Former B&Q boss Sir Ian Cheshire has been named the next chairman of Channel 4, taking over from interim chairwoman Dawn Airey. The appointment was announced by media regulator Ofcom.
Sir Ian, 62, served as group chief executive of Kingfisher from 2008 to 2015 and previously led B&Q. He currently chairs Spire Healthcare and Menhaden, and serves as a non-executive director at BT. He also chairs the Prince of Wales Charitable Fund and the Mental Health at Work Leadership Council.
His appointment comes as Channel 4 faces potential privatisation. The government has been consulting on selling the broadcaster amid concerns over its viability in the streaming era.
Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries welcomed the appointment, praising Sir Ian's business leadership. However, Labour's Lucy Powell criticised the move as 'cronyism', noting the recent appointment of Conservative peer Michael Grade as Ofcom chairman.
