BBC Media Action has appointed eight new trustees to its board. The new appointees include Alex Okosi, Managing Director of Google Africa, and Naomi Wass, a Managing Director at Accenture. Anna Sedgley, former CFO for Dow Jones and Bauer Media, joins alongside Hannah Jones, the former inaugural CEO of The Earthshot Prize. The remaining appointments consist of Jim Brady, former vice president for journalism at the Knight Foundation, Jon Zilkha, Controller of BBC World Service English, Michael Madnick, CEO of Mountain Philanthropy Partners LLC, and Samantha Sing, Finance Director of BBC Nations.
The board is chaired by BBC Deputy Director-General Rhodri Talfan Davies. Following these additions, the board now comprises 14 trustees. These individuals provide oversight for the international charity, which operates as a separate entity from the BBC and relies on donor funding for its global operations. The organization provides support to over 400 media outlets across Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the Pacific.
The charity's portfolio includes partnerships with national broadcasters in Ukraine and local radio stations in Afghanistan. These initiatives are designed to provide information to an estimated 250 million people living in crisis or conflict zones. The organization utilizes BBC editorial standards and equipment to support these external media outlets.
The new trustees bring combined experience from the technology, philanthropy, and business sectors. Alex Okosi previously held roles in international media and technology businesses before joining the board. Anna Sedgley currently serves as an independent director for Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. BBC Media Action functions as the international charity arm of the BBC.