Sister brings in Lucinda Hicks as chief exec

Sister has recruited former Banijay UK chief and Endemol Shine UK chief operating officer Lucinda Hicks and promoted finance chief Chris Fry in a restructure of its senior management. 

Hicks will join the Black Doves, Kaos and This Is Going to Hurt indie as chief executive of Sister Group, with Fry promoted to the newly created position of group COO. He will continue as chief financial officer in his expanded role. 

Hicks has most recently been working in an advisory capacity for Channel 4 and Sister among others. She replaces Cindy Holland who exited in October as co-founders Elisabeth Murdoch and Jane Featherstone closed Sister’s US office.  

Based in London, Hicks will steer the strategic direction and oversee Sister and its partner companies. These include Dorothy Street Pictures, in which Sister recently took a majority stake, Richard Bacon’s Yes Yes Media, Olivia Colman and Ed Sinclair’s South of The River Pictures, UK outfit Locksmith Animation, podcast company Campside Media, publishing venture Zando, basketball star Steph Curry’s Unanimous Media and comic book, film and TV firm AWA Studios. 

Sister will continue selling from its UK base with a global outlook, and will be boosted by Hicks’ expertise in international media operations, stemming from her time working with Murdoch as vice-president for global business development at Shine Group.  

At Shine, she worked across businesses including the Nordics, digital, Metronome Group in Scandinavia and as joint-managing director of UK indie Dragonfly. 

Her appointment will not affect the operations and management of Sister London, the group’s UK creative hub which is led by chief creative officer Featherstone, COO Dan Isaacs and recently upped managing director Chris Fry, the namesake of group CFO and COO Fry. 

The latter, who had served as interim chief exec following Holland’s departure, will report into Hicks, who reports into executive chairman Murdoch.  

Hicks and Fry will work closely with Sister London, which will continue trying to win business from UK and global buyers. 

Broadcast revealed this week that Sister, through Featherstone, is one of the leading players in a 60-plus producers’ group aiming to bring about a revamp of the HETV tax credit to shore up and maintain the strength of British drama. 

Shine Group alumni reunited

Murdoch said: “Lucinda takes the reins at a truly exciting point in Sister’s evolution with our global facing TV and Film operations now led from the UK, creative partner businesses maturing and showing almost limitless potential.  

“She is one of the most talented creative executives of her generation, who has run indies and groups, has a proven track record in nurturing creative talent, founding start-ups, and driving major M&A activity and an ingrained international perspective – a skillset and experience perfectly suited to lead us in our next chapter.”  

Featherstone added: “We are a creator-led business and Lucinda is a true champion of creatives. Having had the pleasure of working with her both at Shine Group and more recently through her work with us as a consultant, I know implicitly the acumen, leadership and impact that she will bring to the role.” 

Hicks added: “Sister is synonymous with excellence and unique in the creative diversity of the incredible companies that sit within the fold. I’ve seen recently first-hand how that reputation is rightly earned and how the ambition to continually raise the bar is unrelenting and so characteristic of Liz and Jane. It’s genuinely energising to be joining them, and the supremely talented Sister team in this role at this time.”