Channel 4 chief executive Alex Mahon is to step down after eight years in the role.
Mahon joined the broadcaster in 2017 from visual effects and VR firm Foundry, having previously held the ro.le of chief executive at Shine Group prior to its merger with Endemol and takeover by Banijay.
At C4, she succeeded David Abraham to become the organisation’s first female chief executive.
Mahon will leave the broadcaster this summer to head up live entertainment group Superstruct Entertainment.
Her departure comes soon after the BBC's announcement that chief content officer Charlotte Moore is exiting to head Left Bank Pictures.
Chief operating officer Jonathan Allan will serve as interim C4 chief executive while its board hunts for a successor.
In an e-mail to staff, Mahon said: "There’s a new chair coming, and it’s the right time for them to appoint the CEO who’ll lead C4 into its next chapter. I know there will be no shortage of brilliant candidates, and I’m excited to see who that next leader will be. Until then, Dawn Airey will continue as chair, and I know she will – as ever – be a force of nature in the best possible way."
Among Mahon’s achievements are the delivery of its nations and regions strategy and relocation of its head office from London to Leeds, as well as the introduction of the UK media’s first menopause and pregnancy loss policies.
She also steered C4 when it was threatened with privatisation, led its digital-first strategy Fast Forward, and has been preparing the organisation for the introduction of in-house production.
Programming highlights of her tenure have included documentary series The Push and Evacuation, comedies Derry Girls and Big Boys, AIDS drama It’s a Sin and Dispatches investigations Russell Brand: In Plain Sight and Kill Zone: Inside Gaza, as well as entertainment format The Piano, the 2025 Paralympic Games from Pari and Film4 hits The Banshees of Inisherin and Poor Things.
Mahon said it had been a “lifetime privilege” to lead C4.
“I feel lucky beyond belief to have had the chance to lead C4 for nearly eight years – through calm seas (very few) and stormy waters (more than our fair share),” she said.
“From navigating the threat of privatisation (twice), to shifting out of London, to digital transformation, lockdowns, political upheaval, advertising chaos – there has never been a dull moment. But through every twist and turn, there’s been one constant: the astonishing calibre, resilience, and creativity of all my colleagues at Channel 4.
“Together, I hope that we have evolved what Channel 4 means and what it stands for. We’ve protected the brand, even as we reinvented it. We’ve stayed risky, relevant and relentlessly new – with 60% of our shows fresh each year. And through it all, it’s been the programmes – and their impact – that have brought me the most joy and pride.”
C4 interim chair Dawn Airey described Mahon as “one of the most impactful CEOs since Jeremy Isaacs’ founding of Channel 4 more than 42 years ago”.
Airey added: “She is business minded and has also been transformational both culturally and creatively, proving time and again her extraordinary ability to inspire and drive positive and meaningful change. Under her leadership, Channel 4 has moved with the times and driven the times.
“Her commitment to Channel 4’s public service mission has been unwavering. She has backed entertaining, shocking, interesting telly, never playing it safe and her grit and resilience more than met the rough-tough challenges of recent times.
“She leaves a strengthened and well-run Channel 4 that will continue to flourish, with its Fast Forward strategy reengineering the organisation for the future.”
