16.1.18

JULIAN ASHWORTH JOINS ITV AS DIRECTOR OF GROUP STRATEGY AND DIRECT TO CONSUMER

ITV plc today announced that Julian Ashworth, BT’s Global Director of Policy Strategy, is to join the company as Director of Group Strategy and Direct to Consumer, which encompasses ITVs Online and Interactive businesses, including ITV Hub.

Ashworth brings extensive experience in international strategy, analytics, digital transformation with consumer and TMT focused businesses, having worked in senior strategy leadership roles with several FTSE 30 companies after leaving management consultancy Bain and Company.

Having led the development of BT’s group wide strategy across a broad range of key policy priorities in media, internet and digital infrastructure over the past five years, he will take on the new ITV role in February.

Prior to BT, Ashworth spent over six years with RELX as the Strategy Director and then Chief Strategy Officer. In this role he was responsible for strategy, planning and corporate development. He was also responsible for leading the Group’s Centres of Excellence for Customer Analytics, Content Monetisation/Pricing and Innovation to leverage data in accelerating RELX’s transformation to an online information and analytics company.

Carolyn McCall, ITV Chief Executive, said:

“ITV has undergone a real transformation since 2010. We are now operating in an increasingly competitive and rapidly changing environment and I and the ITV team are looking forward to building on the strong foundations that are already in place as we refresh the strategy.

“I’m delighted that Julian is joining the executive team. He brings with him a wealth of expertise and experience from the technology and media sectors in the UK and internationally, which will be invaluable as we further develop our strategy and move forward with ITV’s next exciting chapter.”

1 Ashworth said:

“I am extremely proud and excited to be joining the UK’s leading commercial broadcaster and biggest production company during a dynamic period of change for the sector. Since 2010, ITV has developed very effectively under the current strategy and is today well positioned for the future with outstanding assets, people and content.

“I look forward to working with the management team, and indeed everyone across ITV, to help build on this solid foundation, delivering the next phase of ITV’s strategic evolution and accelerating the development of the ITV Direct to Consumer business.”

ENDS

Note to Editors:

Ashworth has also worked with Centrica plc, the FTSE 30 owner of British Gas., He led the early strategy and business development to architect the expansion in North America creating a business with ~£6bn in revenue and over 2 million consumer and business relationships. Over his time, he held various roles in North America including Vice President of Strategy and Vice President of New Product Development and Commercial for the Canadian Consumer Business where he lead the innovation programme driving a series of successful new product and business launches. Prior to joining Centrica Ashworth was a strategy consultant with Bain & Company serving clients across Europe in the hi-tech and consumer sectors. He has also served as a member of the UK Government’s Digital Economy Council, a board member for TECHUK (the industry association for the UK technology industry), a member of the British Screen Advisory Council (BSAC), a member of the Royal Taskforce against cyberbullying and a member of the UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS). He is a dual Canadian/British Citizen having lived in the UK for over 15 years.

Press contact: Mike Large 020 715 73021 or 07768 261528

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