The BBC has appointed Jen Brown and Saeed Ahmed to senior leadership roles in the U.S. as a part of the organization’s continuing digital expansion in North America, the company announced Monday.
Brown will join as SVP of Programming and Content Strategy, Global Digital News & Streaming and will lead the content strategy for the company’s news and factual digital platforms outside of the UK. Ahmed will take on the role of Head of Digital Journalism in the U.S. for BBC News, where he will lead the BBC’s digital news content created for U.S. audiences.
The newly created roles will address the goal of meeting the increasing demand for news content in North America following the BBC’s announced plan to double its digital journalism team in the U.S. and Canada in January.
“The U.S. is a highly innovative and exciting market for digital journalism in text, video and audio,” Naja Nielsen, Digital Director for BBC News, said. “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. 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 favour. 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 hails from NBCUniversal, where she assisted in the launch of Peacock and won an Emmy for the streaming service’s coverage of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Prior to the launch, Brown served as SVP of Strategic Initiatives at NBCUniversal Digital Enterprises, where she focused on digital growth and investments.
“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,” said Jennie Baird, EVP & Managing Director, Global Digital News and Streaming, who Brown will report to. “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 most recently served as Director of Digital News at NPR and was responsible for supervising the organization’s digital presence across its website, social media and streaming platforms, newsletters and other digital avenues. He previously worked CNN Digital and has won an Emmy, Webbys and a Peabody for his contributions.
“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.”
