Samir Shah

Dr Samir Shah OBE "was appointed as a non-executive director of the BBC's new Executive Board from 1 January 2007.

"He is currently Chief Executive of the independent production company Juniper Communications and a former Head of Political Programmes and Head of Current Affairs at the BBC.

"He worked in the Home Office Research Intelligence Unit after graduating from Hull and Oxford Universities, before joining London Weekend Television in 1979 as a researcher, rising to become Editor of a range of current affairs programmes.

"Samir Shah joined the BBC in 1987 as Head of Current Affairs, moved to head up political programmes in 1994, before leaving to join the independent sector in 1998.

"He is Chair of the Runnymede Trust and a trustee of the Victoria and Albert Museum and of the Medical Foundation for the Victims of Torture.

"He also holds a Special Professorship in the Department of Post-Conflict Studies at the University of Nottingham."