Sir Ian Cheshire named as preferred candidate for Ofcom Chair, topic to parliamentary listening to earlier than ultimate appointment is confirmed.
- The Secretary of State for Science and Technology, Liz Kendall, announces Sir Ian Cheshire as the federal government’s preferred candidate to be appointed as Chair of Ofcom
- Subject to parliamentary listening to, Sir Ian will likely be appointed for a 4-year time period
- The former Chair of Channel 4, Sir Ian’s profession spans senior management throughout the non-public and public sectors making him ideally suited to steer Ofcom by its subsequent chapter
Business chief Sir Ian Cheshire has been introduced because the preferred candidate to be appointed as Chair of Ofcom, the UK’s impartial regulator for communications.
Sir Ian brings intensive expertise of senior management throughout the non-public and public sectors, with a robust observe file in governance, client dealing with regulation and organisational change.
Most not too long ago, Sir Ian was the Chair of Channel 4, having been appointed in April 2022 earlier than leaving on the finish of his time period in April 2025. If appointed to Ofcom, he would succeed Lord Michael Grade, whose time period as Chair concludes on the finish of April 2026.
He has beforehand served as Chief Executive of Kingfisher plc, main a significant worldwide retail group working throughout a number of markets, earlier than happening to carry a variety of senior non‑government and advisory roles spanning enterprise, sustainability and public coverage, together with as Chair of Barclays UK, Debenhams plc, Maisons du Monde and Menhaden plc.
The Chair of Ofcom performs a important position in offering strategic management to the organisation because it delivers its statutory duties, together with overseeing the implementation and enforcement of the Online Safety Act, defending customers and supporting progress and innovation throughout the UK’s communications sectors.
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall mentioned:
The work of Ofcom has by no means been extra related to folks’s lives, from defending folks on-line to supporting the expansion of our communications sector. The organisation sits on the coronary heart of a few of the largest challenges and alternatives dealing with the nation.
Sir Ian has a confirmed observe file of main complicated organisations by intervals of serious change, and that’s precisely the sort of management Ofcom wants proper now.
I additionally wish to pay tribute to Lord Grade for his contribution as Chair. He has steered Ofcom by a interval of profound change, and his management through the introduction of the Online Safety Act has been pivotal.
Sir Ian Cheshire mentioned:
Across my profession in e-commerce, telecoms and broadcasting I’ve seen first-hand how a lot efficient regulation issues – for customers, for companies and for the broader financial system. Ofcom has a important job to do at a time of fast change in how folks talk, entry data and keep secure on-line. I stay up for setting out my imaginative and prescient for how Ofcom can meet these challenges once I seem earlier than the Select Committee.
In April 2015, Sir Ian was appointed authorities Lead Non-Executive, a job he was reappointed to for an extra 3 years in April 2018. That identical 12 months, he additionally turned Lead Non-Executive Member of the Cabinet Office Board.
The preferred candidate will now be topic to a pre-appointment listening to by the Science, Innovation and Technology Select Committee, earlier than a ultimate appointment choice is confirmed.
Notes to Editors
The Chair of Ofcom is remunerated at £120,000 each year for a time dedication of three days per week.
This appointment has been made in accordance with the Cabinet Office’s Governance Code on Public Appointments. The appointments course of is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments.
Pre-appointment hearings allow choose committees to take proof from preferred candidates for main public appointments earlier than they’re appointed.
Hearings are in public and contain the choose committee publishing a report setting out their views on the candidate’s suitability for the put up.