Zai Bennett

CEO and Chief Creative Officer, BBC Studios Productions

Zai Bennett is CEO and Chief Creative Officer for BBC Studios’ global content-making division BBC Studios Productions, a position he took up in November 2024. Reporting to CEO Tom Fussell, Zai is a member of BBC Studio’s Executive Committee.

Zai’s remit spans the company’s UK and international production units (including the world-renowned Natural History Unit), owned labels and invested indies across its Global Entertainment, Factual, Scripted, Kids & Family and Audio genres. He is tasked with building high value, distributable IP, maintaining BBC returning series and key brands, securing new commissions, and expanding BBC Studios’ international format pipeline through development capabilities in existing markets as well as expansion into new territories.

He joined BBC Studios from Sky where he was Managing Director of Content, principally responsible for Sky’s portfolio of entertainment services. His credits included Chernobyl, Gangs of London, Patrick Melrose, Brassic and Rob and Romesh Versus…Zai’s extensive background in television started at Channel 5, where he scheduled the network’s launch night. He has also held successful positions at ITV, becoming Director of Digital Channels, as well as the BBC, where he was Controller of BBC Three.