Endemol Shine Australia appoints Jessie Hughes to head new Innovation Lab

Endemol Shine Australia (ESA), a subsidiary of Banijay Entertainment, has launched an ESA Innovation Lab to accelerate capabilities in emerging technologies and next‑generation content formats. The company hired former Canva senior vice president Jessie Hughes to lead the lab as senior vice president of innovation. Hughes, who oversaw Canva’s generative image and video platform Leonardo AI, will oversee experimentation, prototyping and commercialisation across television production, digital content, social formats and post‑production, partnering with external tech firms, startups and creative talent.

Hughes reports to ESA managing director of production and innovation Jane Macaulay, and CEO Peter Newman highlighted her blend of creative thinking, technical expertise and commercial acumen. She previously designed the AI for Women in Screen masterclass and delivered AI workshops at industry events, underscoring ESA’s focus on integrating AI into storytelling and production workflows.