BBC News has made two U.S based executive hires. Jen Brown is joining the company as senior vice president of programming and content Strategy at BBC Studios Global Digital News & Streaming, while Saeed Ahmed will serve as head of digital journalism in the U.S.
based in New York, Brown will be responsible for defining the wider content strategy for the BBC’s news and factual digital platforms outside of the UK. She will report to Jennie Baird, executive vice president and managing director of global digital news and streaming. Ahmed will be based in Washington D.C. and oversee the company’s digital news content aimed at U.S. audiences while reporting to Stuart Millar, digital executive news editor.
“The U.S. is a highly innovative and exciting market for digital journalism in text, video and audio. Our multimedia offer is already now used by 50 million consumers weekly, and we know we are more trusted than any other news brand in the US,” said Naja Nielsen, digital director for BBC News. “In a highly polarized time we believe we have a very compelling and strong offer and that many more Americans would love to know and consume our journalism, known for being impartial, accurate and transparent, always in the pursuit of truth, reporting without fear or favor. I know Jen Brown and Saeed Ahmed are just the team to spearhead and deliver the growth of BBC News in the U.S.”
Brown heads to the BBC after serving working at NBCUniversal for 16 years, most recently serving as senior vice president of programming at Peacock TV since January 2020. Her departure is significant especially given Peacock’s recent efforts to emphasize news and documentary content, such as with its six-week documentary festival that debuted projects including “Prince Andrew: Banished” and Barney documentary “I Love You, You Hate Me.” Before launching Peacock, Brown had worked as senior vice president of program planning and content partnerships, senior vice president of strategic initiatives at
NBCUniversal digital enterprises, along with a decade at NBC News.
“BBC’s unique brand of impartial journalism is more relevant and necessary than ever,” Brown said. “I’m thrilled to help lead the commercial strategy outside of the UK to support our mission and enable the expansion of BBC’s journalism to reach new audiences.”
“Jen’s impressive career, including tenures at NBCUniversal and Peacock, has made her adept at bridging the gap between the editorial and business side of digital news,” added Baird. “Her passion lies in building effective cross-functional teams and leading them to successfully reach consumers on new platforms and drive revenue, making her a critical addition to our growing team as BBC Studios continues to expand our worldwide digital news footprint outside of the UK.”
Ahmed joins the BBC from NPR, where he most recently served as director of digital news, overseeing the organization’s digital presence across its website, social, streaming platforms, newsletters and smart speakers. Prior to that, he was assistant managing editor at CNN Digital.
“Having built his career in tangent with the evolution and proliferation of digital news, Saeed has consistently pioneered new ways of engaging audiences and bringing stories to life across a range of digital platforms,” Nielsen said. “His aptitude for understanding what people want and developing compelling formats to address their needs makes him the ideal person to drive forward our digital journalism strategy in the U.S.”
