Carolyn McCall

Carolyn McCall joined ITV as their CEO in January 2018 and launched a review of the company’s strategy in light of the rapidly changing media landscape.

Carolyn outlined a new vision – ‘More than TV’ – designed to build upon ITV’s unique and winning combination of creativity and commercial strength and to enable ITV to drive profit from three separate sources – advertisers, broadcasters/platforms and consumers. To help deliver the strategy Carolyn announced new investment in the ITV brand, in data, digital and subscription capabilities and committed to further develop ITV’s creative and commercial strengths.

Prior to joining ITV, McCall was CEO of the leading European short-haul airline easyJet for nearly 8 years.

In her time at easyJet she was widely recognised not just for transforming the airline’s financial performance but changing the public’s expectations for value and service in short haul flying across Europe.

She also drove an industry leading initiative to train more female pilots. Globally women account for less than 5% of commercial pilots. Carolyn launched the Amy Johnson Flying Initiative to attract more women into a career as a pilot and in one of her last announcements at easyJet was able to announce that 13% of that year’s new entrants were female – well on the way to reaching easyJet’s target of 20% of new entrant pilots to be female by 2020.

Carolyn joined The Guardian in 1986, and, with a strong background in marketing and sales, rose through the commercial ranks at the newspaper. She launched Wired magazine in the UK, as a joint venture with Wired US in 1994. When the Guardian bought the Observer in the same year, she spearheaded the integration of the commercial team.

She then took the Guardian online with the roll out of The Guardian’s website in 1999 and was responsible for the web team in addition to being Commercial director. She was appointed CEO of Guardian News and Media in 2001. The Berliner was launched in 2004.

Carolyn was appointed Chief Executive of the Guardian Media Group in 2006 , responsible for GNM, the Regional newspaper Group, Autotrader , and The Radio Division.

In 2008, Carolyn was awarded an OBE for services to women in business. In 2016, she was decorated with France’s highest award, the Légion d’honneur in recognition of her contribution to the economies of France and the UK and for her support of women, particularly female pilots.

In the New Year’s Honours List of 2016 Carolyn was awarded a Damehood for services to the aviation industry.