In the second of our special features for IWD 2025 showcasing some of the women who are helping to shape the media technology industry, we meet Caroline Cooper, chief operating officer at Sky Studios
By TVBEurope Staff
Published: March 4, 2025 Updated: March 5, 2025
In the second of our special features for IWD 2025 showcasing some of the women who are helping to shape the media technology industry, we meet Caroline Cooper, chief operating officer at Sky Studios
target=_blank title=Share on LinkedIn class=share-linkedin>
Talk us through an average day in your role One of the wonderful things about my role is the diversity of tasks I get to work on. An average day can be very variable. I spend a great deal of time with my team, helping them work through knotty issues and problems they may be grappling with.
I engage in interesting work around government and lobbying on behalf of the film and TV industry, focusing on tax credits, business rates for studios, and championing the importance of the creative industries and Sky to the health of the UK. I enjoy this aspect of my role very much. Additionally, I am passionate about team development, ensuring we support the next generation of talent both within my teams and in the industry.
My outward-facing role involves managing our international partnerships, often in conversation with partners in the US, particularly NBCU, our distribution partner and a major client for our studio.
I also do a lot of forward planning - in production, you're often working on projects that won't be on screen for a couple of years. It's crucial to stay ahead of market trends to ensure we're in the best possible position for future developments. This is especially important in content creation, where decisions made now will impact the next two to three years.
Finding partners for our biggest projects is a significant focus, and we strive to be a good partner. I spend a lot of time with my team, thinking about our approach and working with our partners on an ongoing basis.
How did you get started in the media industry? I think there was quite a degree of luck here. I started off as a banker and was an equity analyst working in the City. I realised pretty quickly that wasn't the sort of role that was going to keep me interested long term, although it's a wonderful grounding in many aspects, particularly around financials.
I decided I wanted to go and work for a company and go in-house. I was very lucky to be offered a job at ITV, working in their investor relations department, which is a normal segue way for someone coming out of capital markets. [It] was wonderful because suddenly I found an industry that I really was passionate about, a really interesting sector. Lots of things were changing. When I first joined, we still had only five TV channels and the digital transition was starting to get underway.
So, a bit of luck once I discovered media you were not going to get me out of it!
What training did you have before entering the industry? I had no media-specific training. I went through school and university and then I spent a few years working in banking, which gave me a great grounding in finance and financial management and that financial aptitude has been a thread through my career. I worked my way up through finance roles and commercial and operational roles, rather than on the creative side of the business.
I can put a lot of that back to starting off in a financially driven job which gave me a good understanding of P&Ls, cash flows, balance sheets and that has been a skill set that I've taken forward as I've worked in a broad number of different roles.
It's hard in media in terms of the kind of training that you may or may not need. The training Is often very different. I've seen a huge diversity of different people coming in from different pathways and a lot of it is about getting your foot in the door and learning on the job. For example, many people who've come up through the production side of the business may have had some training, but then they get out there, get their sleeves rolled up and they learn a lot from just working on those productions, working with more experienced team members. That's a path that I think is probably common to many.
Why do you enjoy working in the industry? I can't think of a more interesting industry in which to build a career. I love navigating the dynamic market we operate in and strategically figuring out how to best move forward as things constantly change.
The media sector is fascinating because it never stands still. There are always new competitors, formats, approaches, and strategies from both big players and new, interesting smaller ones. It's never dull or static.
To enjoy working in media, you have to embrace the chaos that comes with it, and I really do. I'm always interested in seeing what the next big thing is and what's coming around the corner, trying to anticipate what the industry might look like in the next 5-10 years. It's very energising.
I also love the people. Working in the TV and media sector means you're surrounded by fascinating, interesting, and wonderful individuals. I get to work with creative people every day, and that's a total joy. It's rare to find someone in media who isn't enthusiastic about what they do, which is another reason I enjoy getting up in the morning.
What piece of advice would you offer someone looking to explore a role similar to yours? You have to be open-minded. I've had a varied career, moving into slightly different roles, and that has given me a breadth of experience that's been incredibly useful. As I've moved up through the business, I now have a broad role reflecting the choices I made earlier in my career, whether in commercial, strategic,
Europe Stories
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
11/05/2026
As Eurovision fans gear up to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the iconic song ...
11/05/2026
Pela primeira vez na hist ria, o Brasil figura entre os oito maiores mercados de...
11/05/2026
New desktop instrument focused on tactile performance
Bastl Instruments have announced the Kalimba, a new desktop instrument that combines physical modellin...
11/05/2026
Compact sampling workstation gains new features
1010music have announced the blackbox 2, a new version of their compact standalone sampler designed for DAWl...
11/05/2026
Performance-focused sequencer with microtonal control
Berlin-based KOMA Elektronik have announced Monoplex, a new 42HP Eurorack sequencer designed for hands...
11/05/2026
Boasts wireless control from mobile devices
The latest iteration of IK Multimedia's compact amp and effects modelling pedal expands on the capabilities ...
11/05/2026
Spans traditional orchestral and experimental sounds
Sonora Cinematic have recently released the third instalment in their Transfigured Orchestra series, de...
11/05/2026
Our exhibition coverage
Watch all our SUPERBOOTH 2026 video coverage in one place. Check back to this page regularly as we will be updating with more video ...
11/05/2026
aconnic AG (ISIN: DE000A0LBKW6), Munich, is participating in the Equity Forum Ge...
11/05/2026
11 May 2026
VEON Shareholders Re-elect Board and Chairman, Reaffirming Confiden...
