Tim Davie: From marketing manager to the BBC’s top job

Tim Davie, the BBC’s 17th director-general, has resigned after 20 years at the corporation.

His resignation follows concerns about impartiality at the corporation, including how a speech US President Donald Trump made on January 6 2021 was edited in a Panorama documentary.

Davie succeeded Lord Tony Hall as director-general in September 2020 during a turbulent time for the broadcaster following a row about the licence fee, issues around gender pay and increased competition from streaming services.

After taking over the top job, Mr Davie said the BBC cannot be “complacent” about its future and must “renew” its commitment to impartiality.

His time as director-general has been marked by several high-profile controversies including the brief suspension of Match Of The Day host Gary Lineker in 2023.

The former England footballer was suspended after posting a tweet comparing the language used to launch a new government asylum seeker policy with 1930s Germany.

Mr Davie faced pressure after a host of sports presenters and pundits pulled out of BBC shows over the suspension, but defended the decision.

Upon Lineker’s return, Mr Davie announced there would be an independent review into the BBC’s social media guidelines and apologised for a “difficult period for staff, contributors, presenters, and most importantly, our audiences”.

In recent months, the broadcaster has faced numerous controversies including the livestreaming of Bob Vylan’s performance at Glastonbury where the punk rappers led chants of “death, death to the IDF” (Israel Defence Forces), as well as misconduct allegations surrounding former MasterChef presenter Gregg Wallace.

Last month, broadcasting watchdog Ofcom sanctioned the BBC for breaching the Broadcasting Code in its Gaza: How To Survive A Warzone documentary after the corporation failed to disclose a narrator’s links to Hamas.

Born in 1967, Mr Davie and was educated at Whitgift School in Croydon, south London, before studying English at Cambridge University.

He worked in the private sector and before joining the BBC in 2005, was vice-president for marketing and franchise for drinks giant PepsiCo Europe.

His first role at the BBC was director of its marketing, communications and audiences division.

He then became director of the BBC’s audio and music division in 2008, assuming responsibility for its national radio stations including Radio 1, 2, 3 and 4.

That year, Mr Davie had to address controversy surrounding a prank call made by Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross to actor Andrew Sachs on Radio 2.

Mr Davie also axed the 6 Music radio station in 2010, a decision which was reversed.

In 2012, he became chief executive of BBC Worldwide, a commercial arm of the broadcaster.

In November of that year he became acting director-general after George Entwistle left the corporation in the wake of the Jimmy Savile sex abuse scandal.

When Lord Tony Hall was appointed director-general, Mr Davie returned to BBC Worldwide and oversaw a merger with BBC Studios in 2018. He later became chief executive of the production arm.

Mr Davie became a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2018 for services to international trade.

When he was named director-general in 2020, Mr Davie said he was “honoured” to be taking over the role and pledged to “continue to reform, make clear choices and stay relevant” in a “fast-moving world”.