Leaders in Conversation: BBC DG Tim Davie vs AELTC CEO Sally Bolton

Leaders Sport Business Podcast

An unfiltered discussion between the leaders of the BBC and Wimbledon.

Leaders in Conversation is a new series that puts you in the room, fly-on-the-wall style, for a discussion between the most influential leaders in sports and media. Our first episode is with Tim Davie and Sally Bolton, both of whom took the helm at their historic British institutions just over a year ago.

Tim Davie became Director-General of the BBC on 1^st September 2020. He is the 17^th Director-General of the Corporation. Prior to this, Davie was Chief Executive of BBC Studios, the BBC’s principal commercial subsidiary. Responsible for creating and distributing content globally; Davie led BBC Studios from April 2013. Whilst in the role, he oversaw the merger between the BBC’s production arm and BBC Worldwide, the Corporation’s distribution company, and was responsible for an annual turnover of over £1.4billion.

Sally Bolton is Chief Executive at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, having previously held the roles of Strategic Planning & Operations Director and Head of Corporate Affairs at the Club. Prior to this, Bolton spent two years as Managing Director of the Organising Committee for the London World Athletic Championships in 2017. Bolton assumed this role having led the team that delivered a highly successful Rugby League World Cup in 2013, a role for which she was recognized with the award of an OBE.

In this unmoderated conversation recorded as part of October’s Leaders Week London, the two leaders reflect on the challenges of reforming, modernising and pioneering in what was a fascinating glimpse in to the day-to-day of leading uniquely British establishments.