Discovery’s McIntyre exits for Doc/Fest

Elizabeth McIntyre is exiting Discovery Networks International to become CEO and festival director of the Sheffield Doc/Fest.

McIntyre moves to her new post on September 1, having left her role of VP, production and development at Discovery Channel and buying for Discovery UK and Quest.

She replaces Heather Croall, who resigned in order to rejoin her family in Australia. Mark Atkin has been overseeing the UK event since her departure in mid-February.

Former Wall to Wall chief Alex Graham, who’s now chairman of Sheffield Doc/Fest, made the announcement, saying: “Liz’s commitment and enthusiasm for Sheffield Doc/Fest is self-evident and extraordinary. She impressed us with her clear-eyed vision for the festival’s future and this together with her professionalism and wealth of experience as a commissioning editor at Discovery gives me huge confidence in her ability to lead Doc/Fest to even greater heights.”

McIntyre has a long-standing connection to Doc/Fest, which this year runs from June 5-10 in Sheffield.

“Doc/Fest is the beating heart of the documentary and non-fiction content business across all platforms, and it is an absolute privilege to have the opportunity now to build on its impressive UK and international success,” she said.