Woodcut poaches A+E commissioner

Woodcut Media has poached A+E Networks UK buyer Jinal Patel to become its joint creative director.

At Sky joint venture A+E UK, Patel (pictured) was senior commissioning and acquisitions editor, focused on the on the Crime + Investigation and Lifetime channels.

At Woodcut, she will be executive producer, working alongside CEO and founder Kate Beal and joint creative director Derren Lawford. She will play a key role in Woodcut’s international expansion and development in coming months, the company noted.

“As Woodcut continues to grow, we have been looking to enhance our creative leadership and expand our team,” said Beal.

“Jinal not only shares our company’s values and passion for excellent programme-making, but also brings with her substantial expertise in the crime genre, which will no doubt bolster our existing strong track record in that area.”

Patel was behind the commissions of C+I series Britain’s Darkest Taboos and Crimes That Shook Britain, and acquired series such as The Real Housewives of New Jersey for Lifetime.

“This is a great opportunity for me to join the Woodcut team during this exciting period of growth and expansion,” she said. “I very much look forward to working on various projects and bringing new contacts and ideas to the table.”