Anne-d-over

In February 2013, Anne Bulford Superwoman arrived from Channel 4 to take over two jobs at the BBC - Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer. It seemed a bargain - her new salary of £395k rather than Zarin Patel and Caroline Thomson, earning £337k and £328k respectively (discount the redundancy payments, if you would).

Five full financial years later she's announced her departure as Deputy DG, looking to set up a portfolio of non-executive roles - she heads to her sixtieth birthday in September. She's kept Lord Hall on the straight and increasingly narrow, stripping millions out of business plans quietly and firmly - and, it has to be said, with a minimum of disruption. But the road ahead looks likely to dwindle further, from a bridleway to a footpath, if the Over-75s Licence Fee consultation ends badly - and it's probably time for someone with a new set of iron-tipped walking sticks and satnav to lead rambler Lord Hall in the right direction. 

Is there room for re-invention of the role ?  Could the nuts and bolts of the operation be left to Anne's No 2, Glyn Isherwood, and the Deputy DG responsibility passed to another executive ? That's a possibility, with Lord Hall set on hanging in there til the centenary of 2022, and will keep me amused for weeks.

Meanwhile, thanks to Ms Bulford for providing this blog with a good number of posts over the years. My favourite - from a Public Accounts Committee of 2015

Margaret Hodge: "You're avoiding the question"
Anne Bulford "Not yet..."