- The Secretary of State for Science and Technology, , announces Sir Ian Cheshire
as the government's preferred candidate to be appointed as
Chair of Ofcom
- Subject to parliamentary hearing, Sir Ian will be appointed
for a 4-year term
- The former Chair of Channel 4, Sir Ian's career spans senior
leadership across the private and public sectors making him
ideally suited to lead Ofcom through its next
chapter
Business leader Sir Ian Cheshire has been announced as the
preferred candidate to be appointed as Chair of Ofcom, the UK's independent
regulator for communications.
Sir Ian brings extensive experience of senior leadership across
the private and public sectors, with a strong track record in
governance, consumer facing regulation and organisational change.
Most recently, Sir Ian was the Chair of Channel 4, having been
appointed in April 2022 before leaving at the end of his term in
April 2025. If appointed to Ofcom, he would succeed
Lord , whose term as Chair
concludes at the end of April 2026.
He has previously served as Chief Executive of Kingfisher plc,
leading a major international retail group operating across
multiple markets, before going on to hold a number of senior
non‑executive and advisory roles spanning business,
sustainability and public policy, including as Chair of Barclays
UK, Debenhams plc, Maisons du Monde and Menhaden plc.
The Chair of Ofcom plays a critical role
in providing strategic leadership to the organisation as it
delivers its statutory responsibilities, including overseeing the
implementation and enforcement of the Online Safety Act,
protecting consumers and supporting growth and innovation across
the UK's communications sectors.
Technology Secretary said:
The work of Ofcom has never been more
relevant to people's lives, from protecting people online to
supporting the growth of our communications sector. The
organisation sits at the heart of some of the biggest challenges
and opportunities facing the country.
Sir Ian has a proven track record of leading complex
organisations through periods of significant change, and that is
exactly the kind of leadership Ofcom needs right
now.
I also want to pay tribute to Lord Grade for his contribution as
Chair. He has steered Ofcom through a period of
profound change, and his leadership during the introduction of
the Online Safety Act has been pivotal.
Sir Ian Cheshire said:
Across my career in e-commerce, telecoms and broadcasting I have
seen first-hand how much effective regulation matters - for
consumers, for businesses and for the wider economy. Ofcom has a critical job to
do at a time of rapid change in how people communicate, access
information and stay safe online. I look forward to setting out
my vision for how Ofcom can meet those
challenges when I appear before the Select Committee.
In April 2015, Sir Ian was appointed government Lead
Non-Executive, a role he was reappointed to for a further 3 years
in April 2018. That same year, he also became Lead Non-Executive
Member of the Cabinet Office Board.
The preferred candidate will now be subject to a pre-appointment
hearing by the Science, Innovation and Technology Select
Committee, before a final appointment decision is confirmed.
Notes to editors
The Chair of Ofcom is remunerated at
£120,000 per annum for a time commitment of 3 days per
week.
This appointment has been made in accordance with the Cabinet
Office's Governance
Code on Public Appointments. The appointments process is
regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments.
Pre-appointment hearings enable select committees to take
evidence from preferred candidates for major public appointments
before they are appointed.
Hearings are in public and involve the select committee
publishing a report setting out their views on the candidate's
suitability for the post.
