Damon

Richard Sharp has finally found two new non-executives to join him on the BBC Board, starting in January. 

Sir Damon Buffini, 59 (Gateway Grammar School Leicester; BA Law St John's College, Cambridge; Harvard MBA) was brought up by his single mother on the Thurnby Lodge Estate, Leicester. He was founding partner of Permira, when it was spun off from Schroder Ventures. He was Chairman and Managing Partner from 1997–2010. Acquisitions and sales included The AA, Little Chef, Birds Eye, Hugo Boss, Paperchase, Doc Marten's, Travelodge and New Look. In 2006, it became majority shareholder in All3Media, where, spookily, another BBC non-exec Steve Morrison was CEO.  It bought for £320m and sold for £550m in 2014. 

He was knighted in 2016; papers noted he had donated £10,000 to Britain Stronger in Europe. Since July 2020 he's chaired the Arts Council's Culture Recovery Fund, spookily working with Sir Nicholas Serota. 

At Permira he played sweeper for the Private Equity All Stars, building on playing for Cambridge University.  He's a non-executive of the PGA European Tour, and chairs their Ryder Cup Committee; he's reported to play off a 12 handicap.  

Embed from Getty Images