The BBC on Thursday unveiled its appointments to the public broadcaster’s new 14-member board, including deputy director general Anne Bulford and BBC Worldwide boss Tim Davie.
The new board will replace the BBC Trust starting in April.
David Clementi, a financial services industry veteran who drew up a report calling for the current BBC Trust governing body to be abolished, was appointed chair of the new unitary board earlier this year, replacing Rona Fairhead, who decided to resign after the government required her to reapply for the role. The government adopted Clementi’s recommendations and moved oversight of the BBC to media and telecom regulator Ofcom.
The BBC on Thursday appointed five non-executive directors, namely former Virgin Cinemas and Virgin Entertainment CEO Simon Burke; House of Lords member and former Paralympian Tanni Grey-Thompson; Ian Hargreaves, a professor of digital economy at Cardiff University; technology entrepreneur Tom Ilube; and Arts Council England chair Nicholas Serota.
The BBC executives joining director general Tony Hall on the board are Bulford, Davie and Ken MacQuarrie, director of nations and regions, the broadcaster also said Thursday.
Said Clementi: “I’m delighted to have been able to put together such a talented board with a broad range of skills and experience who will be able to ensure the BBC remains a first-class broadcaster. The board will push the BBC to offer the highest quality, hold its executives to account on delivery, while protecting its independence to ensure license fee payers get the very best programs and services.”
He added: “Consideration around succession planning has played no part in the board appointments being announced today.”
The BBC appointments follow the recent announcement by Britain’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport that appointed a board member for Scotland and England, respectively, with members from Wales and Northern Ireland yet to be named.
