambitions and playing a big part in the success of the Future4 strategy.”
Khari added: “Will miss the ‘LADs’, their expertise in social never fails to blow my mind. However, to turn the page and dive into the Future4 game changing digital vision, with Karl and the team, is beyond thrilling. Channel 4 has bookmarked my life with content that has defined me – I can’t wait to play a role in bringing this warmth to both digital audiences and new communities.”
Khari’s digital commissioning team will also be bolstered by two new commissioning executives:
Evie Buckley will be joining from Acme films where she is currently an Executive Producer for both broadcast and digital and has secured commissions and worked on numerous productions for the BBC, Channel 4, Channel 5, YouTube Originals, Facebook Watch and Red Bull. Most recently she worked with Channel 4 to develop and produce The Real Eastenders, How Not To Be Racist and Damilola: The Boy Next Door, which has just won an RTS Award. Evie joins Channel 4 in April.
Also joining is Joe Churchill, who will commence his role this month. He has previously worked at the BBC and Sony Pictures before founding digital content studio, Weekend, where he spent four years as Creative Director. He also has a strong track record of producing digital content for brands including Google, Airbnb, Heineken, Greenpeace and Liverpool FC.
Khari will join Channel 4 in June.