Three former FDs power into Media100
FDs stand tall in the MediaGuardian100 power list, with ITV chairman Archie Norman at number 35
THREE FORMER finance directors have made it into the MediaGuardian100, a power list of the movers and shakers in the media world.
In at 35, highest-placed ex-FD Archie Norman is chairman of ITV. Last year ranked 10th, he has overseen the channel’s return to making programmes for itself and other broadcasters, and is former FD of retail giant Kingfisher.
Sliding into the bottom half in 51st spot, BBC Worldwide chief executive John Smith has helped the corporation’s commercial arm boost profits by 10% to £160m in the last year. He started his career as an accountant with British Rail before being made FD of the BBC, and took up his current position in 2004.
Hovering in 88th, Penguin Group chairman and chief executive John Makinson has helped the company navigate the birth of digital literature; ebook revenues made up 6% of Penguin’s £1bn-plus income last year. A former journalist, Makinson was managing director of the Financial Times and later FD of parent company Pearson.