Els Roovers is Head of Entertainment & Formats at VRT, the Flemish public broadcaster. She is responsible for the strategic management and commissioning of the broadcaster’s entertainment portfolio, with a clear focus on innovation, public value and internationalization.
She brings over 25 years of senior experience across the media industry, specializing in development, factual entertainment strategy, format adaptation, IP acquisition, and licensing. At VRT, she oversees the identification, development, and implementation of new formats, ensuring that the broadcaster remains competitive in a highly dynamic market.
Els spent the first 15 years of her career as a creative editor and showrunner in factual documentaries and entertainment, including 11 years at the acclaimed production company Woestijnvis
She later served as head of development at commercial broadcaster PLAY, and as commissioner at VRT’s children’s channel Ketnet, strengthening its reputation for distinctive, high-quality programming that combines educational value with creativity.
Since joining VRT’s commissioning team, Els is also an active member of the board of Prix Europa, INPUT and the EBU Format Core Group since 2021.