He graduated in biological sciences from Cambridge University.
He was previously Controller of CBBC, the department within the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for output aimed at children. Deverell worked for several years in management consultancy before joining the British Broadcasting Corporation, where he was Head of Strategy and Marketing and on the Board of British Broadcasting Corporation News, as Head of News interactive. After taking up his post as CBBC Controller in 2006, Deverell re-aligned CBBC towards a target audience of 6–12 years.
Several popular series were revised or cancelled outright.
Byker Grove ended in 2006 after 18 series, the last being broadcast solely on the digital CBBC Channel. The other teenage darama series, Grange Hill, was removed from British Broadcasting Corporation One in 2007 in favour of exclusive scheduling on CBBC and ceased in 2008, with its last series concentrating on the early years of secondary school in order to fit in with CBBC"s new brief.
In May 2006, Deverell promised there were no plans to alter the format of Grange Hill. He commissioned the very popular In the Night Garden.
The British Broadcasting Corporation"s new programming strand for older children and teenagers launched in the autumn of 2007, but CBBC was criticised for not continuing to provide for this age range until the new service was up and running.
In March 2009 Deverell was named chief operating officer of the British Broadcasting Corporation"s new broadcasting and production centre in Salford Quays. As director of The Royal Botanic Gardens Kew Deverell unveiled unprecedented job cuts in almost all departments. In 2014 he announced job losses of approximately 125 posts across the organisation.