Darren Childs

Updated on Nov 10, 2023

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Name Darren Childs

Darren childs cover shoot

Darren Childs is a British business executive. Childs is the current, and third Chief Executive of UKTV.

Darren Childs Darren Childs Photos Photos Zimbio

He was born in Doncaster in 1966 and studied Computer Science and later Business at Stanford.

Darren Childs UKTV confirms Darren Childs as chief executive Media The Guardian

He also serves on the Advisory Board of the Kyriakou family owned Antenna Group. a diversified media business with investments in high profile US digital companies Vice, Twitter, Spotify and Facebook, as well as European Pay TV, Broadcasting, and Radio.

UKTV has been transformed since the acquisition of 50% of the business by US media company Scripps in 2011 with focus on growth, performance, operational efficiency, content production and creation and digital transformation for which UKTV has received major awards for its channels, original content and digital services. He has delivered many speeches on the subject including keynotes for the Economist and Financial Times. He is featured on the Corporate Rebels coveted Bucket List

Previous career

Childs has held several senior executive positions in international media.

He moved to Hong Kong in the early 1990s as part of the launch teams for MTV Asia and then Star TV then owned by "Li Ka-shing" (CK Hutchinson Holdings) and later acquired by News Corp in 1994, and spent eight years building the business across Asia. Eventually he moved back to London joining Sony Pictures/Columbia Tri-Star as Senior Vice-President.

He is credited for investing in, and then being on the board of HBO in Europe and VIVA in Germany.

He joined BBC Worldwide Board in 2010 to prepare the business for IPO and separation from the BBC and resigned when IPO plans were cancelled by the incoming Chairman of the BBC Trust.