London, UK – BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the BBC, today advanced Gareth Williams to SVP of Content & Production, South America. Formerly Director of New Programming at BBC Worldwide, Williams will continue to report into the VP of International Production, based in London.

Working closely with GP Media in Argentina and Mixer in Brazil, two leading South American production companies in which BBC Worldwide holds exclusive production partnerships, Williams will lead on the development, pitching, and executing of new format projects throughout the South American region. He will focus on forming strong partnerships with local broadcasters and commissioners throughout the territory to identify and execute new business opportunities.

The appointment underlines BBC Worldwide’s commitment to producing quality content in South America especially suited for local audiences.

Colin Jarvis, Director of International Formats for BBC Worldwide said, “Gareth will bring a wealth of international production experience to our business in the region- a territory we have pinpointed for growth over the next several years. I’m confident that under Gareth’s guidance, BBC Worldwide, along with our production partners GP Media and Mixer, will identify and execute superior format projects for local audiences.”

While Director of New Programming at BBC Worldwide, Williams was responsible for overseeing the creation and development of formats for the world stage. He worked on in-house development at BBC Worldwide, built relationships with international format partners, and worked with independent producers as well as the BBC’s production and development teams. He was also responsible for establishing creative hubs across BBC Worldwide’s global production network, from the U.S. to Brazil, to Argentina and Russia.

Williams first entered the field of television as a researcher with Granada TV, working on hit shows including You’ve Been Framed and Stars in their Eyes before joining the BBC as a series producer working on entertainment and features.  In 2001, Williams became Commissioning Executive for UKTV Food and later was appointed Channel Head. Williams left UKTV to take up the post of Executive Producer at ITV program This Morning, and later on joined the BBC WorldwideProgramming Team.

BBC Worldwide’s growing local production network includes wholly owned bases in Mumbai, Paris, New York and Los Angeles, joint ventures in Cologne, Toronto, Sydney and Buenos Aires and preferred partners in Moscow and Sao Paulo. Top format hits from BBC Worldwide include Dancing with the Stars, Top Gear, The Office, and The Greats.