Lucy King
Vice President People and Culture
Vice President of People and Culture Lucy King is responsible for leading the talent strategy across A+E Networks EMEA.
She’s been with the company since 2016, joining A+E Networks EMEA as Director of Talent and Performance. Before this, Lucy was the Senior HR Business Partner at the BBC, heading large-scale change programmes in Digital, Technology, Marketing, and Audiences divisions.
In March 2023,Lucy was promoted to her current senior role, reporting to Managing Director Dean Possenniskie and COO Adrian Pilkington.
Lucy articulates A+E Networks EMEA’s mission for the company’s 200+ staff: “To be a diverse, purposeful, talent-led broadcaster that leads change and grows value.”
Creating a ‘people strategy’ for long-term success as a great place to work, attracting, growing, and retaining talent through best-in-class development, policies, and people practices ensuring employees feel valued, recognised, and rewarded is central to Lucy’s approachable, collaborative, and future-focused leadership style.
She shares her belief that tailored coaching initiatives can nurture leadership and management. Lucy says, “We exist to find ways for our people to bring their best selves to work together to create a highly successful business.”
In achieving this aim, Lucy launched a range of innovative career development solutions such as LinkedIn Learning and unlimited three-month Ezra coaching; both programs are customised for A+E Networks EMEA employees at all stages of their careers.
The Covid-19 pandemic and the growth of remote working spurred some of these innovations, helping to keep the A+E family both focused and mutually supportive.
Her holistic approach involved using Open Blend, the one-to-one coaching for performance tool, leading to a 2022 ‘Great Place to Work’ entry, celebrating the culture and opportunities for staff at A+E Networks EMEA.
Lucy summarizes her understanding of HR’s role in the modern workplace: "You have to believe that people matter and that treating everyone with respect leads to the best outcomes for individuals and the business.”
Lucy’s life outside the office supports her creative attitude to HR; she’s both an author (with two draft novels to her credit) and a painter, enjoying creating large abstract pieces for the family home – and those of her friends and relatives.
As you would expect, people are what make A+E Networks EMEA a unique place to work.
Ever conscious of this, Lucy works hand-in-glove with internal employee groups, including Diversity & Inclusion, Family, Wellbeing, Green Living, and Gender Equity.
About Human Resources itself, Lucy says, “people join HR because they enjoy working with people and are good at applying great judgment to what are sometimes complex situations.”
Lucy recharges her batteries with long country walks and sampling exciting places to eat with her partner and son.
