McFarlin’s career is filled with moments that show her prowess in programming. Since joining AMC Networks in 2019, she’s grown her role to oversee several current and new unscripted series as an executive producer, including two of its popular shows, “Brat Loves Judy” and “A La Carte.” She stays ahead of the curve by watching a lot of TV and movies on her own to remain in touch with what ALLBLK and WE tv viewers want. The other side to that equation is being open to criticism so that McFarlin and her team can make adjustments to remain relevant and accurate. “Ashley is an authentic and valued leader who has had an incredible impact on AMC Networks,” AMC Networks Chief People & Diversity Officer Aisha Thomas-Petit says. “She’s brought with her an extensive level of rich experience in the unscripted programming and production space that’s contributed to both our unscripted and scripted efforts across WE tv and ALLBLK.” Along with that expertise in production comes a passion in DEI. McFarlin quickly got to work at AMCN by becoming an Executive Sponsor for the network’s Black business employee ERG “VIBE.” Since then, she’s served on several committees dedicated to diversifying programming choices and consulting culturally sensitive content development. Furthermore, McFarlin helps through her own company Bird’s Eye Entertainment by hosting producer boot camps at various film festivals and college campuses. “I’ve literally been talking about diversity and inclusion since I was 14 years old and started attending a predominantly white prep school in Atlanta,” she says. “As a little Black girl in the vastly white South, I found myself at the center of conversations around the importance of multicultural education, as I advocated for a curriculum and academic experience that looked and felt more like the world I was coming from—predominantly Black and unapologetically proud of our cultural contributions to this world.”
Champion: Aisha Thomas-Petit
“I’ve been very happy to partner with Ashley on important diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives that have helped broaden our diverse pipeline of talent both in our offices and in our original productions.”