The Guardian has appointed Derren Lawford as executive producer, development at Guardian Studios – a new creative hub for video-first, personality-led journalism.
Head of Guardian Studios, Leah Green said: “Derren is an amazing addition to the Guardian Studios team. We are extremely lucky to have someone with such deep experience in both television and digital platforms, who understands the audience and on-screen talent as much as he does.”
Lawford added: “I’ve always loved development whether it’s for TV or digital platforms and I’ve been fortunate enough to be involved in launches in both spaces, so the opportunity to join the Guardian as it reimagines how its journalism reaches new audiences with compelling, convergent and curious new formats is a dream job for me.”
Guardian Studios is a new production arm within the organisation which will create new visual formats, reach new audiences and foster on-screen talent. It also represents a cornerstone of the news brand’s multi-year transformation programme.
Lawford began his career as a journalist, spending over 10 years at the BBC. He then went on to launch a content division with award-winning social enterprise and marketing agency Livity before joining the launch team at London Live as a commissioner specialising in documentaries and breaking new, diverse and online talent. At Woodcut Media he helped drive their growth and editorial strategy, including a trio of documentaries bought by Netflix. Most recently he was the founder of DARE Pictures, developing and executive producing across TV and digital.
