Charles Allen (businessman)

Charles Lamb Allen, Baron Allen of Kensington, Kt., CBE (born 4 January 1957) is a British businessman and broadcaster who is the Chairman of Global Radio Group, Chairman of 2 Sisters Food Group, non executive director of Virgin Media, Senior Advisor to Goldman Sachs, and Chairman of the Executive Board of the British Labour Party. He was Chief Executive of Granada Group from 1996 till 2000, Executive Chairman of Granada Media Plc 2000 to 2004, Chief Executive of ITV plc from its formation in 2004 until 2007 and Chairman of the music company EMI from 2008 to 2010. In March 2012, he was appointed by Edward Samuel Miliband, the leader of the Labour Party, to the position of Chairman of the Executive Board of the party. He is the chairman of the British Red Cross since January 2013.^[2] In August 2013, he was elected chairman of the Danish facility service group ISS A/S.^[3]

Television

He joined Granada plc in 1991, as CEO of Granada Television, he became Group Chief Executive During the next several years he was instrumental in the takeovers of Forte Hotels for £3.9 billion in 1997 and the takeovers of LWT and Yorkshire-Tyne Tees Television in 1994 and 1999 respectively. In 2001 Granada Group merged with Compass to form Granada Compass, then demerged into Granada Media plc and Compass Group. He remained with Granada when the two companies demerged and became Executive Chairman of Granada plc in 2001. When Granada merged with Carlton Communications to form ITV plc, Allen became the new company's Chief Executive.^[4]

ITV plc announced on 8 August 2006 that Allen was stepping down after fifteen years with the company. In a statement, ITV plc said Mr Allen would remain at the company while head-hunters carried out the process of finding a replacement.

Finance director John Cresswell has been appointed interim chief executive from 1 October and will work alongside Mr Allen to ensure an "orderly transition".^[5]

Radio

Charles Allen is Chairman of the largest commercial radio group in Britain, Global Radio which is responsible for spawning The Heart Network.

Other interests

He has been Chief Advisor to the British Government at the Home Office and is a Senior Advisor to Goldman Sachs Private Equity. Mr Allen is also a Non-executive Director of the London Olympic Committee,^[6] Non-executive Director of Tesco^[7] a non executive director of Virgin Media and is involved with the natural products start up Natural Health International.^[8] He has also been appointed non-executive chairman at EMI Music, the music label behind Kylie Minogue and Coldplay.^[9] Mr Allen successfully chaired the 2002 Commonwealth Games.

In a 2008 annual survey^[10] by The Independent of the UK's most influential gay and lesbian people, Charles Allen re-entered the list at number 22 dropping 7 places from 2006.

Honours

Allen was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2003 New Year Honours "for services to the XVII Commonwealth Games".^[11] He was knighted in the 2012 New Year Honours "for services to the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics".^[12][13]

On 25 May 2012, he was named as Mayor of the Olympic Village in London, for the duration of the Olympics.

On 1 August 2013, it was announced that Sir Charles was to become a Labour peer in a list of new appointments to the House of Lords.^[14] He was created a Life Peer on 2 October 2013 taking the title Baron Allen of Kensington, of Kensington in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.^[15]

References