CBBC appoints new chief executive

The CBBC Board has appointed Andrew Seaton as chief executive, in succession to Matthew Rous who is standing down at the end of June

Andrew was until June 2020 the executive director of the British Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, an international business membership organisation. Prior to that, Andrew had a distinguished career as a diplomat, including roles as British Consul General in Hong Kong, Consul General in Chicago, and as Head of the China Department at the FCDO.  Andrew is a Mandarin speaker and brings to CBBC immense knowledge not just of China but of British commercial interests overseas. He will start work on Tuesday, 1 June.

In a note to members, Sherard Cowper-Coles, chair of the CBBC board, said: “I would like to take this opportunity to thank Matthew Rous for his service to CBBC, and to pay tribute to everything he has accomplished in nearly four years as Chief Executive. Under his direction, CBBC helped British businesses to achieve export wins worth more than £2.5 billion; developed new commercial services such as China Gateway and China Navigator; launched a new Premium Tier Membership programme; and introduced our innovative new Digital Assistant Chen. This is a strong legacy.”