Rhodri Talfan Davies

Chair

Rhodri Talfan Davies became Chair of the Board of Trustees on 30 April 2025.

I am delighted to have been appointed Chair of BBC Media Action's Board of Trustees.

Since January 2021, I have been the BBC’s Director of Nations*. I also sit on the BBC’s Executive Committee.

In my executive role, I lead the BBC’s work serving national and local audiences across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. I also lead the BBC’s Across the UK strategy to decentralise the organisation across the country, as well as the BBC's deployment of Generative AI (artificial intelligence) technology.

The BBC Nations division is one of the largest in the BBC and produces a range of content across TV, radio and online for audiences in the devolved nations and, locally and regionally, in England. I lead the teams responsible for the UK’s biggest news show (the regional BBC One 6.30pm bulletins); a network of 45 local and nations radio stations; and a range of local online services that connect with almost 20m users each week.

For the last 30 years, I have been focused on developing local broadcasting and media services in communities across the UK. And the parallels with the work of BBC Media Action are striking - championing local media that audience trust, delivering powerful stories and information that can transform communities, and harnessing local knowledge and expertise to drive the biggest possible impact.

So, the chance to play my part, as Chair, in supporting the delivery of trusted media across the world was not an opportunity I had to think twice about.

These are, of course, challenging times for both journalism and international aid in many parts of the world but I am excited and energised about BBC Media Action’s potential to harness the best of the BBC - its expertise, its creativity and its storytelling - to change lives for the better across the world.

* Rhodri is currently seconded to the BBC's Generative AI project until June 2026. During this period an Interim Director, Nations is taking on that role and sitting on the Executive Committee.

* Following recent announcements, Rhodri joins the BBC Board from 1 February 2026 and will serve as the BBC's Interim Director General from 3 April 2026.