Mark Thompson (television executive)
| Mark Thompson | |
|---|---|
Mark Thompson at the Monaco Media Forum in 2008
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| CEO New York Times Company | |
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Assumed office November 2012 |
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| Preceded by | Janet L. Robinson |
| 14th Director-General of the BBC | |
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In office 22 June 2004 – 17 September 2012 |
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| Deputy | Mark Byford |
| Preceded by | Mark Byford (acting) |
| Succeeded by | George Entwistle |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Mark John Thompson 31 July 1957 London, England |
| Nationality | British |
| Spouse(s) | Jane Blumberg |
| Children | 3 |
| Alma mater | Merton College, Oxford |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
Mark John Thompson (born 31 July 1957) is the current Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of The New York Times Company.
From 2004 to 2012, Thompson was Director-General of the BBC, and was a former Chief Executive of Channel 4.
Thompson was born in London, England, and brought up in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, by his mother, Sydney Corduff, his sister, Katherine, and father, Duncan John Thompson. Thompson was educated by Jesuits at the independent school, Stonyhurst College, and then went up to Merton College, Oxford, where he took a first in English. Thompson edited the university magazine, Isis.
Thompson was appointed Director-General on 21 May 2004. He succeeded Greg Dyke, who resigned on 29 January 2004 in the aftermath of the Hutton Inquiry. Although he had originally stated he was not interested in the role of Director-General and would turn down any approach from the BBC, he changed his mind, saying the job was a "one-of-a-kind opportunity". The decision to appoint Thompson Director-General was made unanimously by the BBC Board of Governors, headed by the then new Chairman Michael Grade (another former chief executive of Channel 4). His appointment was widely praised: Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell, Shadow Culture Secretary Julie Kirkbride and Greg Dyke were amongst those who supported his selection. He took up the role of Director-General on 22 June 2004 (Mark Byford had been Acting Director-General since Dyke's resignation). On his first day he announced several management changes, including the replacement of the BBC's sixteen-person executive committee with a slimmed-down executive board of nine top managers.
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