Meet the Delegates: Leading Creative Companies

Leading Creative Companies is designed for Managing Directors, Business Owners and Senior Management Executives who lead indies based in the Nations and Regions.

The programme is heavily subsidised by our partners Screen Scotland, BBC Nations and Regions and Channel 4. 

Get to know more about the successful applicants who make up this year’s Leading Creative Companies cohort.

Cat Lewis launched Nine Lives Media in 2007 and the business now has production offices in Salford’s MediaCity as well as in Birmingham.  Nine Lives is a multi-award-winning company, specializing in producing non-scripted programmes, including documentaries, fact ent series and current affairs programmes.

The company is one of the leading suppliers to the BBC’s Panorama, and we have just delivered ITV’s highest rating factual series this year – TikTok: Murder Gone Viral and More4’s acclaimed Ricky, Sue & a Trip or Two. Two years ago, Nine Lives launched its own YouTube channel – ‘A True Story’, which has built a subscriber case of 237,000 and has become an important new revenue stream.

As the managing director and co-founder of ie ie productions, Catryn Ramasut, is a senior, entrepreneurial media practitioner, whose career has spanned more than 20 years in radio, television, print, music management and advertising, both domestically and internationally.

Edward Hart is an Executive Producer with over twenty years’ experience in unscripted television. For the last decade he has focused on producing content from Northern Ireland for UK network and international broadcasters. He runs Rare TV’s Belfast office, from where credits include BBC series such as Digging for Britain (12 seasons), Expert Witness (4 seasons) and Mountain Vets (3 seasons). Edward also heads Rare TV’s office in Dublin, from where he has made numerous series and specials for US and European broadcasters, and currently execs Crimecall (8 seasons for RTE) and The Case I Can’t Forget (5 series for RTE and BBC). 

Faiza has over 18 years’ experience working in the television industry. She joined Two Rivers Media from STV Productions where she was managing financial reporting, business forecasting and financial analysis across both creative and commercial sectors of the business.

As Head of Finance, Faiza brings extensive industry knowledge to Two Rivers and her role integrates financial acumen with strategic decision-making for sustained growth and resilience. Adapting to changes swiftly, Faiza prioritises financial controls, risk mitigation, and operational efficiency. Collaborating closely with the Managing Director exploring funding and investment opportunities and managing the company’s financial operations whilst driving strategic financial planning.

Giles Lamb, an accomplished and award-winning composer and entrepreneur based in Glasgow, boasting over 25 years of experience in crafting music and sound design for television, movies, commercials and immersive installations.

Highlights include his co-founding of the award-winning music and post-production company, Savalas, in the late 90s, where he served as director, composer, and managing director until 2016. After a period as an independent film and TV composer, he recently, along with award winning producer, director, Sacha Kyle, co- founded ‘Curious Dreamers,’ a venture dedicated to producing innovative productions at the intersection of music, storytelling, and science across various media building on his background in neuroscience and extensive.

Heenan Bhatti is a multi-award winning film-maker (BAFTA, RTS, Rose D’Or, Broadcast, Prix Europa, Sandford St Martin). Series include: Make Bradford British (C4), Paul Merton in India (C5). Single films include: The Real Gary Glitter (C4), God’s Waiting Room (C4) and The Lost Frescoes (C4). 

He set up and runs ClockWork Films, an award-winning independent production company, producing a range of factual programming, from innovative single films and shorts to volume series.  Productions include Bend It Like Bollywood (BBC/RTS Midlands Award, Factual and Specialist Factual; Nominated, Prix Europa Award), Inside The Classic Car Garage (UKTV), Princess Anne: The Plot to Kidnap a Royal (C4/RTS Craft Nominated) and forthcoming documentary The Bradford Aunties (BBC).

Lisa oversees Lion’s business in Scotland, is Executive Producer of all its output and was responsible for successfully completing the move of Lion’s flagship show Homes under the Hammer. Lisa works across a range of genre from Daytime to Documentaries, Specialist Factual and Features to Arts and Children’s. She has seen the creation of numerous in-house training schemes as well as supporting industry traineeships for emerging talent in Scotland.

