Ian has significant experience of using new technology to forge a closer relationship between content producers and audiences using digital media technology.
He was one of the early pioneers of the UK's leading content website, BBC Online. Joining the organisation in 1999 he played a key role in a number of high profile projects (including the roll out of local news production and the launch of BBC iPlayer) before becoming Head of Knowledge and Learning in 2011.
His career went full-circle in August 2014 when he left the BBC to take up a new role as Director of Educational Enterprise at the University of Birmingham where he had studied Business Administration (BCom) and been an active player in the student media landscape.
In 2017 his remit at the University was expanded to include Market Insight and Digital Channel Management.
He has played a crucial role in developing and delivering high profile services across all platforms; highlights of his career include:
Ian's passion for media was nurtured at the University of Birmingham through the management of the student television (GTV) and radio station (BURN FM) and he was recognised as a "Hotshot" by Broadcast magazine early in his career.
He was one of the early pioneers of the UK's leading content website, BBC Online. Joining the organisation in 1999 he played a key role in a number of high profile projects (including the roll out of local news production and the launch of BBC iPlayer) before becoming Head of Knowledge and Learning in 2011.
His career went full-circle in August 2014 when he left the BBC to take up a new role as Director of Educational Enterprise at the University of Birmingham where he had studied Business Administration (BCom) and been an active player in the student media landscape.
In 2017 his remit at the University was expanded to include Market Insight and Digital Channel Management.
He has played a crucial role in developing and delivering high profile services across all platforms; highlights of his career include:
- Leading the Educational Enterprise department at the University of Birmingham to develop a portfolio of world leading online courses including the world's first fully online MBA to have received accreditation by the Association of MBA's (AMBA).
- Establishing the Digital Channel Management Team at the University of Birmingham.
- Oversight of the University of Birmingham MOOC portfolio hosted on Future Learn
- Departmental head for the multi-disciplinary BBC Future Media Knowledge & Learning including the relocation to Media City UK in Salford.
- The product management of a portfolio of websites that reached over 5 million browsers every week including BBC Food, BBC Earth and BBC Arts
- Conceiving, developing and launching a range of new digital content formats under the brand BBC iWonder.
- The complete re-development of BBC Bitesize aggregating all relevant content together using a consistent ontology of the UK curricula.
- The line management of award winning design and development teams across the UK
- The realisation of the BBC iPlayer catch up television and radio service.
- Establishing the network of BBC Local websites
- Leading the pitch to gain NESTA funding to support the development of the Pollen arts app
- The introduction of regional programming to digital satellite
- Design and development of the first BBC Asian Network website
- The live streaming of BBC Local Radio
- The digitisation and roll out of Video Nation across the UK
- Launching the BBC's first IP based television service, BBC Hull Interactive
Ian's passion for media was nurtured at the University of Birmingham through the management of the student television (GTV) and radio station (BURN FM) and he was recognised as a "Hotshot" by Broadcast magazine early in his career.