Marjorie Kaplan, who previously spent 20 years as a senior executive at Discovery, is joining the board of U.K. commercial broadcaster ITV.
Kaplan will join as an independent non-executive director from Sept. 1. She currently a professional mentor and head of faculty at Merryck & Co., a global firm comprising experienced CEOs and top business leaders who help organizations accelerate the impact of leadership.
At Discovery, Kaplan oversaw growth at multiple major networks in the U.S., building new franchises and unlocking revenue opportunities across platforms. As president, global content, Kaplan was responsible for strategy, coordination and execution of the international division’s global content activities across the portfolio worldwide.
Kaplan is also a non-executive director of ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE in Germany.
Andrew Cosslett, ITV chair, said: “Marjorie has exceptionally strong experience around content and audience strategy which will further strengthen the diverse mix of expertise and experience on the board.”
Kaplan added: “This is a vital time in the media industry and an exciting moment to be joining ITV as it adapts to the changes in the business while maintaining its leadership position in production, broadcasting and streaming. I look forward to partnering with the board and executive team as the company’s strategic transformation continues to gain momentum.”
Kaplan joins at a time when the U.K. TV industry is reeling from a tough advertising market. ITV’s total external revenues declined 2% to £1.63 billion ($2.11 billion), according to half year financial results released last week. The decline was offset by growth in ITV Studios and digital revenues.
Earnings before interest, taxes, and amortization (EBITA) plunged to £133 million from £295 million during the same period last year. Statutory profit before tax was £45 million, a steep drop from the £219 million declared during the 2022 half yearly results.
Total ITV Studios revenue was up 8% to £1 billion, driven by the U.K., with an adjusted EBITA margin of 13%, while streamer ITVX continued to grow with monthly active users up 29% to 12.5 million and total streaming hours increasing 33% to 737 million hours, driving rising digital revenues. BritBox International subscribers grew 7% to 3.2 million.
