Davy Sims

Education

He lives in Holywood, County Down was educated Saint Patrick"s College, Knock.

Career

From February 2001 to August 2008 he was head of New Media in British Broadcasting Corporation Northern Ireland. He lives in Holywood with wife Dawn. He has two sons Adam and Owen.

His broadcasting career began in February 1979 in Downtown Radio where he established himself as a supporter of the punk and post-punk music from Northern Ireland as well as a pioneering DJ highlighting new and emerging music, playing local indie music releases, giving new bands radio sessions and interviews.

British Broadcasting Corporation career

Joining British Broadcasting Corporation Northern Ireland in April 1986 he launched the Radio Ulster programme The Bottom Lincolnshire (later renamed Across the Lincolnshire) which he produced. He presented the programme once a week.

The main presenter was Mike Edgar former drummer of Cruella de Ville. The programme"s other presenters were Michael Bradley (musician), former bassist with The Undertones and journalist Barry McIlheney.

In 1988 he had a short attachment to Sunday Sequence as presenter.

In 1989 Davy spent six months at British Broadcasting Corporation Radio 4 as a senior producer making social action campaigns for British Broadcasting Corporation Radio 1, including the first Green Week supporting environmental action and documentaries for the project The Radio 4 Generation. Returning to Radio Ulster Davy worked in News and Current Affairs concentrating on international news including the fall of the Berlin Wall and the release of Nelson Mandela. Invited to return to British Broadcasting Corporation Radio 4 in 1991, Davy was appointed Chief Producer leading the social action programme team

At that time he also produced the Radio 1 documentary in God’s Country with presenter Simon Mayo.

From 1992 until 1999 Davy stayed with British Broadcasting Corporation Northern Ireland as a radio producer. In 1999 he became the first Online producer for British Broadcasting Corporation Northern Ireland producing web sites for Ballykissangel, Across the Lincolnshire and On Your Behalf.

In 2001 he was promoted to Editor New Media where he remained until 2008 when he took voluntary redundancy from the British Broadcasting Corporation. Post British Broadcasting Corporation After leaving the British Broadcasting Corporation Davy continued to work in the communication and broadcasting industry. Working with a wide range of businesses in Northern Ireland including Momentum - the representative body for the Northern Ireland Information and communications technology industry - and broadcasting on U105 and British Broadcasting Corporation Radio Ulster.

He was appointed Director of Communications for the Ulster Unionist Party in March 2010.

Achievements

• He had been a member of the board of Momentum the representative body for the Information and communications technology industry in Northern Ireland and is a member of the board of the charity Achieve Enterprises. He has been Head of Social Media at the Northern Ireland charity Public Achievement since January 2011 and runs the WIMPS (Where Is My Public Servant?) project He left to join Public Achievement.

Membership

In 2007 was a founding member of Digital Circle – the representative body for the digital content industry in Northern Ireland - and its Chair in 2009/2010.