BBC Studios Appoints Ding Ke as China GM

By Patrick Frater

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – BBC Studios, the commercial arm of the British Broadcasting Corporation, has promoted Ding Ke to become SVP and GM for Greater China.

Ding, who is currently head of content sales and formats in the same region, replaces Kelvin Yau, who left the company in December. Starting the new Beijing-based role from June 1, she will report to BBC Studios EVP, Jon Penn.

While Ding will be the global distribution leader for the region, she will work with Julia Nocciolino, SVP Commercial, who leads the consumer products business across Asia, and Emma Ong, head of business development for BBC Studios Production, who works with partners in the region to develop commissions and co-productions.

Ding joined the BBC in 2011, from Chellomedia’s China branch Encore International. Here roles at the BBC have involved content distribution and co-production deals, with CCTV9, launching BBC Earth Tribe on Tencent, fostering a British drama community on Youku. She also secured multiple business co-operations with BiliBili, Xigua (ByteDance), and Huawei.

Her appointment completes the business leaders for the BBC Studios APAC region under Penn. The others are: Fiona Lang, GM for ANZ based in Sydney; Ryan Shiotani, SVP & GM for S&SE Asia based in Singapore; Geo Lee, SVP & GM NE Asia based in Seoul.

Phil Hardman, who has been acting GM of Greater China in the intervening months, will take on a broader remit as SVP of commercial strategy for BBC Studios Asia, from 1 June