A former BBC executive and programme maker with 25 years track record as a reporter, producer, editor and senior editorial leader.

As Head of BBC Yorkshire (1997 to 2004) achievements included -

• Turning round the viewing figures for the BBC's nightly news programme, Look North, which previously attracted only half the audience of its ITV rival to a position where it enjoyed double the audience.
• Setting up a new regional operation in Hull to provide a more localised service for East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.
• Leading the introduction of new BBC services (Including local websites) and the building of four new BBC studio centres in Leeds, Hull, Sheffield and Bradford.
• Managing a 20million operation with 400 staff through periods of expansion and severe contraction including major redundancy programmes.

Earlier BBC Career included the following roles -

• Head of BBC North West (1995-7) revamping North West Tonight and hiring Krypton Factor host, Gordon Burns, as its new presenter.
• Editor of BBC GMR (Greater Manchester Radio) (1993-5) including a major revamp of the station.
• Assistant Editor (Producer) BBC North West; (1989-93); working on news, current affairs and documentary programmes including the launch of new political programmes when the televising of Parliament began.
• On the road reporter and producer (1983-89) including working for Newsnight, Brass Tacks, File on 4, On the Line and national and regional news.

BBC career highlights included -

• Coverage of numerous major news stories including the Manchester and Warrington IRA bombings, the Moors Murder Search on Saddleworth Moor.
• Documentaries and feature programmes on subjects as diverse as the safety of the Channel Tunnel, sexism in the police force and walking in the Lake District.
• Part of winning teams at the Sony Radio and Royal Television Society Awards.

Skills and expertise acquired include -

• Developing strategic visions and policy making
• Taking difficult editorial decisions
• Leading creative teams to deliver original programme-making
• Organising complex logistical operations to make programmes
• Leading significant organisational change
• Presenting, reporting and interviewing on TV and radio

A successful leader of a major cultural institution during a period of great change as Director of the National Media Museum in Bradford from 2004 to 2012.

Achievements included -

• Redrawing the scope of the Museum to embrace a wider media remit from its original brief of photography, film and television resulting in its renaming as the National Media Museum in 2006.
• Opening three major new galleries about television, computer games and the world's first museum gallery about the impact of the internet.
• Helping to drive the bid to make Bradford the world's first UNESCO City of Film
• Winning agreement for the building of a gallery in London to showcase the Museum's collections in partnership with the Science Museum due to open in 2013.
• Leading major reorganisations of the museum structure to deal with funding reductions and changing priorities.

TheNational Media Museumis one of the country’s leading and most popular museums -

• Holding a world-class collection of more than 3.5 million media objects and images.
• Regularly attracting over 500,000 visitors a year.
• Producing critically-acclaimed exhibitions and festivals.
• Includingeight floors of galleriesand three cinemas including Britain's first IMAX screen.
• Hosting the BBC’s Bradford studio.
• Running an extensive learning programme.
• Belonging to the Science Museums Group(along with the Science Museum, the National Railway Museum and the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester).

Skills and expertise acquired include -

• Developing and delivering major strategic change.
• Persuading and influencing key stakeholders of the merits of a new vision.
• Playing a key role in fundraising for new projects.
• Leading major cultural projects and cultural teams.
• Working in partnership with a wide range of organisations and people.
• Delivering major organisational changes including managing major change programmes.
• Knowledge of a wide range of media and their histories as well as extensive media contacts.

An experienced trustee and non-executive director of a range of organisations. Current roles are -

Bradford Districts Clinical Commissioning Group - Vice-Chair and lay member of the Board running the new GP-led NHS commissioning structure in Bradford.

Green Screen Productions - non-exec director of the Yorkshire-based film production and studio company

Yorkshire and North East Film Archives –Chair of the Yorkshire Film Archive since September 2006 and a Trustee since 2001. The Archive is regarded as one of the most successful regional film archives in the country.

University of York Court–appointed a member of the Court of the University of York in 2010.

Bradford City of Film Board –-part of the successful bid team which won UNESCO City of Film status for Bradford.

Bradford Prosperity and Regeneration Partnership Board - part of the local strategic partnership for Bradford

Previous roles include the following -

Advertising Standards Authority –From 2005 to 2011 as a member of the ASA Council responsible for adjudicating each week on complaints about advertising as well as playing a role in the governance of the organisation.

West Yorkshire Tourism Partnership – Board member helping develop tourism in the region

Kraszna-Krausz Foundation - trustee of the Foundation which promotes the publication of books about the still and moving image.

Creative Partnerships, Bradford  - Chair of the Arts Council-led project for bringing schools and the creative sector closer together);

Also a Director of Arts and Business, Yorkshire, a Trustee of Speakeasy (a speech-therapy charity in Greater Manchester) and also an adviser to Macmillan Cancer Relief.

Skills and expertise acquired include -

• Chairmanship
• Financial audit 
• Remuneration and appointment of senior staff
• General governance experience
• Experience of a wide range of sectors including advertising, tourism, regeneration and education.

Lord (Chris) Smith, Chairman of the Advertising Standards Authority, said - "Colin was an outstanding member of the ASA Council for six years. He brought wisdom and clear advocacy to the Council table. He enhanced our understanding of media issues; he challenged us with innovative ideas and he was the voice of plain commonsense."

Di Burton, MD of award-winning Cicada Communications, said -–“ I have seen Colin speak on many occasions. Not only is he highly knowledgeable about his subject, but his light touch makes him an engaging speaker. He is fiercely intelligent and handles questions from the floor with aplomb. I have no hesitation in recommending him as a business speaker and as a chairman for panels”

Sue Howard, Director of the Yorkshire Film Archive, said - "Colin is a strategic thinker who always sees the bigger picture and understands the issues".

Liz Green, BBC Radio Leeds presenter said - "A great contributor; informed, measured, witty and with a wealth of media knowledge which is rooted in real experience. A BBC background with a commercial edge makes his overview of the media unique. A good talker who will tell it exactly as it is."