BBC hires C4 COO Anne Bulford

The BBC has appointed Channel 4’s chief operating officer Anne Bulford as its MD of BBC finance and operations.

The role will combine the two former posts of chief financial officer and chief operating officer, with Bulford to sit on the BBC’s Executive and Worldwide boards.

She will oversee the areas of finance, operations, technology, legal, risk and assurance and property, as well as commercial rights and business affairs.

Her appointment comes after current BBC chief finance officer Zarin Patel said she was stepping down last year, and after the BBC closed its COO post in September.

Bulford joined Channel 4 as group finance director in 2005. She later became acting chief executive and was promoted to COO in 2010. Channel 4 CEO David Abraham will oversee her staff in the interim as Channel 4 looks to put in place a “new leadership structure” for these teams.