Matt Brittin to become BBC director general
Mar 24th 2026 · United Kingdom
Former Google EMEA president Matt Brittin is set to take charge of the BBC and must tackle editorial repair, digital transformation and financial pressure under intense public and parliamentary scrutiny.
- Brittin left Google at the end of 2024 after nearly 20 years as a senior executive in EMEA.
- He has no prior public service broadcasting or editorial leadership experience.
- The BBC is dealing with recent editorial controversies, senior resignations and a defamation case by Donald Trump.
- Colleagues and supporters praise his leadership, analytical skills and willingness to make tough commercial decisions.
- Brittin was publicly scrutinised in 2016 over Google’s UK tax arrangements during testimony to MPs.
- Immediate tasks include appointing a new director of news, accelerating digital work on iPlayer and managing funding and staffing pressures tied to the licence fee.