A senior civil servant has emerged as the front runner to become Ofcom’s new chief executive.
Sharon White is currently Second Permanent Secretary to the Treasury. Her name has been put forward to Culture Secretary Sajid Javid. She would be the first woman and the first black person to take charge of the media regulator, whose responsibilities run from media and telecoms through to the postal service.
Her appointment is still to be officially approved, though if ratified a formal announcement could come as early as this week.
Ms White has spent 25 years in thee civil service, at the Treasury, the Downing Street policy unit and in Washington, where she worked at the World Bank.
It was announced in October that Ed Richards is to step down as chief executive of the regulator Ofcom after almost 10 years in the post.
Ofcom has said Steve Unger will step up as acting Chief Executive at the end of the year.