SPEAKERS

In order of appearance

PETER NEWMAN
Chief Content Officer

Peter has worked in the Australian, UK and US broadcast industries in both the independent production sector and for television networks. He has extensive experience across content development, production, strategy and commissioning. Peter has a high level of commercial expertise and significant experience in aligning people and stakeholders around a creative vision.

Across his career Peter has developed, commissioned and produced programs that have won numerous domestic and international awards, such as: an International Emmy and Best of Rose at the Rose D’or for Go Back to Where You Came From, AACTA awards for Masterchef Australia, Australian Ninja Warrior and Australian Survivor and Logie awards for Gogglebox amongst others. 

In his role as Chief Content Officer Peter holds the reigns across all of ESA’s productions, leading the development and execution of some of Australia’s most successful and exciting television formats and brands. In addition to running extremely busy production and development teams he has core business responsibilities and contributes to the strategic direction of the company. 

Since joining in 2012 he has overseen global hit franchises including MasterChef, Married At First Sight, Australian Ninja Warrior, Survivor, LEGO Masters, The Biggest Loser, The Bachelor, Shark Tank and Australia’s Next Top Model. He has also delivered light entertainment, documentary and lifestyle series such as Gogglebox, Ambulance Australia and Old People's Home For Four Year Olds. 

Before leaving his native city of London for Sydney Peter worked in the independent production sector and started his career at the BBC where he worked for eight years.

TARA MCWILLIAMS
Executive Producer, Married At First Sight

As Executive Producer with Endemol Shine Australia, Tara McWilliams has been behind some of Australia’s highest rating and most popular television programs. 

In a career spanning 20 years, Tara has produced some of Australia’s biggest reality formats including Married At First Sight, The Voice, The Biggest Loser, The Bachelor, MasterChef Australia, Junior MasterChef, Project Runway, The Apprentice and The Farmer Wants a Wife.  

Having worked on local Australian versions of MasterChef and The Biggest Loser, Tara went on to become an international consulting Executive Producer in 2011 and 2012, travelling to territories including China, Turkey, South Africa, Dubai and the Philippines to advise on local format productions. 

With the taste for travel, Tara went on to enjoy a two year posting with Shine America (2012 – 2013), working from their Los Angeles office to produce various reality shows, notably The Face with Naomi Campbell. 

Most recently Tara was at the helm of Married At First Sight (Series 6), which set ratings records for the Nine Network in 2019. 

Tara resides in Sydney and is mother to a young son. 

DEBBIE CUELL
Executive Producer, One Born Every Minute Australia, Old People’s Home for 4-Year Olds

Debbie Cuell is a creative, visionary and results-oriented AACTA and Rose D’Or award winning Head of Genre, and Executive Producer with 20 years’ experience specialising in Entertainment, Factual and Reality genres in Australian TV, public broadcasting and subscription TV.

In her recent role in 2017 as Head of Entertainment  at the ABC she lead a large national team and managed the production, and delivery of a mix of original content and formats, Genres produced include Panel/Shiny Floor, Factual Entertainment, Observational Documentaries, and unscripted comedy.

Her expertise in factual and entertainment television has seen her in Executive Producer roles on series including, One Born Every Minute,  Old People’s Home for Four Year Olds, Look Me in The Eye,  The Great Australian Spelling Bee, Coast Australia, and Taking on the Chocolate Frog, a finalist in the 2014 AACTA awards for best documentary television program and a finalist in the 2014 SPAA (Screen Producers of Australia).

Debbie is known for her integrity in program making bringing quality in narrative and entertainment to all that she produces.

DAVID MCDONALD
Executive Producer, LEGO Masters Australia, Gogglebox Australia

David McDonald is a multiple award-winning Executive Producer behind some of Australia’s most-loved comedy and entertainment franchises.

In the last decade, David has helmed all ten series of the 4-time Logie-winning hit Gogglebox Australia, as well as 2019’s number one new entertainment show - LEGO Masters Australia with Hamish Blake. He has also worked as an AACTA-winning Co-Executive Producer on 6 seasons of MasterChef - both in Australia and in Asia.

