SARAH MACDONALD

FOUNDING DIRECTOR

Sarah Macdonald is a New Zealand born BAFTA-winning Director and Filmmaker. She spent 10 years working for both the BBC and Channel 4 creating major investigative documentaries that had significant social impact. She made four films on child abuse, particularly focusing on the Catholic Church and clerical child abuse that prompted the first ever sacking of a Bishop by the Vatican. The films lead to a Government inquiry, two major books and three men being jailed.   Sarah went undercover into Burma and again in China for a film about North Korean dissidents fleeing the secretive state. She made an explosive expose on the CIA’s extraordinary rendition programme, and directed a film on Al Qaeda for the BBC, securing the first interviews with the Bali bombers. She went undercover twice onto the island of Nauru where the Australian Government had detained refugees in camps, and again in Mexico to expose sham cancer clinics…The Cancer Sell.   Sarah brings journalistic and creative strength to MAKE Waves, the company she co-founded with Sian Kevill in 2012. 

LEO GIZZI

CREATIVE DIRECTOR | HEAD of TV

Since Leo joined MAKE 10 years ago, he has devised, pitched, produced and directed over 50 hours of prime-time, award-winning factual content, for global broadcasters such as CNN, HBO, BBC, Channel 4, Channel 5, Canal+ and Channel News Asia. Most recently, Leo produced MAKE’s feature documentary ‘Blue Carbon’ (CNN, 2023). Prior to that he directed a slate of history films for Channel 5 in partnership with the BFI that for the first time, colourised original film footage of pre-war Britain. 

Having lived and worked in Singapore for three years in his mid twenties, Leo retains a strong interest in covering Asian stories, specialising in the environment, true crime and current affairs. Working with a talented team of local producers, he is responsible for some of the highest impact, most watched programmes on pan-Asian broadcaster, Channel News Asia. 

Alexander Asen

Executive Producer | Director of Impact & Outreach

Alex is a seasoned communications expert, movement builder and film producer, who has spearheaded major environmental campaigns, including as a senior diplomat for more than a decade with the United Nations. He is one of the driving forces behind the Great Green Wall - Africa’s foremost climate and rural development initiative.
He is the Executive Producer of the multi-award winning ‘The Great Green Wall’ feature Documentary and CNN feature ‘Blue Carbon’ as well as the Co-Creator of the acclaimed ‘Growing a World Wonder’ Virtual Reality film.
His role extends beyond production; he oversees comprehensive global impact campaigns for documentary. Under his guidance, ‘The Great Green Wall’ garnered endorsements from prominent figures such as President Macron, King Charles, and Jeff Bezos, paving the way for a groundbreaking $19 billion new funding round.

SIAN KEVILL

Emeritus CEO MAKE Waves

Sian Kevill has had a prestigious career as a topflight journalist and Editor first at the BBC where she was headed BBC2’s late night current affairs show, Newsnight - the first woman to do so - and then CEO of the BBC’s renowned international news channel, BBC World News. During her BBC career, Sian has overseen programmes and documentaries that have won awards from BAFTA, RTS, Monte Carlo, ATA as well as a personal award from Women in Television and Film for her services to UK current affairs. During her tenure as CEO of BBC World News, she led a team that delivered a profit for the BBC’s commercial news offering for the first time. She went on to work with partner Sarah Macdonald, co-founding MAKE Waves, an independent specialising in investigative films and international content which has worked with BBC, C4, C5, HBO, A&E, Bloomberg, Channel News Asia, Al Jazeera. Sian is an Executive Producer on MAKE Waves’ most recent Feature Documentary, The Great Green Wall and continues to work on the film’s outreach programme as well as on the business strategy for the company’s latest TV and film projects.