Executive Board

The Executive Board, chaired by the Director-General, and its sub-committees are responsible for the delivery of BBC services and day-to-day operations across the organisation.

  • Mark Thompson
  • Caroline Thomson
  • Zarin Patel
  • Helen Boaden
  • Tim Davie
  • George Entwistle
  • Ralph Rivera
  • Marcus Agius
  • Simon Burke
  • Sally Davis
  • Dr Mike Lynch
  • Brian McBride
  • Dame Fiona Reynolds
Mark Thompson
Director-General since June 2004. Chair of the Executive Board and the BBC Direction Group, made up of all the BBC's divisional directors. Non-executive Chairman of BBC Worldwide Limited.
Caroline Thomson
Chief Operating Officer. Board member since May 2000. Non-executive director of Digital UK Limited.
Zarin Patel
Chief Financial Officer since January 2005. Trustee of the BBC Pension Scheme and non-executive director of BBC Worldwide Limited.
Helen Boaden
Director of News since 2004. Board member since April 2011 as Director, BBC News Group.
Tim Davie
Director of Audio & Music since September 2008. Board member since April 2005, previously as Director of Marketing, Audiences & Communications.
George Entwistle
Director of BBC Vision since May 2011; joined the Board at the same time. Non-executive director of BBC Worldwide Limited. Previously Controller of Knowledge Commissioning. Prior to this he was Controller of Knowledge Commissioning, from January 2008.
Ralph Rivera
Joined the BBC in October 2010 as Director, Digital Media. Board member – as Director, BBC Future Media – since March 2011.
Marcus Agius
First appointed non-executive director and Senior Independent Director in December 2006. Chairs the BBC Executive Board's Remuneration Committee. Group Chairman of Barclays PLC, Chairman of British Bankers Association, Chairman of the Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Chairman of the Foundation and Friends of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Simon Burke
Appointed non-executive director in January 2011. Chairs the BBC Executive Board's Audit Committee. Chairman of Hobbycraft and Eagle Eye Solutions.
Sally Davis
Appointed non-executive director in January 2012. Previously CEO of BT Wholesale, currently a non-executive director of Telenor, Logitech and the Department for Transport.
Dr Mike Lynch OBE
First appointed non-executive director in January 2007. Technology entrepreneur, founder and CEO of Autonomy Corporation plc. Non-executive director of Blinkx plc and a Member of the British Library Board.
Brian McBride
Appointed non-executive director in March 2012. Former Managing Director of Amazon.co.uk. Chairman of MX Data, a member of the Advisory Board of Numis PLC and Huawei UK, non-executive director of Computacenter PLC and Monitise plc and Partner with Scottish Equity Partners.
Dame Fiona Reynolds
Appointed non-executive director in January 2012. Chairs the BBC Executive Board's Fair Trading Committee. Director-General of the National Trust since January 2001, she will step down from this position in late 2012 and will take up the post of Master of Emmanuel College, Cambridge in September 2013.

The Executive Board delegates some of its responsibilities to four sub-committees:

Executive Audit Committee

Chair: Simon Burke

The Executive Audit Committee (EAC) was established under Charter article 35(3). The EAC oversees the BBC’s corporate governance, particularly its financial reporting, internal control and risk management. The Committee is made up of three non-executive directors. The Director-General, Chief Financial Officer, Director of Risk and Assurance, Director Finance, Procurement & Revenue Management and external audit representatives also attend. The Committee meets four times a year, and at other times as required.

Executive Remuneration Committee

Chair: Marcus Agius

The Executive Remuneration Committee (ERC) was established under Charter article 35(3) and in accordance with the requirements set out in article 33. The ERC decides the remuneration of executive members of the Board. It is made up of three non-executive directors, and the Director-General, Director of Business Operations and Director of Reward also attend. The Committee meets three times a year, and at other times as required.

Fair Trading Committee

Chair: Dame Fiona Reynolds

The Fair Trading Committee helps ensure that the BBC complies with its fair trading obligations. It is made up of three non-executive directors. The Controller of Fair Trading, Director of Risk and Assurance and General Counsel also attend. The Committee meets four times a year, and at other times as required.

Nominations Committee

Membership of the Nominations Committee depends on whether non-executive or executive appointments are being made. The Committee’s chair is taken by a non-executive director for other non-executive director appointments and the Director-General for executive appointments. The Committee was established under article 35(4) of the Charter and operates in accordance with the requirements set out in articles 30 and 31 of the Charter. It oversees the process of proposing members of the Executive Board. Appointments are subsequently made by the Executive Board itself, with non-executive appointments requiring the approval of the Trust. The only exception is the Chairman of the Executive Board, who is appointed by the BBC Trust.

The term of office for non-executive director Val Gooding concluded during 2011/12 and Robert Webb QC stepped down from his non-executive position in February 2012.

Executive Board
Mark Thompson
Caroline Thomson
Zarin Patel
Helen Boaden
Tim Davie
George Entwistle
Ralph Rivera
Marcus Agius
Simon Burke
Sally Davis
Dr Mike Lynch
Brian McBridge
Dame Fiona Reynolds

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