Hot Shots 2026: Eleanor Foulkes

“When I asked Eleanor Foulkes if she felt ready to be a post producer, she said, ‘If you gave me a scalpel, I could probably be a surgeon,’” says Tinopolis chief commercial and production officer Naomi Carter.

“Eleanor absolutely shouldn’t be trusted with a scalpel, but that confidence, curiosity, and determination to figure things out defines her approach to work.”

Arriving at MSV as a post-production assistant in March last year, she soon stepped up to cover a challenging period of final post-production while her senior management was on annual leave. Carter credits Eleanor’s calm authority and sound judgement with setting the tone for her career with the company.

After a restructure, Eleanor was promoted to post producer, navigating complex blue-light deliveries involving huge volumes of media, strict compliance workflows and immovable deadlines. She’s also helped deliver fast-turnaround breaking news documentaries operating across 24-hour edit suites – all while leading the recruitment and training of her successor as post-production assistant.

This rapid career progression played out against a backdrop of pressing family care needs, yet Eleanor continued to impress with her strong commitment and sense of responsibility to her team and production partners.

“Her resilience, empathy, and emotional intelligence during such a difficult period have been exceptional and speak strongly to her character as well as her leadership potential,” says Carter, who highlights her mix of inclusive and resilient leadership, technical confidence and curiosity.

“Eleanor consistently steps forward when challenges arise rather than waiting to be asked,” says Carter. “Her leadership style is inclusive, thoughtful and practical. She supports those around her while maintaining momentum and delivery under pressure.

“Eleanor combines technical knowledge, strong people skills, and a great sense of humour, with a genuine commitment to doing things properly. She is one of the most impressive early‑career talents I’ve worked with. She has an instinctive ability to take ownership, stay calm under pressure, and bring people with her, even in the most demanding situations.”