Lisa began life as a reporter and presenter for several broadcasters before moving into programming.

She is a former chair of the RTS Awards in Scotland, a BAFTA judge, a WFTV mentor and is on the board of WitsHerFace which aims to give opportunities to women and minority groups who might otherwise struggle to find a pathway into the arts.

Lou is a BAFTA winning Executive Producer, with over 30 years’ experience in TV, and is the Executive Producer for Hungry Bear Media’s Glasgow office, across titles for both Hungry Bear Media and Hungry Jay Media. She is currently Executive Producing on a number of ambitious series including Gladiators (BBC 1), David and Jay’s Touring Toolshed (BBC2) and Jay Blades: Through Time (Ch5).

As an Executive Producer, Development Exec and Series Producer, Lou has experience in a variety of genres including Ents, Daytime, Fact/Ents, and Children’s and over numerous formats and she has gained a reputation as being creative, ambitious and reliable.

Matt is the Managing Director of Air TV, a rapidly growing independent television production company based at Leeds East Airport in Yorkshire. He also works as Executive Producer on many of the company’s shows. Air specialises in high quality returning series for UK broadcasters with current titles including Bangers & Cash, Helicopter ER, Derelict Rescue, Warplane Workshop and Cumbria: Lakes and Coast. Multi-award-winning Air TV has also been named by Broadcast Magazine as one of the best places to work in TV in the UK for three years running. 

Nigel is an award-winning creative leader with 30 years of experience in programme development and production.  He has overseen some of TV’s greatest hits including legendary kids’ gameshow Raven and BBC1 ratings juggernaut Big Cat Week.

After 16 years at the BBC Natural History Unit where he oversaw a slate of shows including the Emmy-nominated Secret Life Of Elephants and BAFTA winner Springwatch, he launched Maramedia with Jackie Savery in 2010.

The company has produced a string of successful blue chip international wildlife series including Sky’s Chasing The Rains, and love Nature/BBC Scotland collaboration Stormborn which was narrated by long-term collaborator Ewan McGregor. Nigel has grown Maramedia into one of Scotland’s most internationally renowned producers and is well known for his innovative flair, skill in telling inspiring stories and collaborations with partners across Europe and North America.

Osian Davies is the Operations Director for Afanti Media based in Cardiff. He has over 10 years’ experience working in the TV sector delivering programmes to S4C, BBC, Channel 4, ITV and Channel 5. His role involves managing the technical delivery of all the company’s output as well as the company’s in-house outside broadcast and post-production facilities.

His pathway to senior management within the company was through exceling as a production manager on various high profile and technically challenging productions. He has worked across several genres, from low-cost high volume Daytime series to Live Entertainment Specials, with credits including the Urdd Eisteddfod (S4C), Inside Classical (BBC), The MOBO Awards (Channel 5), The Perfect Pitch (Channel 4) and Luke Evans: Showtime! (BBC). Osian is the son of Emyr Afan and Mair Davies who founded Afanti Media over 25 years ago. His ambition is to take over the company with his sister, Naomi Davies (Creative Director), over the next couple of years.  

Sam Grace is Creative Director of Boom (part of ITV Studios) and is a double BAFTA winning producer (The Choir, Big Zuu’s Big Eats.) He was born and raised in Cardiff but moved to London to pursue a freelance TV career with directing credits including The Apprentice, Undercover Boss, Long Lost Family and The Choir.  As broadcasters looked to increase their commissioning in the nations and regions, Sam returned to Wales from where he has produced over 100 hours of network content including five seasons of the Broadcast Award winning Extreme Cake Makers (Channel 4), Michel Roux’s Hidden Restaurants and Michel Roux’s Risk Business (also Channel 4.) In 2021 Sam joined Boom and is responsible for all network unscripted content including three seasons of Big Zuu’s Big Eats (UKTV), Skin A&E (Channel 5), Alan Carr’s Adventures With Agatha (More4) and Hot Cakes (BBC Three).

Leading Creative Companies is heavily subsidised by our partners Screen Scotland, BBC Nations and Regions and Channel 4.