McLure exits Pioneer after 23 years

Kirstie McLure is leaving Pioneer Productions after 23 years at the UK unscripted prodco.

Kirstie McLureMcLure has been managing director of the Tinopolis Group-owned company since 2011, but is leaving “to explore other projects”.

Tinopolis CEO Arwel Reed said: “After 23 years at Pioneer, we are proud of everything that Kirstie has achieved. She has been such an asset to the company. We will be sad to see her go, but would like to thank her for her contribution to the group and wish her all the best for the future.”

Her departure comes more than a year after Tinopolis hired former Wall to Wall international chief Jonathan Hewes as CEO of Pioneer, and three months after Arrow Media’s Thomas Viner joined as creative director.

McLure is credited with producing hundreds of hours of factual and unscripted programming for UK and international broadcasters, including How the Universe Works for Discovery Science in the US, World’s Weirdest Weather for Channel 4 and Journey to the Edge of the Universe for National Geographic, Discovery Networks Canada and France 5.

“In my time at Pioneer, I’ve seen the company transform into a leading factual powerhouse and I’ve been proud to be part of that journey,” said McLure. “It’s been an environment where I’ve been able to innovate and create never-made-before-TV.”

She added she was “hugely excited” about her next step, but did not disclose further plans.

Nigel Henbest, Heather Couper and Stuart Carter launched Pioneer in 1988. Vitruvian Partners-owned Tinopolis acquired the company in 2009, at which point McLure was head of production.

Carter stepped back from his role as chairman of the company last year when Hewes was hired as chief executive, with the latter reporting directly to Wales-based Tinopolis boss Rees.

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