David started his career 30 years ago as a 22-year-old comedy writer for Andrew Denton, making his way into producing and directing comedy. In 2001, he wrote directed and produced the Satire series Life Support for SBS and directed The Election Chaser for the ABC where he first met Mark and Carl Fennessy. David then directed and produced 4 series of Comedy Inc that resulting in 4 AFI nominations for producing and directing.

He is currently Executive Producing the second series of LEGO Masters, and the 11th series of Gogglebox Australia.

IMOGEN BANKS
Drama Producer, Endemol Shine Banks

Imogen Banks is a multi-award-winning creator and producer.

She is best known as co-creator and producer of Network Ten’s beloved hit series Offspring, which over seven series won multiple Logie, AFI, and AACTA awards including a Gold Logie for its star, Asher Keddie.

Imogen helms Endemol Shine Banks, a division of Endemol Shine Australia under which she relaunched Offspring for series six and seven and co-created and produced The Network Ten series, Sisters (streaming globally on Netflix), a US remake of which is currently in production for FOX.

In her previous partnership with John Edwards she also co-created and produced the award winning series: Tangle for SHOWTIME Showcase; Dangerous for Fox 8; Party Tricks and Puberty Blues for Network Ten; mini-series Gallipoli for the Nine Network; and six-part ABC mini-series The Beautiful Lie. 

In 2016, with writer, Alice Bell, Banks conceived the lauded, Screen Australia supported, Smart for A Girl: Roar initiative for emerging female writers.

Next, for Banks, is an original drama series based on the Royal Flying Doctor Service, which will commence production in early 2020 for Network Seven.

ADAM FERGUSSON
Post Executive Producer, MasterChef Australia & Australian Survivor

Adam Fergusson is an AACTA award-winning Post Executive Producer, having helmed the post production for MasterChef Australia and Australian Survivor over the past three years.

After completing a Film & Television Production Course, Adam worked as edit assistant on Big Brother, Australian Idol & Nerds FC. Working with some of the best in the industry, Adam gained the knowledge and skills to quickly become a highly sought-after editor on programs such as The Biggest Loser, Project Runway, Australian Idol, Undercover Boss & various versions of Masterchef Australia.

Adam then moved on to work as a post producer, becoming one of Australia’s first Producer/Editors, before stepping up to Supervising Post Producer on many Endemol Shine Australia shows including Australia's Next Top Model, the debut series of The Bachelor Australia, So You Think You Can Dance, Masterchef Australia and Australian Survivor. In 2016, Adam stepped up to become the Post Executive Producer on MasterChef Australia.

ADAM DRUCE
Editor

Adam Druce is an ASE Award-winning Editor for the acclaimed Australian Survivor reboot in 2016.

Starting out as a Runner, Druce found himself immersed in the dark dens of post-production and hasn’t emerged since. Druce was first enlisted to edit fast and furious teasers for The Biggest Loser, where he was challenged to construct concise, honest and powerful stories without frames to spare. Druce continues to nurture a passion for the absurd, dark, shocking and anything unusual that calls to him.

Druce’s recent credits as an Editor include Married at First Sight, Survivor, Masterchef, Bachelor & Bachelorette, Shark Tank, The Voice, Keeping up with the Joneses, This is Brazil.

KAREN CRESPO
Editor

Karen Crespo is an acclaimed Australian Editors Guild (ASE) award winner for her work of editing in Reality and Factual TV. Since graduating from Sydney Film School, Karen has been editing an array of television shows including Masterchef Australia , Australian Survivor, Look Me In The Eye and Old People’s Home For 4 Year Olds.

With a passion for music and dance, Karen has also edited a number of music videos that have appeared on Rage (ABC) and Film Festivals such as Short+Sweet. In 2019, Karen was nominated for an AACTA award for best editing in television for her work on Australian Survivor.

TOBY TRAPPEL
Editor

Toby Trappel is an AACTA-nominated Editor whose work includes Australian Survivor, Masterchef, Ambulance Australia and LEGO Masters.

He is also a Supervising Post Producer working with both Producer + Editor teams and Post Executives to bring a show’s story together.

In addition, Toby runs the Endemol Shine Editor Training School where he mentors junior editors, teaching a new generation of editors the ways of approaching and refining story.