ITVS appoints PBS’s Mike Kelley to US sales

ITV Studios Global Entertainment (ITVS GE) has appointed Mike Kelley as senior vice president for sales in the Americas.

Kelley, who will be based at ITVS GE’s LA office, will report to Greg Johnson (pictured), executive vice president EMEA & Americas of the division.

The news sales exec was senior vice president of programming, business affairs and content operations at PBS, having previously served as chief of staff for the PBS chief operating officer and before that its chief content officer.

During his tenure, Kelley developed the PBS General Audience content strategy and co-managed the programming team that delivered it. He was also responsible for managing key co-production partnerships, and investment allocation for all projects.

In addition, he was instrumental in the successful launch of Mercy Street – PBS’s first original scripted drama in the space of a decade – and the development of a co-production partnership with the BBC across history, natural history and science content.

“Mike’s a smart and experienced executive and I am excited he is joining us to lead the distribution team in the Americas,” said Johnson. “His strategic background, along with exceptional commercial and creative abilities will not only benefit existing client relationships across the US, Canada and Latin America but also help us to identify new opportunities to build lasting partnerships across the business.”

Kelley said: “I’m thrilled to join ITV Studios Global Entertainment.

“I’ve long admired its strong portfolio of programs, dedication to working with the best creative talent in the business, and growth mindset. I am looking forward to contributing to its ongoing success.”

Last September, Johnson was handed control over EMEA after leading his team to “double the size of the Americas distribution business”.