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MUMBAI:
The UK pubcaster BBC has announced that its COO Caroline Thomson
will be leaving at the end of the month. The move follows
confirmation by the BBC's new DG George Entwistle, that he
is closing the post of Chief Operating Officer as part of
the restructuring of his senior team.
Thomson
began her career at the BBC as a journalism trainee in 1975,
going on to produce a range of BBC radio and television series,
including BBC Radio 4's Analysis and BBC One's Panorama. She
left the BBC in 1984 and joined Channel 4, where she rose
to become Head of Corporate Affairs. She returned to the BBC
in 1996 as Deputy Director of the BBC World Service and then
went on to hold a series of posts before becoming the BBC's
Chief Operating Officer in 2006. In this role, Thomson has
been responsible for a wide range of the BBC's corporate and
operational divisions, including Policy & Strategy, Marketing,
Communications, Legal, Editorial Policy, Business Operations
and Technology, Distribution & Archive.
In
her current role, Thomson has delivered all the BBC's major
infrastructure projects: digital switch-over, the move of
more than 3,000 staff to Salford, and the development of the
BBC's two main sites in central and west London. She was also
integral to the successful negotiation of two licence-fee
settlements in 2007 and 2010.
In
a speech to BBC staff the DG praised Thomson, saying: "I
want to mark this moment by paying tribute to Caroline's enormous
contribution to the BBC over many years now. She was pivotal
in winning the last charter for us, when her impeccable strategic
leadership helped deliver a clearly defined 10-year mission
for the BBC, securing our purposes and funding through to
2016.
"More
recently, she's delivered a strikingly successful Digital
Switchover Programme, which will come to an end next month
in Belfast, on time and under budget. She has also shaped
and led the biggest transformational projects of the last
few years, making possible this building and the BBC's new
home at Media City in Salford - plus the recently announced
sale of Television Centre for £200 million, a brilliant
deal by any standard. Caroline will leave at the end of September
and will take our affection and gratitude with her."
Thomson
said, "It has been an immense privilege to be part of
the leadership of the BBC - the world's best public service
broadcaster. Wonderful programmes, brilliant colleagues and
a real sense of public purpose, what more could you ask? I
wish George and his colleagues the best of luck as they take
the BBC forward - I know it will be safe in their hands."
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