Businessman Geoff Cooper has been appointed as the new chair of Channel 4. He will join the broadcaster’s board on 1 October, succeeding the interim Chair Dawn Airey CBE.
Mr Cooper is currently Chair of AO World plc and has over 30 years’ Board experience across a range of public and private UK companies, including as Chair at Dunelm, Card Factory, Brakes and Bourne Leisure, and as a non-executive director at Informa and Abbey National.
His executive career includes nearly 10 years as CEO at Travis Perkins plc and as Deputy Chief Executive at Alliance UniChem plc, having previously been its Group Finance Director. He has also been an adviser to senior executives, private equity, venture capital and start-up businesses, and chaired a major trade association.
The appointment for a three-year term has been approved by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Rt. Hon. Lisa Nandy MP.
“Channel 4 is a treasured national institution with a track record of creating cutting-edge television which reflects Britain in all its diversity,” said Ms Nandy. “I look forward to seeing Geoff Cooper help Channel 4 continue to provide top quality programmes and adapt to the changing media landscape.”
Lord Grade, Ofcom Chair and himself a former chair of the publicly owned broadcaster said: “Geoff Cooper’s appointment follows an exhaustive and competitive recruitment process and he demonstrated the stand-out qualities needed to steer Channel 4 to a sustainable future.”
Cooper said he was delighted to be appointed to the broadcaster. “Channel 4’s people, partners in the independent production sector and wider media landscape, and viewers are vital in representing unheard voices, challenging with purpose and reinventing entertainment, and I look forward to serving all of them”.
Among Cooper’s first tasks will be the appointment of a new chief executive to replace the outgoing Alex Mahon.
Ofcom is required under the Broadcasting Act 1990 to appoint non-executive members to the Channel 4 Board, subject to the approval of the Secretary of State.
