Sir Ian Cheshire has been named as the next Chair of Channel 4, according to Ofcom.
On April 11, 2022, he will take over as Chair of the Broadcaster’s Board of Directors, succeeding interim Chair Dawn Airey.
From January 2008 to early 2015, Sir Ian was the Group Chief Executive of Kingfisher plc.
From 2005 to 2010, he was the Chief Executive of B&Q. He now serves as Chair of Spire Healthcare plc, as well as Chair of Menhaden plc, an environmental investment trust, and as a non-executive director of BT plc. He is also the Chair of the Prince of Wales Charitable Fund and the Leadership Council for Mental Health at Work. Sir Ian has also served on the boards of Barclays UK, the British Retail Consortium, Debenhams plc, and Maisons Du Monde SA, as well as Whitbread plc as a Senior Independent Director.
He served in the public sector as the Cabinet Office’s lead non-executive director, chaired the Ecosystem Markets Task Force, the Economy Honours Committee, and now chairs the independent Food Farming and Countryside Commission.
He has received numerous honours, including the Fortune WEF award for leadership in the circular economy and lifetime achievements to retailing. Sir Ian was knighted in the 2014 New Year Honours for his contributions to business, sustainability, and the environment, and is a Chevalier of the French Ordre National du Merite.
The Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Rt. Hon. Nadine Dorries MP, has approved Sir Ian’s appointment for a three-year term. Under the Broadcasting Act 1990, Ofcom is required to appoint non-executive members to the Channel 4 Board, subject to the Secretary of State’s permission.
In the coming months, Ofcom will nominate two more non-executive directors to the Channel 4 Board.
The appointment process will take into account the need for more diversity on the Board.
