Our Board comprises highly experienced and visionary business leaders. The company’s vision is to engage, inspire and connect the world through video.
Leading With Purpose
Andrew Bentley
Chairman
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 McDonough
Chief Executive Officer
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.
Dr Stephen Streater
R&D Director
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 White
Chief Operating & Financial Officer
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 Airey
Non-executive Director
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.
Anne de Kerckhove
Non-executive Director
Anne is an experienced international executive with a wealth of experience in technology, B2B and B2C SaaS, Media and Entertainment, e-commerce, marketplaces and digital transformation. She has extensive Non-Executive Director experience of publicly quoted and private companies, including 888 Holdings plc, Eagle Eye Solutions Group plc, 7Digital Group Ltd and Metail Ltd. Anne is an angel investor, mentor, and Limited Partner in over 20 early-stage start-ups and entrepreneurial funds. She actively advocates for women within the technology industry and is a guest lecturer at INSEAD.
Blackbird is best-of-breed
Jon Hanford - Group CTO, Deltatre