S4C names Welsh gov’t official as CEO

Welsh-language pubcaster S4C has appointed a senior executive from the Welsh government as its CEO, replacing outgoing former A+E Networks man Ian Jones.

Owen Evans

Owen Evans will succeed Jones at the head of the Hinterland broadcaster following Jones’s announcement that he will leave later this year after seven years.

Evans is currently deputy permanent secretary to the Welsh government, with responsibility for education and public services, overseeing a budget of £6.6bn (US$8.5bn) and a staff of 1,200. He will take over at S4C on October 1.

He joined the civil service in 2010 as the Welsh Government’s director of higher education, skills and lifelong learning, taking on additional responsibilities in 2012 and again in 2015.

Between 2008 and 2010 he was director of business in the community for Wales, during which time the organisation grew to represent 20% of the Welsh workforce.

For 10 years before that, he worked in various positions at telecoms giant BT, including a period as a member of the team responsible for developing BT’s broadband strategy.

S4C’s chairman Huw Jones said: “We are very fortunate to be able to appoint as S4C’s leader for the coming years someone who has demonstrated his ability in so many fields.

“Owen has shown more than once during his career the ability to adapt and take on major new responsibilities, including in the field of technology and the Welsh language.

“He is a highly respected leader with particular experience of building partnerships. Together with the talented people already working at S4C, we can look forward to the future with confidence.”