Biographies

Charles Allen, Executive Chairman, Granada plc Age 43. Chief Executive Granada Group, Chairman Granada Television, GMTV, London Weekend Television, Yorkshire Television, Tyne Tees Television, Forte Hotels, Granada Restaurants and Services and Granada Technology. Director ONdigital. Joined Granada 1991 as Chief Executive Granada Leisure; Chief Executive Granada Television 1992; Chairman Granada Leisure and Services 1993; Chief Executive London Weekend Television 1994; Deputy Chairman GMTV 1994. Previous career includes British Steel Corporation, TM Group, Grand Metropolitan and Compass Group. Non-executive director, Tesco. Joined Group Board 1992. Appointed in February this year as Chairman of the 2002 Commonwealth Games.

Sir George Russell, Non-Executive Deputy Chairman, Granada plc SIR GEORGE RUSSELL, CBE Sir George Russell was born in the North East of England in 1935, and educated at Gateshead Grammar School and Durham University where he read politics and economics.  He is married, with three daughters. In 1985 he was awarded the CBE, and seven years later received a Knighthood in June 1992. His early career was with ICI in the UK, Welland Chemical in Canada, and Alcan Aluminium Ltd in Canada, from where he was transferred back to the UK to set up the aluminium smelter and power complex in Lynemouth, Northumberland.  After carrying out the merger of Alcan Aluminium UK Ltd with British Aluminium Plc he set up British Alcan Aluminium Ltd, one of the major aluminium companies in Europe. During this period, Sir George was a member of the Northern Industrial Development Board, a board member of the Northern Sinfonia Orchestra and the Washington Development Corporation.  He became a Director of the Northern Rock Building Society in 1985; served on the Board of Civil Service Pay and Conditions in 1982, and the Widdicombe Committee of Inquiry into the Conduct of Local Government in 1986. He was a Member of the Independent Broadcasting Authority for seven years until the end of 1986.  In January 1987, he was appointed Deputy Chairman of Channel Four Television and, in 1988, Chairman of Independent Television News, but resigned from both boards upon his appointment as Chairman of the Independent Broadcasting Authority from 1 January 1989 to 31 December 1990.  He continued to serve as Chairman of the Independent Television Commission from 1 January 1991 to 31 December 1996. Sir George was a visiting professor to the Department of Engineering at Newcastle University.  He has been awarded Honorary Doctorates: at the University of Newcastle, for Engineering, in 1985; at the University of Northumbria, for Business Administration, in 1992; at the University of Sunderland, for Civil Laws, in 1995, and the University of Durham, for Civil Laws, in 1997. He is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music, a Companion of the British Institute of Management, a Fellow of the Institute of Directors and a Fellow of the Institute of Industrial Managers.  He was a member of the CBI Council in 1984 and 1985, and served as a Trustee of the Beamish Museum Trust and the Thomas Bewick Birthplace Trust. Sir George joined, Marley plc as Chief Executive in 1986 and was appointed Chairman in June 1989, retiring in 1997.  He was invited to join the world board of Alcan Aluminium Ltd., Montreal, in April 1987 on which he served until October 2000.  He chaired the Northern Development Company from 1994 until January 2000. In 1992 he joined the Board of 3i Group plc, and chaired the company from 1993 until December 2001.  He was Chairman of Camelot Group plc from 1995 until January 2002; and a Director of British Alcan plc from 1997 to December 2001. Sir George currently continues to serve on the Board of Northern Rock plc; and in 1992 he was appointed to the Board of Taylor Woodrow plc where be became Deputy Chairman in 2000. He is now also involved with technology venturing, and joined the Boards of KPIT Infosystems UK Ltd in December 2001 and Tridos Solutions, where he is Chairman, in July 2002.  Since March 2002 he has chaired the Competitiveness Committee of the European Association of Metals; and he became a director of the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust in July 2002. He will play a significant role in assisting the Board of Granada to manage the regulatory issues and industry consolidation opportunities created by the new Communications Bill.

Henry Staunton, Finance Director, Granada plc Age 52. Joined Granada Group in 1993 as Finance Director, previously a Senior Audit Partner in Price Waterhouse. He is a non-executive director of EMAP and Ashtead Group. He is also a Director of ONdigital.

Graham Parrott, Commercial Director, Granada plc Age 50. Joined Granada Group in 1973; Group Company Secretary 1988 and appointed to the Board in 1992. Appointed Commercial Director Granada May 2000. Chairman Granada Pension Scheme, Director of GMTV Ltd and a non-executive director of Independent Television News Ltd.

Simon Shaps, Managing Director, Granada Content Age 43. Head of Current Affairs LWT 1990; Controller of Factual Programmes 1993; Director of Programmes LWT 1996; Director of Programmes, Granada TV and Director of International Factual Programmes Granada 1997; Managing Director Granada Productions January 2000; Managing Director Granada Broadband May 2000.

Mick Desmond, Managing Director, Granada Enterprises Age 41. Joined Granada 1988, appointed Deputy Sales Director 1989; Executive Sales and Marketing Director 1992; Managing Director of the Time Exchange 1994; appointed Chief Executive of Laser 1994, re-named Granada sales in 1998. He is also Deputy Managing Director of Granada Broadcasting. Chairman of the ITV Agency Committee.

Jules Burns, Managing Director of Operations, Granada plc Age 50. Joined Granada Television in 1976; Director of Business Affairs 1998; Board of Granada Television as Director of Programmes and Management Services and Managing Director of Granada Enterprises in 1993; Joint Managing Director of Granada Television 1994; Managing Director Divisional Operations 1995; Joint Managing Director of Granada Productions 1996; Managing Director, Operations 2000. Chairman Granada Sky Broadcasting; Board of Manchester United TV, Home Shopping channel, Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester and Liverpool Football Club.