ITV poaches Channel 4’s Bala to helm data and AI division

British pubcaster ITV has appointed Sanjeevan Bala as its chief data and AI officer. 

Bala joins ITV after more than eight years at Channel 4, where he served as its head of data science for consumer and strategy, and head of planning and analytics for audience technologies and insight. He also holds the positions of chief analytics officer and chief data officer at the iCOM Global Forum for Marketing, Data and Measurement.

Assuming the role in May, Bala will lead the broadcaster’s data and AI strategy. Specifically, Bala will be responsible for raising capacity, the consolidation of data assets and accelerating AI adoption. Bala’s work will feed into experimentation and value creation across ITV’s DTC business and its commercial team along with a range of other internal teams.

ITV’s chief marketing officer and director of DTC, Rufus Radcliffe, said: “Accelerating ITV’s data capabilities is at the heart of ITV’s More Than TV strategy, and we are delighted that Sanjeevan is joining ITV at this exciting time in our transformation. Sanjeevan has a proven track record of using data to drive commercial value, and we look forward to him building upon the foundations already established to take ITV’s data strategy to the next level.”

Bala said: “I am thrilled to be joining ITV, it’s a great opportunity to experiment by developing data products that will create value across the business.  Blending human creativity with machine intelligence will allow ITV to navigate a clear path through the fourth industrial revolution.”