Chris Holmes appointed Channel 4 Deputy Chairman

Britain’s most decorated Paralympic swimmer Lord Chris Holmes has been appointed Deputy Chairman of British broadcaster and Paralympic rights holder Channel 4.

Lord Holmes was already a Non-Executive Director of Channel 4, joining the Board in December 2016. He is now in post as Deputy Chairman and replaces MT Rainey, whose term ended in December 2017.

A four-time Paralympian between Seoul 1988 and Sydney 2000, Holmes won 15 Paralympic medals, including nine golds, during an illustrious swimming career. He was also Non-Executive Director at UK Sport, where he helped develop the strategy which led to Britain’s Olympic and Paralympic success at London 2012 and Rio 2016.

He was LOCOG’s Director of Paralympic Integration, responsible for the team that planned and delivered the London 2012 Paralympic Games, including negotiating broadcasting and commercial deals.

Holmes entered Great Britain’s House of Lords in 2013. His areas of interest include diversity and inclusion, the potential of technology, and culture, media and sport. He co-chairs the all-party groups on fintech and assistive technology, and is a member of the group focusing on the fourth industrial revolution. He has been a member of House of Lords select committees on artificial intelligence, digital skills, social mobility and financial inclusion.

He has more than 25 years’ broadcast experience, and gave his maiden speech in the Lords on the contribution of broadcasting to the UK economy.

Lord Holmes is director of a change, insights and innovation consultancy. He also chairs a London 2012 legacy initiative, the Global Disability Innovation Hub, and is diversity adviser to the civil service. He is Chancellor of BPP University, and a former lawyer at a City firm where he specialised in M&A and pensions law.

Since securing the Paralympic broadcast rights ahead of London 2012, Channel 4 has screened the Sochi 2014, Rio 2016 and PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Games, as well as numerous World and European Championships. The channel has also won multiple domestic and international awards for its Paralympic coverage and promotional campaigns and has developed an array of on and off-screen talent who have an impairment.