MUMBAI: BBC Worldwide director joint venture and new channel development Olga Edridge will exit the corporation by the end of May. A seasoned journalist, Edridge oversaw the corporations' international joint-venture channels like Animal Planet and People + Arts.

According to media reports, it was Edridge who forged the joint-venture channels with Alliance Atlantis in Canada, launching BBC Canada and BBC Kids, the BBC’s first international children’s channel. She also executed the JV deals with Japan's Jupiter Communications and CTV Canada for expanding the DCI joint-ventures into those markets.

Before her stints at BBC Worlwide, Edridge created the BBC's joint-venture UKTV with Flextech. UKTV now comprises 10 channel brands, and for the first time this year started paying cash back to BBC Worldwide. The UK pubcaster also has a joint-venture with FremantleMedia/Foxtel called UKTV Australia.