Board

Andrew was Chairman of the University of Bedfordshire which under his tenure was awarded The Queen’s Award for Enterprise. He founded and commercialised a number of media and technology businesses: Saffron Digital established itself as a global leader in mobile content delivery and the management and distribution of digital content of film and TV for mobile, and Andrew was founder and Executive Chairman at LP33.TV. Previous positions have included President of Electrolux Home Products (EHP) International; CEO of EMI and Virgin Music Group Asia-Pacific; CFO of the Virgin Music Group; Head of Strategic Analysis at Safeway plc and various roles at BP Exploration.

Ian brings considerable knowledge and experience of delivering growth and value in the global media sector. His core expertise is in building high-value and commercially innovative partnerships. During his five years at BBC Worldwide, he rose to become Executive Vice President and General Manager for one of seven global regions. Most recently, Ian covered the UK, Ireland, Nordic and Baltic countries as Senior Vice President and Managing Director for Turner (formerly Turner Broadcasting). He previously held senior commercial posts at A&E Europe and Viacom Asia.

Stephen started his public company career as a founder of Eidos plc where his positions included Managing Director and Director of Video Technology. He founded and successfully floated Blackbird plc, where his combination of expertise in technology, business and finance has been instrumental in the evolution of the company. Stephen spends time presenting his revolutionary ideas to public audiences, both at exhibitions and in the press.

Stephen is an experienced commercial Finance Director with extensive experience in the media sector. He joined from Comcast where he spent over 4 years working in the Networks division at NBC Universal. His most recent position was Vice President of Finance for the UK and Emerging Markets (EMEA) region where he oversaw the day to day finance operations including all reporting and business planning. He was a key member of the senior management team, business partnering with all operational departments, ensuring aligned strategies and driving both short-term and long-term profitability. Prior to Comcast, Stephen held senior finance positions at BBC Worldwide, Jetix Europe and Disney having qualified as a Chartered Accountant at Ernst & Young.

Dawn is a veteran of the media industry, having worked in television for over 30 years, holding senior positions with the majority of the United Kingdom’s commercial broadcasters. Most recently, she spent three years as CEO of Getty Images, prior to which she spent two years as Senior Vice President at Yahoo! Inc EMEA, where she led the Company’s operations in the region. Dawn has held leadership positions at many major UK media companies, including President of a unit of RTL Group, Channel 5’s parent company, and Chairwoman and CEO of Channel 5, where she oversaw all operations. She also worked as Managing Director of Global Content at ITV where she oversaw its UK and international production and content businesses.

David is currently a Director of Talisman Management Limited, a management advisory company for private equity groups. He brings experience in retail, consumer and B2B services sectors, as well as technology experience to the board of Blackbird. Previously he was CEO of Swets Information Services for four years, a global media business providing services to publishers and libraries around the world. He has held a key board position with Gus Home Shopping, the largest home shopping company in the UK and was also a partner with Bain & Company in the UK and North America.

John Honeycutt is a global Information and Media Technology leader who is an expert in cloud services, supply chain logistics and cyber security. John has significant international experience in business strategy and operations, mergers and acquisitions, transformation and large-scale project delivery across all aspects of the media industry. John has held senior roles with Google, Discovery, Fox and Liberty Media and is an Adjunct Professor and guest lecturer at American University in Washington, DC.