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Lord Ryder of Wensum became vice-chairman of the BBC on 1 January 2002 for a four-year term. He is the former MP for mid-Norfolk and was government chief whip between 1990 and 1995, and retired from the House of Commons in 1997.
Baroness Sarah Hogg was appointed in February 2000 and is the only BBC governor with extensive experience in journalism, having worked for The Economist, The Times and the Daily Telegraph.
Sir Robert Smith was appointed as BBC National Governor for Scotland in August 1999. The former chartered accountant is currently vice chairman of Deutsche Asset Management and a director and chairman designate of The Weir Group.
Professor Fabian Monds has been the BBC National Governor for Northern Ireland since 1999 and was was formerly Provost of Magee College and pro vice-chancellor for planning
in the University of Ulster.
Professor Merfyn Jones is BBC National Governor for Wales, and is a historian and a regular broadcaster in both Welsh and English.
Ranjit Sondhi was appointed to the board as the Chairman of the English National Forum, the advisory body representing licence-payers throughout the English Regions, in August 1998.
Dame Pauline Neville-Jones has been a BBC Governor since January 1998 and was a member of the Diplomatic Service, later working for the Cabinet Office, the Joint Intelligence Committee and the Foreign Commonwealth
Office until her retirement.
Dermot Gleeson was appointed a BBC Governor in November 2000 and is executive chairman of MJ Gleeson Group.
Angela Sarkis is an independent consultant with wide experience of
voluntary organisations and the public sector, and was chief executive of the
Church Urban Fund from 1996 to 2002.
Dame Ruth Deech was a Fellow and Tutor in Law at St Anne's College, Oxford, until she was elected principal of the College in 1991.
Deborah Bull has been a governor since August 2003, and had a 20-year
career with The Royal Ballet until 2001, reaching the rank of principal dancer