Rob Wade to Replace Charlie Collier as Fox Entertainment CEO

Fox has wasted little time in naming a new CEO for its entertainment division.

Rob Wade, the broadcast network’s head of alternative entertainment, has been promoted to CEO of Fox Entertainment. The move comes two weeks after the announcement that previous CEO Charlie Collier was leaving to head up Roku’s media business.

“Since the formation of Fox Entertainment, Rob has been an integral part of the leadership team responsible for delivering on its long-term strategy of creating an independent media company built on broadcast, developing an owned content portfolio and maintaining a disciplined in-house infrastructure,” Fox Corp. executive chair and CEO Lachlan Murdoch said in a statement. “Given Rob’s sharp creative instincts and proven operational acumen, he is well-suited to lead Fox Entertainment in what promises to be an exciting next chapter in its rich history.”

Wade was previously president of alternative entertainment and specials at Fox, working alongside entertainment president Michael Thorn, who oversees scripted programming, to shape the broadcaster’s primetime schedule. Wade also headed unscripted studio Fox Alternative Entertainment and was instrumental in the deal that brought Gordon Ramsay’s production business into the Fox fold.

“I am honored to be entrusted with leading Fox Entertainment into the future with an exceptionally talented team, whom I know very well, as we build and expand on Fox’s legacy of storytelling excellence, entrepreneurial energy and innovation,” said Wade. “It’s a transformative time across the global entertainment landscape, presenting limitless opportunity and, above all, creativity, making the outlook ahead bright and exhilarating.”

Wade’s time as head of Fox’s unscripted slate included the launch of breakout hit The Masked Singer and shows including Lego Masters and Ramsay’s Next Level Chef. Prior to joining the network, he was showrunner of Dancing With the Stars for ABC and head of entertainment development for BBC Worldwide. He also was head of TV at Simon Cowell’s Syco Entertainment North America and an executive producer of the company’s America’s Got Talent and The X Factor.