Ofcom appoints new Chair and new member to its Advisory Committee for Scotland

Ofcom has today announced the appointment of Elizabeth Partyka as the new Chair of its Advisory Committee for Scotland, and Gerry Crawley as a new member.

Ofcom’s Advisory Committee for Scotland provides advice to Ofcom about the interests and opinions of people living in Scotland on all communications matters. The committee is made up of individuals with a range of expertise relevant to Ofcom’s responsibilities covering telecoms, broadcasting, post, consumer issues and online harms.

Elizabeth joined the Committee on 1 September 2020 and her appointment runs until 31 August 2023. Gerry joined the Committee on 1 March 2021 and his appointment runs until 29 February 2024.

Commenting on the appointments, Ofcom’s Scotland Director, Glenn Preston, said:

“It is great news that Elizabeth Partyka will take on the Chair role of the Advisory Committee for Scotland.  Elizabeth has a strong non-executive background and will bring significant experience of Scotland’s and the wider UK’s public service broadcasting and production landscape.

“We are also delighted to welcome Gerry Crawley to the Advisory Committee.  Gerry’s commercial experience in print, post and multi-channel communications will provide the committee with valuable input at a time of significant change in the post and parcel markets.”

Elizabeth Partyka said:

“I am delighted to be taking on the role of Chair of Ofcom’s Advisory Committee for Scotland.  Having joined the committee in September 2020, I have seen first-hand the important range of business on Ofcom’s plate, from considering a new regulatory regime for online harms,  providing advice to government on the future for public service media, to supporting consumers of telecoms services on affordability issues. I’m looking forward to leading the committee in its role providing advice to Ofcom that reflects the interests of people in Scotland.”

NOTES TO EDITORS:

1. Elizabeth Partyka: Elizabeth has been a member of the Advisory Committee for Scotland since September 2020. She is currently a non-exec Board member of Creative Scotland and previously sat as a Court member of Edinburgh Napier University.  Elizabeth has worked at a wide range of broadcasting and production companies during her career including Radio Clyde, the BBC, Granada TV, Disney and STV.
2. At STV, Elizabeth was Head of Children’s before taking on responsibility for all of STVs network production output, delivering quality drama (Taggart, Rebus) factual, entertainment and children’s. After eight years as Managing Director of STV Productions, she became Channel Controller of STV and Deputy Director of all of STV’s channels.  She was also one of the founders of the broadcasting charity, the STV Appeal. She was awarded the Royal Television Society Scotland Award in 2015 for her contribution to television in Scotland.
3. Elizabeth takes up her role from 1 February 2021 and replaces Liz Leonard who has stepped down from the Committee. Her appointment will run until August 2023.
4. Gerry Crawley: Gerry’s early career was in business development in the print industry with the likes of Moore Paragon and Xerox. He joined Critiqom (an end-to-end data, print, post and multi-channel communications provider with public and private sector clients) as their Sales Director in 2001 and remains a Director in the company having been Acting Chair until Critiqom’s purchase by Opus Trust Communications in December 2019. He has been actively involved with Queen’s Park Football Club for many years and is currently a Board Member having been President between 2018-20.
5. Gerry’s appointment is for a three-year term beginning from 1 March 2021.
6. The Communications Act 2003 requires Ofcom to establish and maintain Advisory Committees for the different Nations of the UK. Section 20 of the Act requires that “each Committee shall consist of a Chairman appointed by Ofcom and such other Members appointed by Ofcom as Ofcom thinks fit”.
7. Recruitment for the Chair and ordinary member roles is done through an open and transparent process and involves an Independent Panel Member.
8. The Scotland members of Ofcom’s Board, Content Board and Communications Consumer Panel also attend meetings of the Advisory Committee for Scotland in an ex officio capacity to ensure all parts of Ofcom’s governance are coordinated in their consideration of communications matters as they effect citizens and consumers in Scotland.