Top job at BBC goes to Williams

From January, Ed Williams, currently director of corporate affairs at Reuters, will oversee the BBC’s comms strategy. He will lead the BBC’s press office, corporate, parliamentary affairs and web publishing operations.

Although Williams will report to Tim Davie, director of marketing, comms and audiences, he will also work closely with director-general Mark Thompson, who played a key role in the selection process.

The BBC had a torrid summer, with damaging stories emerging about its work practices, not least Thompson being forced to apologise over a misleading trailer for an interview with the Queen.

Williams, who was once news editor of GMTV and spent six years at Brunswick LLP, replaces the long-serving Sally Osman. She left in September to ‘pursue other interests’. Williams took the top PR job at Reuters in March following Simon Walker’s decision to start advising the private equity industry.

Reuters was understood to be considering its options.