Channel 4 has named Laura Marks as head of digital commissioning following the departure of Sacha Khari, who is leaving to join Sony Pictures Television.
Reporting to Channel 4’s chief content officer Ian Katz, Glasgow-based Marks will oversee the commissioning and development of all original digital content across Channel 4’s social and digital-first platforms, including 4.0 and A Comedy Thing.
Marks will lead a digital commissioning team that includes commissioning editor and 4.0 Lead, Evie Buckley and digital commissioning editor, Charlie Hyland. Kaio Grizzelle has recently been promoted to commissioning editor and will oversee 4.0 whilst Buckley is on maternity leave.
Working closely with production partners, independent producers and the internal content strategy departments, Marks’ digital commissioning team will focus on delivering bold, original and socially relevant digital content tailored for evolving audiences; and also lead the charge across social branded entertainment.
Marks’ promotion follows a successful tenure as senior commissioning editor and digital business operations lead for digital, where she championed creative innovation and a commissioning strategy that encompassed a wide range of digital original documentaries, entertainment and branded content formats. Her credits include Kingpin Cribs, The Boy Who Climbed The Shard, Mission Accessible, Phones Snatching Exposed, the Life Uncovered strand, The B@it and True Stories.
Katz said, “Laura is a creative star and a brilliant thinker about how to engage with digital audiences. She’s played a huge part in driving Channel 4’s market leading digital success and is enormously respected within the industry. Her appointment reinforces Channel 4’s long-term strategic shift towards digital-first content.”
Marks said she feels “very energised by the amazing producers and talent we work with. As a team, we are constantly thinking of ways we can innovate and grow our offering, and we’re going to have a lot of fun doing that with producers in 2026 and beyond. Opportunities like this are rare, and for Channel 4 to champion a female leader from Glasgow makes this next phase personally even more exciting.”
