Karen Bailey is Executive Vice President of Original Programming for Starz.

Based in the company’s Santa Monica office, Bailey recently expanded her leadership role as EVP within the originals team while continuing to spearhead the network’s inclusion initiatives across the slate with a focus on narratives by, about and for women and underrepresented audiences. She continues to expand the drive toward adequate and authentic representation programming, overseeing new development and current productions for the network including the critically-acclaimed “Outlander” and “P-Valley,” as well the upcoming series “Dangerous Liaisons” and “Becoming Elizabeth.”

Bailey joined Starz in 2006 as an executive producer, overseeing development, production and post-production for the company’s studio slate of television movies and mini-series. She was promoted to Vice President of Production in 2007, overseeing the physical production for the company’s newly launched original programming department. Bailey spent the next few years building the internal production department and focusing on the networks’ new slate of original series, including fan favorite “Party Down,” “Crash,” “Boss” and Starz's first international series “Spartacus” and “Camelot.” 

In 2011 she transitioned to creative development and was promoted to Senior Vice President of Original Programming in 2012. Since then she has worked on a number of international co-productions including Golden Globe® and Emmy®-nominated STARZ Original Miniseries “The White Queen” and the critically acclaimed STARZ Original Limited Series “The White Princess;” Golden Globe® and Emmy®-nominated limited series “The Missing” and its sequel; “Howard’s End,” a 4-part TV adaptation written by Academy Award®-winner Kenneth Lonergan; and Starz’s first movie for television, “The Dresser”  starring Ian McKellen and Anthony Hopkins. 

Bailey has been invited to speak at several events and conferences including BAFTA Women Director’s Panel in London, Create and Cultivate Panel in Los Angeles and the College TV Summit at the TV Academy of Arts and Science in North Hollywood. 

Among her honors and awards, Bailey has been recognized as one of Cablefax’s “Most Powerful Women” and “Top Women in Cable” many times over. 

In 2018, Bailey mentored a UCLA student seeking a master’s degree in Film and Television Studies, working with her throughout the year in preparation for her thesis, which went on to be chosen as one of the top three in the graduating class.