UK broadcast regulator Ofcom has announced that Geoff Cooper has been appointed as the next Chair of public service broadcaster Channel 4. He will join the broadcaster’s Board on October 1st, succeeding the interim Chair Dawn Airey CBE.

Cooper, currently Chair of AO World plc, has over 30 years’ Board experience across a range of public and private UK companies, including as Chair at Dunelm, Card Factory, Brakes and Bourne Leisure, and as a non-executive director at Informa and Abbey National.

Cooper’s executive career includes nearly 10 years as CEO at Travis Perkins plc and as Deputy Chief Executive at Alliance UniChem plc, having previously been its Group Finance Director. He has also been an adviser to senior executives, private equity, venture capital and start-up businesses, and chaired a major trade association.

His appointment for a three-year term has been approved by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Rt. Hon. Lisa Nandy MP.

“Channel 4 is a treasured national institution with a track record of creating cutting-edge television which reflects Britain in all its diversity,” commented Nandy. “I look forward to seeing Geoff Cooper help Channel 4 continue to provide top quality programmes and adapt to the changing media landscape.”

Lord Grade, Ofcom Chair, said: “Geoff Cooper’s appointment follows an exhaustive and competitive recruitment process and he demonstrated the stand-out qualities needed to steer Channel 4 to a sustainable future.”

“I am delighted to be appointed as Chair of Channel 4 and to be involved in its continued success as a significant influence on the nation’s society, culture, creative industries and wider economy,” said Cooper. “Channel 4’s people, partners in the independent production sector and wider media landscape, and viewers are vital in representing unheard voices, challenging with purpose and reinventing entertainment, and I look forward to serving all of them.”

Channel 4’s Interim CEO, Jonathan Allan, added: “I would like to congratulate Geoff Cooper on his appointment and, on behalf of everyone at Channel 4, extend a warm welcome to this uniquely special broadcaster at a critical time for public service media in the UK. Geoff brings extensive board-level experience from a wide range of businesses, as well as proven commercial acumen. As a publicly owned but commercially funded company, his fresh insights and new perspectives will be invaluable as we look to the next phase in Channel 4’s evolution. I also want to thank Dawn Airey for her outstanding leadership and huge support as Interim Chair since April. This has been Dawn’s second spell as Interim Chair and we owe her a huge debt of gratitude as she returns to her important role as a brilliant Non-Executive Director.”

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Categories: Articles, Broadcast, Business, FTA, People, Policy, Regulation

Tags: Channel 4, Dawn Airey, Geoff Cooper, Ofcom