Friday, November 05, 2004

Alison Woodhams has been appointed as BBC World Service's Chief Operating
Officer and Financial Director. She will be responsible for the BBC World
Service's finances, property and all business development activities. She
takes up her post in January 2005.

Alison Woodhams has been the BBC's Group Financial Controller since 2001.
Since July 2004 she has been the Acting Finance Director of the BBC
responsible for managing all the finances of the Corporation. BBC World
Service Director Nigel Chapman said: "Alison brings considerable experience
at the highest level in financial matters. She will be a great asset as we
strive to provide better services for our audiences and greater value for
money for the British taxpayers who fund us. She will bring substantial
skill and enthusiasm to the major challenges we face in the years ahead."

Alison Woodhams said: "BBC World Service's broadcast and new media services
have been extremely successful in meeting the challenges of global
competition, market deregulation, and rapid changes in technology. I look
forward to helping ensure that BBC World Service continues to maintain the
ability to respond quickly to audiences' changing needs and its commitment
to serving them better."

Alison has been with the BBC since 1995, beginning as Head of Finance for
the BBC's English Regional Services. She became Head of Internal Audit
across the whole of the BBC in 1998. Her previous experience has included
work with Cadbury Typhoo from 1977 to 1984 and AT & T from 1984 to 1994,
reaching the position of Finance and Business Services Director in AT & T
Business Communications Services - Europe before joining the BBC. She was
educated at the University of Durham, completing her MSc in Business
Management Systems at Warwick Business School.

(Media Network)