The Board of Creative Skillset, the creative industries’ skills body, announces today that Seetha Kumar, joining from Pearson, is to be its new chief executive. She will succeed Dinah Caine CBE who will move to chair the Creative Skillset Board.
Seetha is currently the Vice President PQI, (Pearson Qualifications International) and brings extensive strategic and commercial experience of educational products and services across markets. Starting as a journalist and programme maker, she had a long and successful career at the BBC, which included heading Crimewatch UK, leading the strategic and operational implementation of major technology driven projects such as High Definition Television and finally, Controller of BBC Online.
Her task will be to expand the organisation’s engagement with industry, broaden its revenue streams and help futureproof this world beating creative sector in a fast changing and globally competitive skills market. She will take up the role on 1 October.
Creative Skillset Chief Executive Designate, Seetha Kumar said: “I feel privileged to join Creative Skillset and follow Dinah’s remarkable leadership. I believe passionately in the critical role our talent base play to ensure that the UK is equipped with the vital skills it needs to remain a global creative leader. I want to do everything I can to ensure our creative industries have the skills to be relevant and competitive.
Creative Skillset Board Chair, Stewart Till CBE said: “Seetha’s appointment and Dinah’s new role chairing the Board is a fantastic result for Creative Skillset. The mix of Seetha’s industry experience and Dinah’s huge knowledge of the political and public policy context will make them an exceptionally productive team.”
Vice Chair of Creative Skillset, MT Rainey who led the recruitment process said: “I’m delighted that we have been able to recruit Seetha. Her creative industry knowledge and empathy, commercial experience, strategic heft and digital savvy made her the stand out candidate.”
For further information call the Creative Skillset Press Office on 020 7713 9848.
Seetha Kumar is the Chief Executive Designate of Creative Skillset.
Seetha is currently Vice President, Pearson Qualifications International, at Pearson the world’s largest education company. She brings experience and understanding from major global brands in both the private and public sector and across the publishing, digital and broadcast spheres.
Seetha has held a number of significant roles at Pearson over the past three years, largely in the higher education and vocational areas.
Prior to joining Pearson, she was Controller BBC Online, and the BBC’s Digital Access Champion. She was brought in as Controller following a critical regulatory review of bbc.co.uk, to achieve strong governance, editorial and strategic leadership and financial rigour and accountability. She drove digital literacy, rationalised the service and doubled audience growth while clearing 20% budget overrun, driving savings and effecting cultural change. Previously, she launched BBC HD, UK’s first free to air public service HD channel.
She has a strong background in programme making including roles as Creative Director, Documentaries, responsible for Crimewatch UK and Executive Producer for Features.
Her credits included the award-winning Africa Lives on the BBC season, which at the time was the BBC’s largest cross-channel, cross-genre and cross-media season, involving partnerships and collaboration with over 50 UK organisations such as British Museum, Africa ’05 and a range of charities. She led the pan-BBC seminal domestic violence season Hitting Home, which received plaudits and prompted an Early Day Motion in Parliament.
She was also involved in the Government’s review of the BBC’s digital services.
Seetha started her career as the first woman reporter at the Financial Express in New Delhi, India, before working for independent production companies making programmes for Channel 4.
Notes to editors
Creative Skillset empowers the creative industries to develop skills and talent; it does this by influencing and shaping policy, ensuring quality and by securing the vital investment for individuals to become the best in their field and for businesses to grow. As the industry skills body for the Creative Industries, it works across film, television, radio, fashion and textiles, animation, games, visual effects, publishing, advertising, marketing communications and performing arts.