Non-Executive Members of S4C's Commercial Board
S4C is looking to appoint two Non Executive Board Members onto its Commercial Board.
S4C is a public service broadcaster with a unique role to commission, create and distribute Welsh language content across a range of platforms, reaching audiences across Wales and beyond.
S4C is a public body which is accountable to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and receives its funding from the licence fee. It supplements this funding with additional income generated from commercial activities.
These commercial activities are conducted through wholly-owned subsidiaries of S4C, which are managed and overseen by a commercial board. S4C is now seeking to appoint two non-executive directors to the commercial board.
Commercial group
There are currently five companies in S4C’s commercial group:
- S4C Masnachol Cyf
- S4C Rhyngwladol Cyf
- S4C2 Cyf
- S4C Digital Media Limited
- S4C PTG Cyf
Further details are set out in the Appendix.
The members of the board of directors are the same for each company. This appointment would therefore be as a non-executive director of all five companies.
The board of each company consists of executive directors, external non-executive directors and non-executive directors from the main S4C Board, and the chair is S4C’s Chief Executive.
Commercial activities
S4C’s commercial activities contribute an average of c.£1m per year to S4C, which are reinvested in its public services. The net assets of the commercial group are c.£20m, which have been generated from past commercial investments.
In 2022, S4C adopted a new commercial strategy, designed with a clear purpose: to deliver financial and strategic value to S4C, its audience and to Wales.
The strategy is intended to deliver greater financial returns; to enhance on-screen value and S4C’s creative reputation; to build stronger direct relationships with S4C’s audience; and to support economic growth and skills development in Wales.
The strategy sets out 6 areas of commercial activity:
- Co-production – where S4C increases the volume and value of co-produced content;
- Content IP – where S4C increases the value it generates from content and intellectual property;
- Business growth investment – increasing strategic and financial returns from growth investment by establishing an investment fund to take stakes in businesses close to S4C’s remit, that have growth potential;
- Advertising and Sponsorship – developing exciting and enduring opportunities across S4C’s platforms to increase income from advertising and sponsorship;
- Brands – adopting a cross-organisation approach to consumer brand building, to generate financial and audience value from S4C’s current and future brands; and
- Digital – create a base for a commercial digital strategy, including investing in products and tools that support S4C’s digital strategy and have additional commercial application.
These activities are closely aligned to S4C’s core objectives and support its overarching 2022–27 Strategy. The commercial strategy intends to both increase the annual financial contribution from S4C’s commercial activities to S4C’s public service fund, and grow the value of the commercial fund over time to support future reinvestment.
In line with the strategy, two commercial funds were launched in 2023:
- Commercial Content Fund: https://www.s4c.cymru/en/commercial/page/57609/s4c-international-the-commercial-content-fund/
- Commercial Growth Fund: https://www.s4c.cymru/en/commercial/page/57724/s4c-digital-media-the-commercial-growth-fund/
The activities of the commercial board include:
- Monitoring existing commercial investments
- Scrutinising new investment proposals
- Overseeing performance of advertising and sponsorship activities by S4C’s sales agency
- Overseeing performance of externally managed investment fund.
Commercial Board Member roles:
Position One - Non-Executive Board Member with Advertising Expertise
- Provide strategic direction to support the Commercial Board in meeting its goal of developing opportunities across S4C’s platforms to increase income from advertising and sponsorship.
- Scrutinising the performance of S4C’s advertising sales agency
- Demonstrate significant experience in the advertising sales industry, especially in the television and/or digital sector.
Position Two - Non-Executive Director with Commercial Experience in Production Sector
- Provide strategic direction to support the Commercial Board in its investment activities, especially in relation to the monetisation of content and intellectual property.
- Demonstrate significant commercial experience and knowledge of the creative industries and international content markets.
In addition to the experience above:
- Providing efficient and effective strategic leadership, through the commercial board, of S4C’s group of commercial companies.
- Upholding and working towards the vision, mission, values, behaviours, and objectives of S4C Commercial and ensuring the organisation continues to work towards these.
- Leveraging of networks to support organisational and business development.
- Always acting in the interests of S4C Commercial in relation to assets, property, statutory obligations and management requirements.
- Ensuring S4C Commercial delivers the agreed strategy within relevant legal and governance requirements.
- Promoting prudent and effective management of organisational resources (financial and human).
- Ensuring there are strategies and policies in place that will support the objectives of S4C Commercial.
- Developing and monitoring effective risk management strategies.
- Developing and monitoring internal controls and systems that are transparent and accountable to stakeholders.
- Creating and maintaining positive and productive relationships with stakeholders.
Person Specification
- Evidence of success, within or outside of the creative industries, in business investment or the advertising sales sector.
- Evidence of the ability to act with professionalism and supporting of equity, inclusion, and diversity.
- Evidence of leading in a change environment.
- Experience on other boards or management where strategic planning was part of the role.
- Credibility in and knowledge of the Welsh business / creative sector.
- Awareness and understanding of creative partnerships and their potential.
- Relevant qualifications and experience specific to the expectations outlined in the specific Board role descriptions noted above.
- The ability to communicate in Welsh is desirable but not essential.
Other details
- Commercial board meetings are held c.5 times a year and can be held virtually or in person. If needed, board decisions are taken in between the scheduled meetings, which are done virtually.
- Fees are payable at a rate to be negotiated.
- Expenses are payable in accordance with S4C’s Travel & Subsistence Policy.
- Term: appointment is for a four (4) year term, unless terminated earlier by either party on two months’ notice or otherwise terminated in accordance with the commercial companies’ articles of association.
- Appointment is subject to formal approval by the main S4C Board.
Applications
- Applications should be sent by 5 December 2024 to Pobl@s4c.cymru or People and Culture Department, Canolfan S4C, Yr Egin, Carmarthen, SA31 3EQ.
- Interviews will be held with shortlisted candidates.
- Applications may be submitted in Welsh. An application submitted in Welsh will not be treated less favourably than an application submitted in English.
- S4C does not allow discrimination based on gender, race, colour, disability, ethnic background or social-economic background, age, family status, marital status or civil partnership, part-time or full-time roles, religion, politics, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, language use (except where the ability to communicate in Welsh is necessary for the role) or any other irrelevant difference, and it is committed to considering diversity in a positive way. S4C Commercial welcomes and encourages applications from groups that may be under-represented, including females, black and minority ethnic people and people with disabilities. Open and fair competition principles are in operation and appointments are decided on merit.
