ITV’s leader initiative for the deaf, handicapped, and neurodiverse debuted

• Aparna Sreevalsan
• 11 May, 2023

ITV has announced its 11 high-potential senior leaders across the organisation from diverse backgrounds for its leadership programme, Amplify.

Amplify was initiated last year to create more opportunities for senior leaders from ethnically diverse backgrounds, as part of ITV’s Diversity Acceleration Plan.

In 2022, Amplify chosen senior leaders from ethnically diverse backgrounds for the bespoke programme led by ITV’s Creative Diversity Partner Nahrein Kemp.

This year it will be focussing on enhancing the leadership potential of exceptional Deaf, Disabled, and neurodivergent employees.

The names of the newly chosen leaders are as follows:

• Peter Carter – Principal Engineer – Group Technology
• Casey Shaw- ITV Able Co- Chair, Activation Manager – Commercial Sales
• Michelle De Leon – News Features Producer – Good Morning Britain
• Sameer Modha – Measurement Innovation Controller – Commercial – Client Strategy and Planning
• Gillian Harrison – On Screen BSL Presenter and Diversity Lead – Signpost Productions
• Callum Dziedzic – Assistant Commissioner, Drama and Comedy – Drama Commissioning
• Leah Grant – Product Designer – Streaming
• Lucy Kapasi – On Screen Journalist – News (ITV Central)
• Stuart Coulson – ITV Able Co- Chair, Technical Development Specialist – Signpost Productions
• Jack Ivens – Gardiner – Floor Manager -ITV Daytime
• Bethany Young – ITV Able Co- Chair, Team Assistant – M&E Marketing

They will be joining the initiative, which starts this month, and will benefit from individualised coaching sessions, leadership workshops, and panel discussions with leading industry specialists.

Like the first year, each participant will be paired with a management board sponsor and will also become a sponsor to a new entrant entering ITV.

Ade Rawcliffe, group director of Diversity and Inclusion says: “We are excited to be bringing Amplify back, this time for our Deaf, Disabled and neurodivergent ITV colleagues. At ITV we are committed to increasing the representation of senior Disabled talent in our industry and Amplify plays a key role in achieving this aim.

“The entire programme this year embeds accessibility and disability representation into every part of it, from our Executive Coach to our industry speakers. We look forward to raising the profile of our Amplifiers and to see them become the future leaders of our industry.”

The programme will last six full days over the course of eight months, and participants will also get one-on-one coaching sessions throughout that time.

Nahrein Kemp and Sam Tatlow MBE, ITV Creative Diversity Partners, oversee the training, which is also being conducted by renowned executive coach Sarah Pickthall.