Background
Smith, JOHN was born on February 25, 1957 in Wheeling, West Virginia, United States.
Smith, JOHN was born on February 25, 1957 in Wheeling, West Virginia, United States.
Wheeling College (Bachelor of Science, summa cum laude, 1979). West Virginia University College of Law (Juris Doctor, 1982). Member, West Virgina University Law Review, 1981-1982.
Articles Editor, The Journal of College and University Law, 1982.
Order of the Barrister. Moot Court Board.
He worked for British Rail Engineering Limited, Sealink, Seaspeed Hovercraft, and other companies owned by the BR Group. He joined the British Broadcasting Corporation in 1989, becoming the British Broadcasting Corporation"s Finance Director in 1996. In April 2000, he became Director of Finance, Property & Business Affairs, adding Property, Procurement and Programme Rights to his portfolio.
In June 2004, he became the British Broadcasting Corporation"s Chief Operating Officer.
He undertook the Commercial Review of all the British Broadcasting Corporation"s commercial activities and was responsible in 2004 for the sale of British Broadcasting Corporation Technology to Siemens Business Services, and in 2005, he led the sale of British Broadcasting Corporation Broadcast to Creative Broadcast Services Limited, a Macquarie Company. This company became Red Bee Media.
In July 2004, John Smith took the helm at British Broadcasting Corporation Worldwide and was confirmed as Chief Executive Officer in March 2005. After taking over as Chief Executive Officer, Smith doubled British Broadcasting Corporation Worldwide’s turnover and quadrupled its profits.
He geographically diversified the business so that it had a more international focus.
Under Smith British Broadcasting Corporation Worldwide was the largest television distributor outside of United States companies and became Europe’s largest television channel operator with over 360m subscribers to its British Broadcasting Corporation-branded portfolio of channels. Under Smith, British Broadcasting Corporation Worldwide created new relationships with United Kingdom independent television producers and set up an international production business producing television format hits such as Dancing with the Stars and Top Gear. In 2007, British Broadcasting Corporation Worldwide launched the commercial international website - bbc.com - which came into profit one year ahead of schedule and now has three international edition attracting 60 million unique users.
The business has developed apps around its brands which have resulted in 25 million downloads and has attracted 23 million fans to its social media sites.
Smith also oversaw the successful launch of the British Broadcasting Corporation’s new commercial Global iPlayer pilot which is currently in 16 countries around the world, as well and the opening of the Doctor Who Experience, an interactive exhibition, which was seen by a quarter of a million visitors in London. lieutenant has since been moved closer to the spiritual home of Doctor Who in Cardiff Bay, where it has recently opened up its doors to the public.
John is a Director of the Henley Festival and Vice-President of the Royal Television Society. He is also non-executive director at Burberry and a Fellow of both the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants and the Royal Society of Arts (Republic of South Africa ).
In 2004, he received an honorary Fellowship from the Royal Institute of British Architects (in the same year as John Prescott).
He was a member of the Accounting Standards Board for three years between 2001 and November 2004, the Her Majesty Treasury Public Services Productivity Panel, and a non-executive director of Severn Trent plc and Vickers Public Limited Company. John was a Council Member between 1996-1999.