A Risky Business A terrorist threat and a close shave with a hippo mark just another day on the job for Wendy Darke, Head of the BBC’s Natural History Unit. Mary-Anne Baldwin reports

o you think you understand risk? animal behaviour and environmental “The hallmarks of the NHU are high SMeet Dr Wendy Darke, Head of factors can be huge.” quality, innovation and originality, which the BBC’s Natural History Unit (NHU). by their nature mean you’re doing Like your typical business leader she’s Charged with delivering world class something you simply haven’t done well versed in handling unforeseen costs, wildlife programmes for channels before. Therein lies a huge amount of health and safety scares and stakeholder across the BBC, a typical day sees risk,” she explains. “But I always crave expectations, yet her risk register also Wendy manage up to 50 teams the possibility of what we can achieve.” includes leopards, scorpions and filming spread across remote locations, in the Antarctic Ocean. often in all seven continents. Like It’s why educated gambles are at the war correspondents for the animal core of Wendy’s work life. She reasons “Natural history programming is among kingdom, her team battle to bring back that “the biggest risk is not to take the the most risky areas of TV production,” stories of life and death. As their boss, risk. Otherwise you’ll deliver something says Wendy. “The unpredictability of mitigating risk is Wendy’s forte. dull, boring and derivative”. >

www.criticaleye.com A Risky Business 1 Unsurprisingly, Wendy is one of those people everyone wants to talk to. Eyes light up as she mentions her job title and they all want to tell her which natural history programmes they’ve enjoyed lately, from Life Story to Springwatch or the Masai Mara’s Big Cat Diary. She takes it with the affability of someone who hasn’t heard it all before.

It’s thanks to a genuine passion for nature and conservation, which Wendy traces back to her childhood watching the BBC’s legendary David Attenborough and her favourite elephant (also called Wendy) Deadly 60 presenter, Steve Backshall, gets close to a hippo, which is Africa’s most dangerous mammal. at Bristol Zoo, near where she grew up.

We meet in London, where she often angler will be crowned the champion,” face-to-face with a massive hippo. That comes for work, and discuss the Natural she explains with polished clarity. Then was a heart stopping, defining moment. History Unit’s latest project, something her tone switches. “We were all set to The bar was raised off the scale. Wendy’s very excited about. Earth’s go to Uganda for the first part of the Wildest Waters: The Big Fish is an challenge. It was Good Friday; there was “Thankfully, I had the best team in the extreme-fishing competition in which a terrorist threat in Jinja. That instantly world. They made all the right decisions contestants are moved each week to changed everything.” so they all came home safely, and a new global beauty hotspot. it created an aspiration that helped The production was forced to find an shape and define the whole series.” “They’re pitted against the elements, alternative location and re-order its using their skills and expertise. Only one episodes, airing its Icelandic challenge For each episode, Wendy relies on the first, although as a viewer you assume same thing that got her through that that was Plan A. It says a lot about the first Deadly 60 shoot – an exemplary WENDY’S TIPS ON type and scale of contingency planning team. For the average leader that MITIGATING RISK Wendy is used to. might include a CFO, HRD and some 1. Give clear communication on well-selected NEDs, however Wendy’s what’s important regarding your Risk has featured throughout Wendy’s team of 350 people gathers scientists brand, product and service work life. One of her early career wins and world-leading camera people. 2. Ensure you have appropriate internal training to identify was the double Bafta-winning Deadly and reduce risk 60, a CBBC programme that has been “There are people with PhDs on all 3. Apply vigilant trust, ensuring seen by 44 million people in the UK manner of life sciences and people who senior managers have the right – roughly 80 per cent of its population. have worked in many remote locations. checks and balances in place “It’s also gone to almost all territories The level of knowledge, skill and expertise 4. Locate skills and experience worldwide,” Wendy adds. held within that community of people is within your organisation so you really second to none; you don’t get that can seek informed decisions “When we did the very first shoot level of information on Google!” 5. Recognise and adapt to your mistakes fast, making sure for Deadly 60 when I was executive that you learn from them. producer, the crew were in South Africa What Wendy doesn’t boast about is and Steve Backshall [its presenter] was that she shares many of her team’s >

www.criticaleye.com A Risky Business 2 be scrutinised,from themore routine Every aspectof production needs to knows that acutely.” project andeveryone intheindustry sector. You’re only asgood as your last a very unforgiving world, thecreative standards because,assheexplains: “It’s with “forensic clarity” andexacting Wendy approaches eachprogramme wonders of thenatural world. people by connecting them to the been to buildrelationships between Throughouther role, Wendy’s aimhas at theNatural History Unit in2012. producer, andthentakingthehelm becoming aseriesproducer, executive the world asaBBCresearcher, before Wendy thenspent 10 years travelling underwater filming. also thereason why shespecialisedin of the vibrant colours, sheexplains. It’s lifelong fascination of hers −because scholarship, sheresearched corals, a where under aSERC-funded PhD Wendy moved to theGreat Barrier Reef and Zoology at theUniversity of Bristol, After ajoint honours Degree in Geology Wendy’s islike onebigadventure. of passage for any young creative), from abrief spellonthedole(a rite learning curves are desk-bound, aside talents. And while mostleaders’ www.criticaleye.com

the knowledge you’ve acquired andthe never donebefore. That’s basedon are right aboutsomething that you’ve “You needto believe that your instincts to know how to take the riskout. you needknowledge, skillandexperience paper,” shesays, rather modestly. “But could have putthoseideasonapiece of refers to as‘tacitknowledge’. “Anybody Wendy relies onher team and what she standards can’t drop. she’s doneover 1,000times,butthe accurate,” sheexplains. It’s something exciting, compelling and factually to doto capture it,how to make it head, thinkingabout what you need “You make theprogramme in your conventional format. strategy andduediligence, justinaless can limittheir exposure to it.It’s business They thenquantify therisksothat they footage they needandhow to get it. From that they determine what camera in astoryboard, rather like acartoon. team chartsepisodesframe by frame Within theplanningprocess, Wendy’s massive,” sheexplains. and disciplineintakingouttheriskis and factual accuracy. “The level of rigour transient team, or ensuringauthenticity to managingsuchaglobally diverse and issues of budgets or long working hours,

Because generally, Plan Bisthereality.” things inlife, serendipity and Plan B. Wendy tells me:“Iraise aglassto two a backup. uncontrollable variants, shemusthave Wendy points out.So with numerous decisions. “Animals don’t read the scripts,” in managingriskisto avoid irreversible are subjectto change sothebestlesson But justlike any other business,strategies who you canaskfor insight.” knowledge of other peopleinthesector, www.criticaleye.com Contact Wendythrough: company for over 20 years. division. She hasbeen the with Producer for Children’s NHU Previously, Wendy was Executive Radio 4’s Tweet of the day. Andy’s Dinosaur adventures and Springwatch onBBC Two, CBeebies’ asBigsuch Blue Live on BBC One, each year from landmarkproductions She oversees 200hours of output quality, ambitionand integrity.factual retainsNHU itsglobalreputation for for editorial governance, ensuringthe Unit (NHU), Wendy hasresponsibility As Head of theBBC’s Natural History BBC Natural History Unit Head of the Wendy Darke A Risky Business

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