Writtle University College and ARU have merged. Writtle’s full range of college, degree, postgraduate and short courses will still be delivered on the Writtle campus. See our guide to finding Writtle information on this site.

Patrick McKenna

Patrick McKenna

Areas of Interest

Business, Arts, Media

Honorary Award

Honorary Doctor of Arts, 2013

Biography

Patrick McKenna is a reputable business leader who has provided his expertise to some of the world's biggest names and projects as the 'commerce behind the art'.

In 1998 Patrick founded his own Soho-based business, Ingenious Media, now one of the UK's leading investment and advisory groups. Ingenious has raised and invested over $10 billion in the media and entertainment sectors, making it by far the largest independent investor in the UK creative economy. The company has advised on, and invested in, a huge number of innovative deals across television, film, music, creative media companies, games, live events and sport. Movie investments include films many of us will have been to the cinema to see, films such as Shaun of the Dead, Night at the Museum, X-Men Origins: Wolverine and Life of Pi, as well as James Cameron's Avatar, the world's highest ever grossing film, having taken nearly $3 billion in the box office alone. The company has backed festivals, including Creamfields, Rewind and the Taste food festival, as well as albums by Peter Gabriel, Travis and the Prodigy.

Adding to this success, Patrick is Chairman of the award-winning television company Hat Trick Productions, whose shows include the popular Have I Got News For You and Outnumbered. He also Chaired the music publisher Stage Three Music and sits on the advisory board of BBH, one of the world's most respected advertising agencies, with seven offices and over 900 staff across four continents.

Patrick is widely involved in many areas of the arts, as a Fellow of the RSA and a member of BAFTA. He is Chairman of the Young Vic theatre and Chairman of the National Film & Television School. He was also a member of the Film Business Academy at the Cass Business School and Chairs the Advisory Board for Goldsmiths College Institute for Creative and Cultural Entrepreneurship. In addition, Patrick is a member of the UK's Creative Industries Council, and was previously a Trustee of the British Council as well as a Board member of the British Tourist Authority. He was a member of the Government's Advisory Forum on Tourism, and also served on the board of the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts.



Citation

Vice Chancellor, it is my pleasure to read the citation for Patrick McKenna for the award of Doctor of Arts, honoris causa.

Patrick McKenna is a reputable business leader who has provided his expertise to some of the world's biggest names and projects as the 'commerce behind the art'.

Patrick was born and raised in Brentwood, Essex, the son of a builder and a nurse. He trained as an accountant with Touche Ross (now Deloitte) and by the age of just 28, he had been made a partner and given oversight of the firm's Media and Entertainment Group, which set him on the path for his future success.

In 1990, Patrick moved to Andrew Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Group, taking up the posts of Chairman and Chief Executive, where he stayed until 1997. The following year he founded his own Soho-based business, Ingenious Media, now one of the UK's leading investment and advisory groups. Having broadened it's sector focus to include clean energy, sport and leisure, Ingenious also runs a range of corporate investment activity covering Venture Capital and Private Equity. In addition, it provides project financing for the film, television and games industries as well as financing live entertainment in the form of music festivals and theatre. The Company has also advised a wide range of large media companies and high profile entertainment and sports personalities such as Robbie Williams and the Beckhams.

Ingenious has raised and invested over $10 billion in the media and entertainment sectors, making it by far the largest independent investor in the UK creative economy. The company has advised on, and invested in, a huge number of innovative deals across television, film, music, creative media companies, games, live events and sport. Movie investments include films many of us will have been to the cinema to see, films such as Shaun of the Dead, Night at the Museum, X-Men Origins: Wolverine and Life of Pi, as well as James Cameron's Avatar, the world's highest ever grossing film, having taken over $3 billion in the box office alone. The company has backed festivals, including Creamfields, Rewind and the Taste food festival, as well as albums by Peter Gabriel, Travis and the Prodigy.

Ingenious has advised the BBC, Virgin Media, Vodafone, Time Warner and Channel 4, as well as helping the former communications minister Lord Carter with the 2009 Digital Britain report which outlined the UK government's strategy for ensuring our place at the leading edge of the global digital economy. Alongside all this, Ingenious offers expertise, funding and sponsorship to a very wide range of charities, social enterprises and educational institutions, most of which foster and promote new talent. For example, Patrick chairs the creative business mentor network at NESTA, an independent charity which helps people and organisations bring great ideas to life.

Adding to this success, Patrick is Chairman of the award-winning television company Hat Trick Productions, whose shows include the popular Have I Got News For You and Outnumbered. He also Chaired the music publisher Stage Three Music and sits on the advisory board of BBH, one of the world's most respected advertising agencies, with seven offices and over 900 staff across four continents.

Patrick is widely involved in many areas of the arts, as a Fellow of the RSA and a member of BAFTA. He is Chairman of the Young Vic and a former Board member of the British Council and Chairman of the National Film & Television School. He was also a member of the Film Business Academy at the Cass Business School and Chairs the Advisory Board for Goldsmiths College Institute for Creative and Cultural Entrepreneurship. In addition, Patrick is a member of the UK's Creative Industries Council, he was previously a Board member of the British Tourist Authority, was a member of the Government's Advisory Forum on Tourism, and was on the board of the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts.

For his stunning business success and his services to the creative arts in Britain, Vice Chancellor, it is my pleasure to present Patrick McKenna for the award of Doctor of Arts, honoris causa.