Peter Lord to step down from Aardman board

Aardman co-founder Peter Lord is to step down from its executive board, but will continue as creative director and executive producer of the animation company.

In his position he will, the company states, continue to, ”provide development expertise and creative oversight across a slate of individual projects, both short and long-form”. He will also continue to work part time on Aardman’s Creative Counsel.

Lord will be working with continuing board member Sarah Cox, who has been promoted to chief creative director from her previous role of executive creative director. She first joined in 2017 to oversee the development of a new slate of IP aimed at kids and family audiences across all platforms - which has resulted in the Morph spin-off for pre-schoolers, Very Small Creatures (Sky); Aardman’s first CG series made fully in-house, Lloyd of the Flies (CITV); and the studio’s first Netflix Original commission, Robin Robin. 

She also works as an executive producer on key Aardman IP, such as Shaun the Sheep: Adventures from Mossy Bottom. Prior to joining Aardman, Cox was co-owner of ArthurCox, an award-winning film and animation production company, which she launched in 2002 alongside Sally Arthur. She will now oversee the development slate and the wider studio creative remit.

Meanwhile, fellow board member Daniel Efergan becomes exectuive creative director of interactive & innovation, having previously only been in the position for interactive. He has been at the company since 2007, and has worked on the likes of the Tate Movie Project and World of Invention - as well as most recently on Aardman’s first fully in-house developed and produced game for Netflix, Chicken Run: Eggstraction.

In addition, the pair will be joined on the rejigged board by Emma Hardie, who will become executive commercial and brand director, a newly created role, from 15 April. She arrives at Aardman having most recently been commercial director, global entertainment, at BBC Studios, where she originally joined in 2016 as brand director for BBC Earth & Factual. She will oversee strategy for financing, distribution, licensing, marketing and long-term planning of the studio’s animated intellectual property, having previously worked on BBC Studios’ investments in Mothership TV and Mettlemouse Entertainment, a co-development partnership with Japan’s Nippon TV, an app for Magnum Media’s format The 1% Club for ITV, and exec producing BBC Studios’ first Snapchat commission for Planet Earth II & the Blue Planet II mini-series.

Finally, Joanna Cave, also on the board since 1 January 2024, has been promoted from head of finance to finance director - replacing the retiring Kerry Lock. Cave first joined Aardman as a management accountant in 2007.

Sean Clarke, managing director of Aardman, said: “It is with great pleasure that we welcome Emma and announce these promotions. Our approach has always been to champion, nurture and empower the brilliant talent that already exists at Aardman whilst also bringing on board the best of the best from elsewhere across the entertainment industry. It allows us to capitalise on the decades of experience of our colleagues whilst also ensuring we continue to bring in fresh ideas and new and innovative thinking. Needless to say, we are delighted that our co-founder Peter Lord will continue to play a vital role both here at Aardman and across the wider animation world.”

Hardie added: “Aardman is an exceptional studio with an incredible history and place in the hearts of audiences worldwide. I am thrilled and honoured to be joining such a fantastic team, and look forward to bringing Aardman’s much-loved characters and brands to fans and partners around the world.”