BBC names Bérangère Michel CFO while Rachel Jupp takes senior current affairs role

Bérangère Michel (left) and Rachel Jupp

UK public broadcaster the BBC has announced two senior leadership appointments, with Bérangère Michel named group chief financial officer (CFO) and Rachel Jupp becoming director of news documentaries and longform journalism.

Michel will be responsible for the overall BBC financial strategy, with a remit across BBC Public Service, BBC Studios and the corporation’s commercial subsidiaries. She will play a leadership role and sit on both the executive committee and, for the first time, the board. She will report to the director-general and take up the role in early January.

She had a 16-year career at retail group the John Lewis Partnership, where she held senior roles including CFO, customer service executive director, operations director and finance and strategy director.

Prior to that, Bérangère spent 11 years at Royal Mail Group in finance, change and strategy roles, including as finance director of the property division.

Outgoing director-general Tim Davie said: “Bérangère brings a wealth of experience from her time at the John Lewis Partnership and will play a critical role in shaping our new financial strategy. I’m pleased to welcome her to the BBC, and to both the executive committee and board.

“Bérangère’s appointment to this expanded role comes at an important time for the BBC, as we look ahead to charter renewal and continue to accelerate our transformation to deliver outstanding value for our audiences.”

Samir Shah, BBC chair, said: “The role of group chief financial officer will be hugely important as we build a BBC for the future, and I look forward to welcoming Bérangère to the board.”

Michel said: “I am delighted to be joining the BBC, an institution whose purpose and mission I have always admired. It’s a privilege to be part of shaping its exciting future at such a crucial moment and I cannot wait to get started.”

Jupp takes up a new role created after a review into the controversy surrounding the BBC documentary Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone.

Starting in January, she will shape the strategic vision and direction for the BBC’s longform journalism and current affairs output. She will also sit on the BBC News board.

Jupp has been promoted from her previous role as editorial executive on the BBC’s Washington DC-based generative AI team, working on all editorial issues related to the use of the tools.

She has worked in a variety of editorial roles in the BBC, including as editor of Panorama and deputy editor of Newsnight. Prior to that she worked at Channel 4 News and NPR in New York.

Jonathan Munro, interim CEO of BBC News and Current Affairs, said: “Rachel is one of the most experienced leaders in the news industry, with a track record of outstanding work, both inside and outside the BBC.”

Jupp said: “The BBC makes some of the world’s best news documentaries, podcasts and radio programming and it’s a great privilege to be asked to lead the teams behind them.

“People want analysis, in-depth reporting and the best investigative journalism from the BBC and I’m really looking forward to starting this new role, providing editorial and strategic leadership across our longform output.”