Marcia Williams becomes the first D&I director of Channel 4

• Aparna Sreevalsan
• 15 July, 2022

PUBLIC broadcaster Channel 4 in the UK has hired its first director of inclusion.

Marcia Williams, who will assume the position on 4^th August, comes from Transport for London, where she is already the director of diversity, inclusion, and talent.

She will serve on the senior management board of Channel 4 and report to CEO Alex Mahon. Her duties will include managing the inclusion and diversity strategy.

Williams said: “I’m thrilled to be joining Channel 4’s executive leadership team in this newly created role. Channel 4 has pioneered in this field with its distinctive remit.

“This new role is an affirmation that Channel 4 is laser-focused on pushing forward to find new, and powerful ways to approach issues of equity and inclusivity across its talent and business practices to create and sustain true impact.”

The employee-focused 4Inclusion team will report to Marcia, and she will share dual reporting responsibility for the Creative Diversity team with Emma Hardy, Director of Commissioning Operations, in order to guarantee more alignment internally and externally, both on and off-screen.

“Channel 4 believes that everyone, regardless of their background, ethnicity, sexuality or ability should be respected for their point of view and values, recognised for their unique skills and capabilities and both enabled and supported to be their genuine selves,” commented Alex Mahon.

“This newly created role not only recognises Channel 4’s successful history of pioneering change in diversity and inclusion that has inspired change in the creative industries and beyond, but also the ongoing imperative to ensure that inclusion and diversity are truly embedded in everything that we do.

“Marcia’s extensive and successful career, underpinned by her subject-matter expertise and her own lived experience will ensure that Channel 4 continues to celebrate difference and inspire even greater change and acceptance,” Mahon added.

Prior to this, Williams worked for companies like Tideway, the UK Film Council, HM Treasury, and The Law Society of England and Wales in senior positions related to inclusion and diversity. She has completed her Bachelor of Laws degree from The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).