Griffiths takes FD role off ITV COO’s hands

Griffiths has joined ITV after quitting as group finance director with Emap
in April this year, following the break-up and sale of the business. Griffiths
worked at Ernst & Young, where he qualified in 1990, prior to his 14-year
career with Emap.

Griffiths takes the role from chief operating officer John Cresswell, who
performed both roles. ITV had stated its intention to split the FD role from
Cresswell’s remit in order for him to focus full-time on operating performance
at the company, as it grapples with falling advertising revenues and viewing
figures.

Cresswell was previously ITV’s finance director, but was made interim chief
executive following the departure of Charles Allen in late 2006 when the company
began to suffer its current woes. In 2007, Cresswell moved to become COO
comprising the finance director job. Griffiths will report to Cresswell in his
new job, working alongside telly veteran, deputy group finance director Mike
Green.

ITV said that Griffiths brought valued contacts to the table, having
developed “strong relationships with both institutional investors and the wider
financial and City community” at Emap. Griffiths joined Emap as in 1994 and
performed a range of finance roles across the business, implementing various
structural and systems changes before ascending to group level as director of
financial control, and in 2005, the group finance director spot.

“We are very pleased to have recruited such a respected and experienced
candidate as finance director,” John Cresswell said. “He will be a key member of
our executive team, working to deliver our plans for improving financial
performance.”