Thinkbox
We’re taking Televisionaries to Cannes this year for two special sessions with TV’s commercial chiefs. Leaders from Channel 4, ITV, Sky, and Disney will come together for a candid and thought-provoking discussion on the future of TV. They’ll explore TV’s latest developments, the impact of streaming, how the TV companies are collaborating in new and innovative ways, and the opportunities for brands keen to get the best out of today’s TV.
The panel
- Rak Patel – Chief Commercial Officer, Channel 4
- Kelly Williams – Managing Director, Commercial, ITV
- Brett Aumuller – Managing Director, Sky Media
- Deborah Armstrong – Senior Vice President, Disney Advertising EMEA & Country Manager UK & Ireland (morning session only)
Chaired by: Lindsey Clay – Chief Executive, Thinkbox
When & where
There are two sessions to choose from on Tuesday 17th June:
- Morning – 11.15am-12.15pm, FreeWheel Beach
- Afternoon – 4pm-5pm, RTL Beach
Interested in attending?
Simply drop an email to cannes@thinkbox.tv with the following information:
- Name
- Company
- Job title
- Morning or Afternoon session
We’ll then be in touch with registration details and other useful information, and be on hand to answer any queries.
More on the panel
Rak Patel – Chief Commercial Officer, Channel 4
Rak Patel joined Channel 4 in January 2025 as Chief Commercial Officer leading Channel 4 Sales, the commercial arm of Channel 4. Rak has responsibility for driving the organisation’s advertising revenue. A key focus of the role is to accelerate the commercial elements of Channel 4’s Fast Forward strategy, maximising revenues as it transitions from linear to digital, while pursuing new partnerships and expanding into new areas of digital growth.
Rak most recently was Head of Sales EMEA at Spotify. Here he was responsible for showcasing the value of advertising on Spotify for brands and marketers and the platform’s unique proposition in the marketplace. Having been in the advertising industry for close to twenty five years, Rak has spent his career on the commercial side of media and platform businesses. Starting at EMAP, Rak has also spent time at The Financial Times, Microsoft and Auto Trader.
Kelly Williams – Managing Director, Commercial, ITV
Kelly joined ITV in 2011 as Group Commercial Director. He was promoted to Managing Director, Commercial and appointed to the Management Board in 2014. He is the Chair of the Board of Thinkbox, the marketing body for commercial TV in the UK, and a member of the BARB Strategy Board. He also sits on the RTL AdAlliance Association Board.
He has responsibility for all commercial advertising deals across the ITV family of channels. Prior to joining ITV, Kelly was the Sales Director at Channel 5 and prior to that held various positions at UKTV, Sky, and Thames Television.
Brett Aumuller – Managing Director, Sky Media
Brett has over 25 years of corporate experience in a number of finance and commercial roles across various industries including Mining, Aviation and Media, and across multiple territories including Australia, the UK and Italy.
Arriving in the UK from his native Australia, he joined Sky in 2001, working in senior finance, commercial and trading roles across both the UK and Italian businesses. He has also spent time as Commercial Director at Australia’s leading Pay TV business FOXTEL.
Some of the more recent roles Brett has held include CFO of Sky Italy and Deputy MD of NOW, Sky’s streaming arm, which he held for just over two years before being appointed as Managing Director of Sky Media in April 2022.
Deborah Armstrong – Senior Vice President, Disney Advertising EMEA & Country Manager UK & Ireland
Deborah leads on advertising sales & brand partnerships within EMEA for the Networks and Direct-To-Consumer business. As Country Manager, Deborah has responsibility for all Disney’s UK and Irish businesses and activities.
Deborah joined The Walt Disney Company following the acquisition of 21st Century Fox after a tenure of 22 years in which she held a variety of leadership roles in EMEA and Asia Pacific. Prior to 21st Century Fox, Deborah was Head of Sales Marketing & Research at CNBC Asia and Media Director at both Leo Burnett and M&C Saatchi.
Lindsey Clay – Chief Executive, Thinkbox
Following a career in advertising at agencies including McCann Erickson and J Walter Thompson, Lindsey's love of telly drew her to Thinkbox, the UK marketing body for commercial TV, where she now leads the brilliant team who make it their mission to help brands get the best out of today’s TV.
Lindsey is a passionate and persuasive advocate of the power of TV advertising, the benefits of gender equality and the joy of netball. A regular industry speaker, commentator and awards judge, Lindsey is a former founding President of the Global TV Group, a Fellow of the Marketing Society, an Honorary Fellow of the IPA and a member of the Marketing Group of Great Britain. She is also a member and former President of WACL (Women in Advertising and Communication Leadership), a member of The Women of the Year Alumnae and a Top 50 Women Gamechanger in TV.
Lindsey is a Trustee of The Rank Foundation and until recently Chaired the Rank Fellowship, its School Leadership Award alumni group. She also serves as a non-exec director of its TV production company, CTVC.
When not working, or watching telly with her family, she plays for Weston Park, in the North London Netball League.