Jane Root

Founder & CEO
Nutopia

Jane Root is a leading creative executive who has transformed major networks on both sides of the Atlantic. She has built a reputation for innovation, determination and delivery in both television and digital.

In 2008, Root set up her own TV production company Nutopia. With offices in London and Washington DC, Nutopia creates ground-breaking, factually inspired shows on a global scale. Since its launch it has created international formats, won awards, achieved record-breaking ratings and created a pioneering new genre of television – the ‘megadoc’. The first of which was the Emmy Award winning America: The Story of US series for History US, described as ‘a ground-breaking initiative of epic proportions.’ It was introduced by President Barack Obama and became the most watched show in History Channel history. Recent projects include Finding Jesus. Faith, Fact, Forgery (CNN), The 90’s: The Last Great Decade (National Geographic) and How We Got To Now (PBS).
Promoted to President in 2007, Jane Root re-positioned the Discovery Channel, finding a fresh voice for the 20 year old network. This led to record ratings, and the launch of global hits like Deadliest Catch, Man vs. Wild, Dirty Jobs, Stormchasers, Cash Cab and Planet Earth.

Jane moved to America from the UK in 2004, where as Controller of BBC2, she ran Britain’s 3rd largest network for 5 years. She was described in the UK press as ‘one of the BBC’s most successful channel controllers’. Her controllership was defined by the creation of a series of popular and mould breaking programs, including the original British series of The Office, Top Gear and Who Do You Think You Are?

Prior to this, for 10 years Jane was Joint Managing Director of Wall to Wall Television, best known in the US for PBS’s Texas Ranger House series.

Speaking on: The Business of Unscripted: A Global View,Meet a Mentor: Jane Root, Nutopia