Gent Declares Interest In Becoming ITV Chairman
The former chief executive of Vodafone, Sir Christopher Gent, has declared his interest in becoming the next chairman of ITV.
Gent, who spent almost twenty years turning Vodafone into a global giant, said his experience in handling difficult mergers makes him an ideal candidate to take up the position at the newly created television group.
He told the Sunday Times: “It’s something where I would have been able to make a contribution. I have some experience of making mergers work, which did not necessarily start from a promising position.”
During his time at Vodafone, Gent was responsible for the group’s contentious £100 billion acquisition of Mannesmann, which cemented its financial strength and position as a global leader with more than 125 million customers.
Gent’s comments will encourage ITV shareholders who are looking for a strong chairman to replace stand-in Sir Brian Pittman. They are understood to be pressing for the appointment of a senior business figure who has performed and developed a relationship in the City.
The broadcaster is facing considerable integration challenges after the long-awaited merger of Carlton and Granada, which is intended to allow it to create a leaner structure, with lower costs and a more focused approach (see ITV Enters New Phase With Merger Completion).
However, reports suggest that Gent has not made it onto the final shortlist for the post left vacant last year after Carlton boss, Michael Green, was ousted by a coalition of city institutions led by Anthony Bolton of Fidelity (see Merged ITV Set To Appoint New Chairman Next Month).
It is understood that some shareholders are pressing for the appointment of former BBC director general, Greg Dyke, as part of a dream team with Gent. Dyke is looking for a new post in broadcasting after quitting the BBC. The Corporation descended into chaos following the publication of the Hutton Report (see Entire BBC Board Of Governors Came Close To Quitting).
The completion of the merger represents something of a fresh start for ITV. It is expected that the merged company will benefit from cost savings of around £100 million. Some analysts predict this figure could be even higher and Merrill Lynch believes that even greater synergies could be found if it were to buy up the remaining five ITV licensees.
ITV: 020 7843 8000 www.itv.com
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