Endemol Shine Australia appoints Jessie Hughes to lead innovation

Endemol Shine Australia has appointed Jessie Hughes as senior vice president of innovation and launched the ESA Innovation Lab.

The Banijay Entertainment-owned production company said the new division will focus on emerging technologies and next-generation content formats. Hughes will establish and lead the lab.

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Hughes joins Endemol Shine Australia from Canva and its generative image and video platform Leonardo.Ai. She worked across technology, creativity and user experience, helping drive global adoption and innovation.

New lab to work across content and production

The ESA Innovation Lab will explore new approaches to content creation, production workflows, audience engagement and monetisation. It will also identify potential intellectual property opportunities and commercial models.

The division will work across television production, digital content, social formats and post-production. It will also partner with technology companies, startups and creative talent.

Peter Newman, chief executive officer of Endemol Shine Australia, said: “Jessie brings a rare combination of creative thinking, technical expertise, and commercial acumen. Her experience collaborating with some of the world’s most innovative technology companies, makes her uniquely positioned to help us tackle how content is developed, produced, and distributed.”

“The launch of the ESA Innovation Lab marks a significant step forward in our ambition to be a leader in innovation for the screen industry,” Newman added.

Hughes said: “I’m incredibly excited to join ESA at such a pivotal moment for the industry. The convergence of technology and storytelling is creating entirely new possibilities for creators, producers, and audiences.”

“The ESA Innovation Lab will be a space to experiment, build, and scale ideas that push the boundaries of how content is made and experienced.”

Hughes will report to Jane Macaulay, managing director – production and innovation at Endemol Shine Australia.