11/05/2026
Fox Corporation Reports Third Quarter Fiscal 2026 Financial Results NEW YORK, NY, May 11, 2026 - Fox Corporation (Nasdaq: FOXA, FOX; FOX or the Company ) t...
11/05/2026
Arvato Systems Becomes a Member of InsurLab Germany
Collaboration in the insurance industrys leading innovation network
G tersloh - Arvato Systems has joine...
11/05/2026
Pirate Predator uncovers new information from victims and survivors of abuse on ...
10/05/2026
RT ALL-IRELAND DRAMA FESTIVAL WINNERS ANNOUNCED DURING GALA AWARDS STREAMED LIVE ON RTE.IE/CULTURE
Kilmeen Drama Group hailing from Rossmore, Co. Cork Scoops ...
09/05/2026
New desktop instrument focused on tactile performance
Bastl Instruments have announced Kalimba, a new desktop instrument that combines physical modelling, F...
09/05/2026
Compact sampling workstation gains new features
1010music have announced blackbox 2, a new version of their compact standalone sampler designed for DAWless ...
08/05/2026
One-button synth generates random four-track ideas
Cyma Forma and French artist Bambounou have announced RND synth, a compact hardware synthesizer built aro...
08/05/2026
Portable four-layer granular and sampling instrument
Tasty Chips have announced the GR-2, a new granular synthesizer and sampling instrument that combines e...
08/05/2026
Video Show Report
Video of SUPERBOOTH 26: Polyend Drums
Polyends big announcement for Superbooth 2026 is the Drums, a new drum machine that features both ...
08/05/2026
Deal agreed as NI enters new chapter
Native Instruments CEO Nick Williams has announced that a definitive agreement has been signed for the company to be ac...
08/05/2026
Video Show Report
Video of SUPERBOOTH 26: Erica Bullfrog Drums
The Bullfrog Drums is the latest collaboration between Erica Synths and Richie Hawtin, and ...
08/05/2026
In our latest blog, Tim Pearson reflects on the recent launch of Play Snooker, the new digital home of snooker by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker A...
08/05/2026
Pete reunites with Dogs Trust for a fourth series and a two-part overseas special
London, Friday 8th May 2026: The award winning factual entertainment series P...
08/05/2026
Wuppertal May 8, 2026
Riedel to Support Glasgow 2026 as Official Connectivity Integration Provider Riedel Communications today announced its return as a spons...
08/05/2026
ICG is excited to share news of our official launch in Northern Ireland, marking a significant milestone in the agency's growth.
Led by Digital Marketing M...
08/05/2026
Over the past ten years, Thames Water, in partnership with Arqiva, has installed more than 1.2 million smart meters, creating one of the most extensive advanced...
07/05/2026
Journalists reporting on Sudan are working in one of the most complex and fast-m...
07/05/2026
Seit dem Start im Jahr 2023 hat DJ (Beta) das personalisierte H rerlebnis von 94...
07/05/2026
Da quando stata presentata nel 2023, DJ (beta) ha aiutato a definire un'esperienza d'ascolto pi personalizzata per 94 milioni di utenti Spotify Premi...
07/05/2026
Since launching in 2023, DJ (beta) has helped shape a more personalized listenin...
07/05/2026
Desde o lan amento em 2023, o DJ (beta) j ajudou a deixar a experi ncia de ouvi...
07/05/2026
From our earliest days, Spotify has been built on a simple principle: Great audio should be easy to reach. It's what's driven us to expand from music to...
07/05/2026
Asian and Pacific Islander artists continue to shape the global soundscape, pushing creative boundaries and connecting with fans worldwide. This Asian & Pacific...
07/05/2026
Company announce long-requested choir instrument
In the latest expansion of their Symphonic Elements series, UJAM have introduced an all-new vocal instrumen...
07/05/2026
Modular-inspired sound generation with digital control
Buchla have introduced Ziggy, a new compact synthesizer built around the company's complex oscill...
07/05/2026
Combines analogue voices with digital synthesis and sequencing
Polyend have announced Drums, a new hybrid analogue and digital drum machine that combines sy...
07/05/2026
Control surface now officially supports four DAWs
When Nektar launched the Panorama CS12 control surface, it worked exclusively with Apple's Logic Pro, ...
07/05/2026
In the first quarter 2026, SGL Carbon generated consolidated sales of 184.5 million, which was 49.8 million, or 21.3%, lower than in the prior year (Q1 2025: ...
07/05/2026
Rohde & Schwarz and Greenerwave achieve precise and fast ESA antenna characteriz...
07/05/2026
January 8, 2024
Colorfront (colorfront.com), a leader in high-performance, on-s...
07/05/2026
February 9, 2024
Colorfront (colorfront.com), the multi-award-winning pioneer i...
07/05/2026
March 20, 2024
NAB 2024, Las Vegas - Colorfront (colorfront.com), the multi-awa...
07/05/2026
April 1, 2025
CINEMACON, APRIL 1, 2025 - Colorfront (colorfront.com), the multi-award-winning developer of high-performance dailies/transcoding/streaming syste...
07/05/2026
June 15, 2025
Colorfront (colorfront.com), an Academy and Emmy Award-winning de...
07/05/2026
June 15, 2025
Colorfront participated in the ICTA Barcelona Cinema Technology Summit on Sunday, June 15, 2025. Held at The Phenomena Experience, the event feat...
In the second of our special features for IWD 2025 showcasing some of the women who are helping to shape the media technology industry, we meet Caroline Cooper, chief operating officer at Sky Studios
