Ofcom Board appoints Sharon White as Chief Executive

The Ofcom Board yesterday (16th December 2014) announced the appointment of Sharon White as Chief Executive. Sharon replaces Ed Richards, who will step down as Chief Executive at the end of December 2014 after leading the organisation for eight years. Sharon will join Ofcom in late March 2015 from HM Treasury, where she is Second Permanent Secretary. In this role Sharon is the lead official responsible for managing the UK's public finances, a position she has held since November 2013. Before that she served as Director General, Public Spending at HM Treasury.

An economics graduate, Sharon has 25 years' experience in the public sector and Government, starting with spells in Washington, the No 10 Policy Unit, and the World Bank. Sharon later worked in the Department for International Development, the Department of Work and Pensions, the Ministry of Justice and the Treasury.

The Chief Executive of Ofcom is a public appointment made by the Ofcom Board, involving an independent assessor and subject to approval by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.