Channel 4’s Sales Leadership Team – Meet the Media Owner
As part of our Meet the Media Owner series, meet the team that are responsible for managing and growing Channel 4’s £1bn of advertising revenue.
Rak Patel – Chief commercial officer
Time in Role: One year
Previous roles: Spotify, Auto Trader, Microsoft, FT, Emap
First job in media: Classified sales exec on Drapers Record
Area of responsibility at Channel 4 Sales: Commercial ambitions of Channel 4 Sales
Favourite Channel 4 show: Hollyoaks
David Amodio – Head of sales
Time in Role: 2 months
Previous roles: Amazon, Channel 4
First job in media: Haymarket: Horticulture Week – Classified Sales – 100 calls a day to growers and fertiliser specialists…real sales.
Area of responsibility at Channel 4 Sales: Lead a team of +130 advertiser and agency sales specialists and account managers across Channel 4’s linear, streaming, social business, as well as a specialist programmatic unit.
Priorities:
Embed a culture of customer centricity
Maximise customer coverage
Raise the collective sales team bar
Favourite Channel 4 show: Peepshow, This is England and MAFS (impossible to name just one)
Sam Hicks – Head of advertiser strategy
Time in Role: 1 year
Previous roles: Whalar, Spotify, Publicis Media, Starcom Mediavest, ZenithOptimedia, Mindshare
First job in media: Digital planner/buyer at Zenith Interactive Solutions (which was way back in the day before Zed, started in 2002)
Area of responsibility at Channel 4 Sales: Strategic Accounts: Leading our JBP approach, Partner Lab : Our in-house creative partnerships and sponsorship experts, commercial marketing and sales enablement
Priorities:
Building long term strategic partnerships that drive mutual growth
Differentiating in branded entertainment through creativity that delivers results
Driving market cut through for Channel 4 Sales
Developing a best-in-class sales enablement programme
Favourite Channel 4 show: Googlebox – great way to connect with my teenagers as it’s a show for all of us. Outside of that It’s a Sin is still a huge standout.
Jay Kassam – Head of business operations and revenue innovation
Jay Kassam, Head of Business Operations and Revenue Innovation
Time in Role: One month
Previous roles: Revenue / sales strategy operations roles at Reddit, Spotify, Groupon
First role in media: Sales Operations at Spotify
Responsibilities: Oversee sales strategy and operations, ensuring effective planning, execution, and scalability across the commercial organisation.
Lead commercial innovation team responsible for developing new business models and products, whilst building and managing strategic partnerships that unlock growth, expand capabilities, and strengthen our market position.
Favourite Channel 4 show: Inbetweeners
Barry John- Head of ad operations
Time in Role: Forever (16 years at C4)
Previous roles: BBC Worldwide, Virgin Media
First role in media: Copy writer for advertorials at Virgin.net
Responsibilities: Operational management and delivery of all ad campaigns, definition and implementation of the ad tech stack from ad severing to data to measurement. Use of AI and programmatic strategies and delivery of roots to buying C4 and partner inventory.
Favourite Channel 4 show: Celebrity Hunted
Ed Chalmers – Head of commercial trading
Time in Role: 14 Years
Previous roles: Global Radio, sales director
First role in media: Capital Radio, sales planner
Responsibilities: Responsible for commercial trading agreements and pricing, Additionally oversees 3rd party sales agreements.
Priority: Revenue generation
Favourite Channel 4 show: Grand Designs