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BBC Studios signs Lorraine Burgess, Idris Elba's Former Managing Director Burgess

Burgess, who has been in the post on an interim basis since July, will take over permanently from Tom Fussell, who took over as CEO of BBC Studios at the end of last year.

Burgess will be a member of the BBC's Executive Committee and will be in charge of the commercial arm's overall financial strategy and teams.

"Extensive commercial, strategic, and leadership expertise in creative firms," according to Fussell, "has proved essential over the previous several months and will be crucial as we attempt to expand our ambitious development ambitions and help produce more commercial income for the BBC."


For three and a half years, Burgess was Group MD of Elba's Green Door Pictures, during which time the company produced series such as Sky comedy In the Long Run and Sky Atlantic/Showtime’s Guerilla, along with non-scripted titles such as Discovery’s Idris Elba: No Limits.

Burgess served as Group MD of Idris Elba's Green Door Pictures for three and a half years, during which time the company produced projects such as Sky comedy In The Long Run and Sky Atlantic/Guerilla, Showtime's as well as non-scripted shows including Discovery's Idris Elba: No Limits.

She worked for J P Morgan and Universal Pictures before joining Endemol Shine Group (now Banijay) as Global Head of Digital Operations.

Burgess' job is becoming more and more essential.

With the BBC's licence fee set to remain fixed for the next two years, Director General Tim Davie is putting pressure on the commercial arm he used to lead to return more money to the BBC's coffers. Over the next five years, the producer-distributor is expected to increase returns by 30%.

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