Sir William

The FT tells us that Sir Damon Buffini, Dame Sharon White, Sir Jeremy Darroch and Sir Peter Bazalgette have not entered the latest running of the BBC Chair Stakes. 

It says there is an application from current interim chair, Dame Elan Closs Stephens. And it expects there's another from Sir William Sargent.

Sir William, 67 (Clongowes Wood College and Trinity College Dublin) was born in Dublin but raised in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, where he was taught by American nuns. His father then returned to shipbuilding in Ireland. At college, he had a part-time job at Band Centre, a music hire company supplying bands like Thin Lizzy and Van Morrison. He left for England after graduating, working first at HH Electronics in Cambridge. 

His breakthrough came in 1986, setting up Framestore with four friends, applying basic computer programmes to music videos and commercials. The machine they started using, bought from UK company Quantel, was called the Framestore, hence the group's name. Early clients included Radio Rentals and shoe shop Clarks, while its visual effects were also used in videos for Dire Straits and A-ha.

Now Framestore is one of the UK's largest special effects houses. Landmark contributions include Lost In Space, Aslan for Narnia films, War Horse, The Golden Compass, Dobby for the Harry Potter series, Quantum of Solace, and Gravity.  

In 2005 he was brought into the Cabinet Office to lead on high-definition tv policy, leading to work on 'Better Regulation' and a period as non-executive director at the Treasury. It brought his knighthood in 2008. He stepped down as Framestore CEO last yet, but still is CEO and Chair of Framestore Company 3, colour-grading and post-production specialists, acquired in 2020, 

He's a Spurs fan. 

One presumes both William and Elan will get test questions at the interview on definitions of terrorism.