Denise DiIanni is a senior media executive with decades of experience in the creative, production and business sides of factual programming. She anticipates trends in content and is widely regarded as an innovative and visionary leader. She combines this inventiveness with real-world expertise as a well-rounded manager of creative individuals and teams. DiIanni is a strategic thinker, a seasoned collaborator and a polished communicator.

She's devoted to the mentorship of emerging and diverse makers, and for several years spear-headed a residency program, bringing new voices into production. She's led workshops in Science Documentary Making, Narration Writing and Story Structure.

As a veteran of PBS, her editorial expertise encompasses science, history, education, public affairs and civics. She's overseen documentary series, studio productions, and public affairs programs, among others.  Her many acclaimed productions include a broadcast townhall on gun violence, a limited series on the impacts of race within six geographically diverse US communities, a four-part series on the history of mental illness, and a cross-platform series on work in America. She also created a debate series devoted to civil dialogue on the most heated issues facing the nation today.

Earlier in her career, DiIanni served as the head of the WGBH local productions unit. As Executive in Charge she was responsible for a multimillion-dollar budget, a team of thirty, and 150 hours of programming each year. Under her leadership, the unit was transformed from an underperforming department into one of the most successful producers of local content within PBS. During her tenure, the department won more awards than any other local PBS station, including over 100 regional Emmys, multiple Edward. R. Murrow Awards, Associated Press Awards, the Robert F. Kennedy Award and many others.

DiIanni is a highly respected writer, producer and director. As a staff producer with the NOVA Science  Unit, she crafted many hour-long documentaries and executive produced a lauded, international natural history series. One NOVA highlight is her award- winning documentary on the infamous Tuskegee Syphilis Study, which led to a belated Presidential apology to the subjects of the study.