Who is Matt Brittin? Former Google executive, Olympics team member, reportedly named BBC director-general

Former Google boss Matt Brittin has been appointed as the new chief executive of British broadcaster BBC, according to reports on Sunday.

Brittin was appointed as the new director general at the BBC’s board meeting on Thursday, The Times reported, citing people familiar with the matter. An official statement on the issue is expected this week.

In the BBC’s announcement in January, it was announced that current BBC Director-General Tim Davie will leave his post as of April 2. Rhodri Talfan Davies, the broadcaster’s country director, will replace him on an interim basis until a permanent replacement is appointed.

Here’s everything you need to know about the BBC’s new director general, Matt Brittin.

Who is Matt Brittin?

Matt Brittin, 57, was a senior executive at Google before leaving the tech company last year after nearly two decades there. He joined Google in 2007 and rose to become the company’s president of Europe, the Middle East and Africa in 2014.

However, Brittins announced his decision to leave Google in a LinkedIn post last year. “After 18 years at Google and ten leading companies in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, I informed my colleagues today that I have decided to step down in the new year. It has been a tremendous privilege to build our teams, relationships and businesses in this region, and I am inspired by the diversity, intelligence and entrepreneurship of this man,” he wrote in his lengthy post.

According to the Google website, Brittin is an avid rower and has represented Great Britain at the World Championships and the Olympics. He won a bronze medal at the World Rowing Championships in 1989 and was a member of the British Olympic rowing team in Seoul in 1988.

Born in Surrey, Matt Brittin received his undergraduate degree from Robinson College, Cambridge in 1989. He then joined Connell Wilson, a contract surveying firm, for six years and became the company’s assistant manager.

He then left his job to study for an MBA at London Business School, from which he graduated with distinction in 1997.

Shortly after completing his MBA, he joined McKinsey & Co as a consultant.

At Google, Brittin became general manager of Google UK in 2009 and was promoted to the company’s vice president of Northern and Central Europe in 2011. In December 2014, Google reorganized its structure in Europe and consolidated its European divisions under Brittin as head of EMEA Business and Operations.

Matt Brittin married Katherine Betts in 1995 and has two sons with her. He was awarded a CBE in the King’s New Year Honors list earlier this year for his services to technology and the development of digital skills.

Apart from this, Matt Brittin is a non-executive director at Sainsbury’s. The UK Guardian Media Group announced that Brittin will join its board in 2025.

Brittin has still not spoken out about his possible appointment as director general of the BBC, as the news has not yet been made official.