Channel 4's head of commercial innovation and partners, Jonathan Lewis, and client strategy and comms partner, Clare Peters, are set to leave the broadcaster.
The expected departures follow Channel 4's announcement of wide-ranging changes designed to reduce costs and help it become a digital-first streamer by 2030.
Lewis has been at Channel 4 since 2012, when he joined as head of digital and partnership innovation. As head of commercial innovation and partners since January 2022, he is responsible for driving growth across the broadcaster’s commercial business.
In line with Channel 4's 2020 Future4 strategy, through which the broadcaster aimed for 30% of total revenue to come from digital advertising by 2025, digital revenues reached 27% in 2023, up from 22% in 2022.
In addition to spearheading the broadcaster's commercial transition to streaming, Lewis has established Channel 4’s social branded entertainment offer, launched social sales and long-form content on YouTube, and has driven retail media partnerships with Nectar and Boots.
Peters joined Channel 4 as client strategy and comms partner in April 2020 as part of its push increase direct sales to advertisers. She was previously chief business strategist at Manning Gottlieb OMD.
The respected media strategist, who Campaign featured multiple times in its annual list of top 10 media planners, manages Channel 4's client sales team across London and Manchester.
Peters has had a key role in lauded initiatives, such as the Black to Front commitment to improve black representation on screen; Black in Business, which helps support black-owned small businesses with TV advertising, and Channel 4’s Diversity in Advertising Award.
Both Lewis and Peters report to chief revenue officer Verica Djurdjevic.
Lewis' and Peters' expected departures, which Channel 4 is likely to confirm next month, follow the impending exit of chief marketing officer Zaid Al-Qassab and chief product officer Dave Cameron.
A spokesperson for Channel 4 said: “Channel 4 has begun a collective consultation process, which will run into March. Our focus is supporting employees through this time of change and keeping communication channels open with our suppliers and partners. It would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.”
At the end of January, Alex Mahon, chief executive of Channel 4, publicly confirmed the broadcaster would cut up to 200 roles, and close 40 unfilled roles, in a bid to recover losses incurred by a downturn in TV advertising.
At the same time, Mahon unveiled Channel 4's new five-year Fast Forward strategy, the follow-up to Future4, which is designed to transform the broadcaster into a digital-first public-service streamer by 2030.
From 27% of revenues in 2023, Channel 4 aims to increase digital revenues to 30% in 2024 and pass 50% by 2030.
According to the broadcaster, on-demand TV made up 15% of Channel 4's viewing in 2023.
As part of the changes, Channel 4 will leave its Horseferry Road premises in London.