BBC tech director to join Very Group as CIO

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Nov 19, 2020

E-tail giant The Very Group has found its new chief information officer (CIO) at the BBC with Matt Grest joining in a month's time and becoming part of the group’s executive board. He’ll report to CEO Henry Birch.

He’ll lead the e-tailer’s 350-strong tech team “as it continues to transform its technology and platforms, enhances access to, and analysis of, data, and further improves ways of working to deliver positive changes to the customer experience”.

While at the BBC, he was in charge of a 400-strong team of technologists as director of digital platforms and oversaw the transformation of the corporation’s digital and broadcast products into a fully integrated tech platform. 

Before that, he was at Sky, where as digital platform director he was responsible for IT delivery and transformation across the company. He also led the creation of Sky’s digital hub in Leeds, “building a team of 650 people within 18 months and implementing new agile ways of working”.

In fact, he has over 20 years’ experience and has also held a range of senior technology roles with Yorkshire Building Society, the NHS and Plusnet.

CEO Birch said that “technology and data underpin everything we do, including the digital journey that keeps our customers coming back. Matt is a talented technologist and leader, with a track record for driving strong performance through tech and new ways of working”.