Alex Mahon

The first female Chief Executive of a major UK broadcaster, Alex Mahon is the CEO of Channel 4 and has transformed it into a digital-first public media company. She is a passionate supporter of equitable representation and launched Channel 4’s policies to support employees experiencing menopause or pregnancy loss which were among the first of their kind in the UK media industry.

Alex was previously CEO of Foundry, the design, visual and 3D effects software firm under its ownership by Hg Capital. She was also CEO of Shine Group, and was responsible for all content strategy, including the launch of global scripted divisions, and the rollout of formats internationally. Prior to this, Alex’s career in media included roles at Talkback Thames, and FremantleMedia. Before her move into technology, Alex spent fifteen years running creative production companies with a focus on high growth, and international and entrepreneurial businesses.

In speeches Alex looks at the key principles of how to embed diversity, inclusion and then equity in your organisation and why it matters, and why in leadership it’s important to create an honest and open culture, and how to takes risks and be creative. After doing significant research on Gen Z, she also considers generational differences.

She has been Chairman of the Royal Television Society Programme Awards, Non-Executive Director of the Edinburgh International Television Festival, a member of the DCMS Advisory Panel on the BBC and the UK government Creative Industries Council, and an ambassador for London Tech Week. Alex is a founding member of WITs END, a women’s development network focused on the tech industry, was the recipient of Variety’s International Achievement in Television Award and has been honoured with an International Royal Industrial Fellowship.