BBC Worldwide sheds global divisions, restructures under 7 regions

MUMBAI: BBC Worldwide has decided to carry out a major restructuring exercise that will come into effect from 1 October.

BBC Worldwide?s existing structure based around five global divisions, will now be reconfigured to geographic lines of management. Profit and loss ownership and primary commercial ccountability will move closer to its customers, across seven geographic regions: North America; UK;

Australia/New Zealand; Western Europe; Asia; Latin America; CEEMEA (Central and Eastern Europe; Middle East and Africa).

The aim: to further increase focus on international markets, enabling it to capture future growth opportunities around the world. At the same time, BBC Worldwide is creating new global roles to establish direction and consistency around content, editorial, brands, sales and digital.

As a fallout of the restructuring, Worldwide Networks and the Global BBC iPlayer president Jana Bennett has decided to leave BBC Worldwide later in the year.

Bennett said,?My time at BBC Worldwide has been exciting and stimulating. I am delighted to have grown the BBC?s international channel portfolio at a time when global markets are so highly
competitive and to have brought quality British programmes and events to new audiences around the world both through our worldwide networks and the Global BBC iPlayer pilot.

?This announcement about the new organisation of BBC Worldwide, with regions in future holding P&L responsibility, is an important step in securing the future growth of BBC Worldwide enabling it to compete more effectively in the global market and deliver increasing returns to the BBC. I was pleased to have played a significant role in the organisational design process and fully support the changes under John Smith?s leadership. However with the move of P&L responsibility under the new structure I feel this is a good moment for me to work outside BBC Worldwide.?

The increased focus on geographic markets will be balanced by global functions with a remit across all BBC Worldwide geographies and a close connection into BBC Worldwide?s parent, the BBC. These will be managed by three newly created areas of accountability across sales, brands and content globally:

• Chief Sales Officer will be responsible for global B2B customer relationships and fulfilment, including advertising sales, as well as ensuring best practice across the company in sales and deals, and management of global sales events such as BBC Worldwide Showcase.
• Chief Brands Officer will be responsible for the commercialisation of BBC Worldwide?s flagship channel and programme brands, and will have oversight of the company?s global marketing activity, as well as business development of new brands.
• BBC Worldwide is also creating a third area of accountability for Content. This area will drive the creative and commercial vision for BBC Worldwide?s content strategy and will cover BBC Worldwide?s content and IP acquisition activity, channels curation and editorial standards. Scoping the dimensions of this accountability will form part of the next stage of work on the organisational design.
   

In addition, a Consumer Digital group will hold responsibility for BBC Worldwide?s consumer digital businesses, including all features on BBC.com, other commercial websites, the Global BBC iPlayer, as well as the company?s global digital strategy for apps, games and VOD, under a Chief Digital Officer. All four positions outlined above will report to BBC Worldwide CEO John Smith.

The seven regions will report into four Presidents, all of whom will report to John Smith and sit on the BBC Worldwide Executive Committee.

Asia, Latin America and CEEMEA will form one grouping, under a High Growth Markets Group, enabling a single overview of investment opportunities across many of the world?s most rapidly growing markets, where BBC Worldwide intends to establish a major presence. UK and Australia/New Zealand, both English language markets, will also report into a single President, representing continuity for Australia/New Zealand.

Western Europe, where TV Sales and Distribution today forms the largest single part of BBC Worldwide?s business, will report to the Chief Sales Officer. US and Canada will continue to report into the President, BBC Worldwide North America.

The new structure has been agreed following several months of work, involving all of BBC Worldwide?s Executive Committee, many of BBC Worldwide?s Leadership Group and has been approved by the BBC Worldwide Board.

BBC Worldwide builds on the success it has achieved in recent years in the USA and Australasia, where increased market focus and autonomy have resulted in strong results, with headline sales growth of 21 and 29 per cent respectively since 2009/10.

BBC Worldwide CEO John Smith said, ?The new organisation is designed to help us capture untapped opportunities for high quality British content and BBC branded services across the world, in order to sustain our track record of strong growth into the future. It has been worked out over a number of months, with inputs from across the world, and throughout our company. I believe it will accelerate delivery of our global ambition, and help us drive future growth and returns to the BBC, supplementing the licence fee.?

Since becoming President of Worldwide Networks, Bennett has overseen the channels business, which is the biggest revenue generator for BBC Worldwide and will report further strong growth for the year just ended. She has overseen the introduction of 13 channel services, from New Zealand to Thailand, as well as the launch of channels into new markets for the first time, including Brazil and Taiwan. She has pioneered global programming events across BBC Worldwide?s own channels, with broadcasts such as the Royal Wedding, Sport Relief, as well as the London Calling season (timed to coincide with Queen Elizabeth?s Diamond Jubilee and the London Olympics), playing out across four continents simultaneously.

Bennett has been responsible for BBC Worldwide?s 33 owned and operated thematic channels across 100 countries in EMEA, Australasia, Asia and Latin America. Jana is also responsible for the Global BBC iPlayer which launched as a pilot in July 2011 and is now in 16 countries. She also has financial responsibility for BBC Worldwide?s 50 per cent interest in UKTV, the owner of 10 branded channels in the UK; and executive responsibility for BBC Worldwide?s business development strategy across all its business in Latin America.

Bennett will remain with BBC Worldwide for a few months in order to effect a full handover of her responsibilities and to complete a number of major commercial deals that BBC Worldwide CEO John Smith has asked her to oversee.