Alan Eyres is senior vice president of programming and development for the National Geographic Channel.

Based in National Geographic Channel’s Washington, D.C., headquarters, he is head of unscripted development for the network.

He has been at the forefront of National Geographic’s pivot to premium content, where he’s been responsible for developing Mars and Story  of  God with Morgan Freeman — two of the highest-launching series in the history of the network. In addition, he worked on the Emmy winning and Oscar short-listed LA 92, the Oscar short-listed Jane and Before the Flood, which was watched by 63 million people in the first two weeks of its release, making it one of the most-watched documentaries ever. He also worked on Earth Live, which was watched by 9.3 million viewers in the U.S., making it the most-watched live show on National Geographic in a decade.

As the network looks to develop more premium content with A-level creative talent behind and in front of the lens, Eyres has exciting projects in the works, including One Strange Rock with Nutopia and Darren Aronofsky, along with new projects with Morgan Freeman and Leonardo DiCaprio.

In his first three years at National Geographic, Eyres was responsible for developing and overseeing production of some of the highest-rated series in the history of the network, including Wicked Tuna, Brain Games, Life Below Zero, Ultimate Survival Alaska and The Legend of Mick Dodge, in addition to event series such as The 80s and The 90s.

Prior to coming to National Geographic, Eyres worked at the Discovery Channel, where he most recently served as acting vice president, with responsibilities across development and production. Prior to coming to Discovery in 2007, Eyres worked for 10 years in production in the U.K., producing nonfiction television for both the U.S. and U.K. markets, including the Emmy- and BAFTA-nominated “Krakatoa: The Last Days” for the BBC.

Speaking on: SUMMIT SHOWDOWN: INTERNATIONAL PITCH COMPETITION