BBC Studios has promoted Shelley Macintyre to interim CEO of its brands and licensing division following the departure of Nicki Sheard, who is joining luxury fashion brand Me+Em as chief commercial officer. Sheard will leave BBC Studios in December after almost six years with the organisation.

Macintyre joined BBC Studios in July last year as senior vice president of global marketing and will transition to the interim CEO position to continue developing the cultural and commercial value of the division’s brand properties, including Bluey, Doctor Who and Strictly Come Dancing.

Chris Aylott, vice president of brand and marketing and strategic projects at BBC Studios, will replace Macintyre in an interim capacity. Prior to joining BBC Studios, Macintyre served as general manager and CMO of plant-based meal service Allplants.

During Sheard’s tenure, the division underwent structural transformation from a genre-led approach towards a brand-led strategy creating dedicated teams for individual properties. She was responsible for overseeing global digital brands, marketing, data and insights teams, publishing, licensing and live events.

BBC Studios operates as a commercial subsidiary of the BBC, generating revenue and profits that are returned to support the licence fee. The appointment reflects an industry trend of senior marketing executives transitioning into broader commercial leadership roles within media organisations.