Strategy & Operations » Leadership & Management » Veteran finance chief appointed BBC’s first female deputy director general

Veteran finance chief appointed BBC’s first female deputy director general

The BBC has promoted its head of finance Anne Bulford to deputy director general, the first women in the corporation's history to serve the role

THE BBC’s head of finance Anne Bulford has become the broadcasting giant’s first female deputy director general, as the corporation shakes up its senior management team.

Bulford becomes the first deputy director general since 2011, after the BBC deactivated the role after the departure of Mark Byford in 2011.

The chartered accountant, who trained with Big Four firm KPMG, worked at the BBC from 1993 to 1999, initially as head of internal audit and from 1996 onwards as finance director for BBC Regional Broadcasting and then BBC Production.

From 2002 to 2005, Bulford was director of Finance & Business Affairs at the Royal Opera House, while also serving as chair of Ofcom’s Audit Committee. Prior to working at the Royal Opera House, she served as finance director at Carlton Productions, now ITV.

The veteran finance chief re-joined the BBC as managing director, finance and operations in June 2013, responsible for the corporation’s finance, engineering, HR, workplace, legal and business assurance sectors.

Before re-joining the BBC, Bulford served a string of roles at Channel 4, including chief operating officer, following a period as interim chief executive. She joined Channel 4 as group finance director in June 2005.

In an announcement, the BBC said: “In addition to continuing to lead finance, operations, HR, legal, and design and engineering, she [Bulford] will take on the additional responsibilities related to the BBC’s marketing and audiences teams and create a new centralised commercial and rights group which will co-ordinate all BBC’s negotiations to deliver the best possible deals.”

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