The former president of Google’s operations across Europe, the Middle East and Africa has been appointed as the new Director-General of the BBC, replacing Tim Davie, who announced his resignation in November following controversy over how a Panorama programme edited a speech by US President Donald Trump.
BBC chairman Samir Shah said Brittin, who left Google in 2025 after an 18-year career, “brings to the BBC deep experience of leading a high-profile and highly-complex organisation through transformation”.
Brittin, 57, expressed enthusiasm about his new role, saying he “can’t wait to start this work”, and describing the moment as “a moment of real risk, yet also real opportunity”.
He added that the UK needs “a thriving BBC that works for everyone in a complex, uncertain and fast changing world”.
Outlining his vision for the broadcaster, he said: “The BBC needs the pace and energy to be both where stories are, and where audiences are. To build on the reach, trust and creative strengths today, confront challenges with courage, and thrive as a public service fit for the future.”
‘Radical reform’
Shah praised Brittin as “an outstanding leader” with “the skills needed to navigate the organisation through the many changes taking place in the media market and in audience behaviours”.
He also highlighted Brittin’s “passion for the BBC, his understanding of the challenges facing the organisation, his commitment to its independence and his determination to maintain the BBC’s position as one of the country’s greatest national assets”.
According to Shah, the new Director-General takes charge at “a critical time”, as the UK government reviews the BBC’s royal charter.
“It is clear there is need for radical reform of the BBC, its funding model and the framework in which it operates. The stakes for the BBC, and the future of public service broadcasting, have never been higher.”
The BBC’s top leadership role is widely regarded as one of the most demanding positions in British media. During Davie’s tenure as the corporation’s 17th Director-General, he oversaw several crises and controversies.
Brittin’s early priorities will include responding to a multi-billion-dollar defamation lawsuit filed by Donald Trump, who is challenging the way Panorama edited two parts of a speech he delivered on January 6, 2021.
The BBC has apologised for the edit and is seeking to have the case dismissed, arguing the programme was not broadcast in the United States.
BBC at a crossroads
His appointment comes at a pivotal moment for the broadcaster as negotiations continue with the UK government over the future of its royal charter and the licence fee, which expires in 2027.
The BBC is also facing intensifying competition from global technology platforms as audience habits shift further towards digital consumption. Google’s parent company owns YouTube, with which the BBC recently struck a major partnership to develop tailored content.
Big tech experience seen as advantage
Media editor Katie Razzall noted that colleagues at Google have described Brittin as “an inspirational leader and a great team player”.
While some critics have questioned the decision to appoint a leader from a tech background rather than traditional journalism or broadcasting, Razzall said Brittin was chosen for his deep understanding of big tech and its impact on media.
He is expected to accelerate the BBC’s digital transformation, particularly around news delivery and the development of BBC iPlayer.
Former Newsnight editor Peter Barron, who previously worked with Brittin at Google, said he is “highly motivated by a sense of public service”.
“He loves the BBC for its trusted news and its creativity, but he’s also very conscious of its history as a technological pioneer.
“He wants the BBC to thrive in a world where many of its biggest challenges are linked to technology, whether that’s the power of the streamers, online misinformation, or simply how people want to consume content.
“Given his experience and connections across the tech industry, and also the relationships he’s forged with broadcasters, the news industry, regulators and governments, I think he’s very well placed to meet the challenges.”
Background and career
Born in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, Brittin studied at the University of Cambridge, where he rowed in the Boat Race three times, and later represented Great Britain, winning bronze at the 1989 World Rowing Championships.
After Cambridge, he completed a master’s degree at the London Business School before taking up senior roles at Trinity Mirror as commercial director and director of strategy and digital.
He joined Google in 2007, becoming UK operations director two years later, then vice-president for Northern and Central Europe in 2011, and later president for Europe, the Middle East and Africa in 2014.
After leaving Google last year, he described taking “a mini gap year”, during which he reflected on life beyond corporate leadership.
“I’ve already grown a beard, bought a single sculling boat and plan to learn scuba diving from my son when he qualifies as an instructor,” he said on LinkedIn.
He also briefly served as a non-executive director at Guardian Media Group before stepping down from the role.
In January 2026, he was appointed a CBE in the King’s New Year Honours for services to technology and digital skills.
Reflecting on television’s influence on him, he told the Royal Television Society: “My experience of watching television and learning from television and its values shaped me more than so much else in my life.
“Morecambe and Wise for me, the Nine O’Clock News, Not The Nine O’Clock News, Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet, Doctor Who in particular.
“So many people who work in tech were shaped by the portrayal of science, technology in those kind of shows.”
Past scrutiny over tax issues
During his time at Google, Brittin frequently appeared before UK parliamentary committees, where he was questioned about the company’s tax practices.
He defended the company in heated exchanges with MPs in 2012 and 2013 over concerns that it was not paying sufficient tax in the UK. The controversy contributed to the introduction of the so-called Google Tax, and in 2016 Google agreed to pay £130 million in back taxes, a move praised by the government but criticised by opponents.
In one parliamentary session, he drew surprise from MPs when he said he did not know his own salary.
He is expected to face further scrutiny from parliamentary committees in his new role at the BBC, similar to the questioning his predecessor regularly endured.
Brittin will begin his tenure on 18 May, with two months remaining in his “mini gap year”. He will earn £565,000 annually, the same salary as Tim Davie, and one of his first responsibilities will be appointing a deputy.
