Ofcom appoints non-executive directors to Channel 4 board

Ofcom has announced the appointment of four new non-executive directors to Channel 4's board, including Waitrose managing director Mark Price, while existing members including Martha Lane-Fox and Lord Puttnam have had their contracts extended. The broadcasting regulator has also appointed Alicja Lesniak, a non-executive director at property company DTZ and a former finance chief at Aegis; Monica Burch, the chairman of the board of law firm Addleshaw Goddard; and former Unilever executive Richard Rivers. The four new non-executive directors will have an initial term of three years starting 1 October. In addition three existing non-executive directors have had their terms extended by one year each. Lane-Fox and Puttnam, the deputy chairman of Channel 4, have had their terms extended until 31 January 2012. Stephen Hill, the former chief executive of BetFair who joined Channel 4's board in 2006, has had his term extended until the end of next year. The new arrivals will be working with the Channel 4 chairman, Lord Burns, who was appointed late last year, and the chief executive, David Abraham, who joined the broadcaster in May. Karren Brady, the vice-chairman of West Ham football club, and Andy Mollett, the chief financial officer of Chrysalis, have not had their terms renewed. Both expired on 18 July 2010. Another member of the old non-executive board, Sue Ashtiany, ended her six years with Channel 4 in June last year. "The combination of the new appointments and the extensions is intended to bring some new high quality commercial and professional skills on to the Channel 4 board whilst also providing stability by retaining some very strong individuals for the forthcoming year," said the Ofcom chairman, Colette Bowe. Channel 4 appointed Zygos Partnership to assist in the executive search and the positions were also advertised in the national press. • To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email [email protected] or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. • If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication".