Mr Guto Bebb appointed as Interim Chair of S4C
The Secretary of State has appointed Mr Guto Bebb as Interim Chair of S4C from 01 April 2024 until 31 March 2025, or until a new substantive Chair has been appointed, whichever is sooner.
Guto Bebb, who lives in Caernarfon, is the Group Managing Director of the Farmers Union of Wales having previously been the Managing Director of FUW Insurance Services Limited. Prior to his work with the FUW Guto was the MP for Aberconwy between 2010 and 2019. He is a former Under Secretary of State for Wales, a former Procurement Minister at the Ministry of Defence and was a Senior Government Whip in both the Cameron and May administrations. In addition to his Ministerial roles Guto was also a long-standing member of the Welsh Affairs Select Committee whilst also being a member of the Public Accounts Committee during his time at Westminster.
Before his election, Guto was a business consultant and company director and worked extensively with private sector businesses and public sector organisations in Wales and the wider UK. He was also involved with advising a number of third sector organisations including numerous cultural and arts initiatives. Guto also co-founded a bookshop in Caernarfon and has an interest in literature and a strong affinity with the Welsh language and culture. An avid record collector he would state that he collected vinyl records long before they became fashionable again.
The process to appoint a new substantive Chair of S4C opened to applications today. This interim appointment has been made whilst this process is run. The Chair of S4C is remunerated at £40,000 per annum. This appointment has been made in accordance with the Cabinet Office’s Governance Code on Public Appointments. The appointments process is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. Under the Code, any significant political activity undertaken by an appointee in the last five years must be declared. This is defined as including holding office, public speaking, making a recordable donation, or candidature for election. Guto Bebb has declared that he was the Conservative Member of Parliament for Aberconwy until 2019.