Recognising change and being willing to embrace it is essential for good leadership and governance.
That was the message from Professor Emerita Dame Elan Closs Stephens CBE in her keynote address to a sell-out audience at Cardiff Business Club, held at The Classroom Restaurant at Cardiff and Vale College.
The broadcast industry is going through a “seismic change”, said Dame Elan, who was the Acting Chair of the BBC Board and Chair of the BBC’s Commercial Holding, as well as holding leadership positions with S4C, the British Council in Wales, and the British Film Institute.
She currently serves as the Electoral Commissioner for Wales and Chair of the Public Leaders Forum and is also Pro Chancellor of Aberystwyth University.
Dame Elan told Business News Wales that while societal changes meant public service broadcasting had to adapt, it still plays a key role:
Dame Elan said that she believed the BBC licence fee was still the correct funding model, although it will need modernising to fit with changing audience demands. A subscription model was not the right fit, she said, because it would rely on everyone having equal access to broadband rather than entire regions receiving a television signal via a transmitter.
Ensuring that the UK retains ownership of some major broadcasters is crucial to maintain a healthy television and film production sector in the country, she said. Some major streaming platforms currently spend a lot of money producing British-based content because of the competition they face from the likes of the BBC. If this competition were removed she would fear for the creative industry more widely.
“Ownership matters, and the licence fee is a form of ownership,” she said.
Dame Elan also called for a ‘radical’ look at the funding model of the higher education sector, saying:
“Somebody has to grapple with the fact that the funding model we've got at the moment isn't working. We need another radical look at what we're doing.
“I'm all for the radical.”
The next event in the club’s calendar will be a dinner with Tony Mahoney, Chairman of St. Julian’s Advisory, on Tuesday March 18 at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff from 6pm to 9.30pm.
Tony is widely regarded as a “specialist all-rounder,” with a proven track record in growing businesses, managing risk, and transforming organisations. His career highlights include leading HSBC UK, driving a two-year transformation project as CEO of BankDhofar in Oman, and founding St. Julian’s Advisory Ltd, where he now leads strategic advisory projects on mergers, acquisitions, and IPOs.
Tickets are available at https://cardiffbusinessclub.org/event/tony-mahoney-chairman-st-julians-advisory/
