The Director-General of the British Broadcasting Corporation is chief executive and (from 1944) editor-in-chief of the BBC.

The position was formerly appointed by the Board of Governors of the BBC and is now appointed by the BBC Trust.

• Sir John Reith (1927–1938)
• Sir Frederick Ogilvie (1938–1942)
• Sir Cecil Graves and Robert W. Foot (joint Directors-General, 1942–1943)
• Robert W. Foot (1942–1944)
• Sir William Haley (1944–1952)
• Sir Ian Jacob (1952–1959)
• Sir Hugh Greene (1960–1969)
• Sir Charles Curran (1969–1977)
• Sir Ian Trethowan (1977–1982)
• Alasdair Milne (1982–1987)
• Sir Michael Checkland (1987–1992)
• John Birt (1992–2000)
• Greg Dyke (2000–2004)
• Mark Thompson (incumbent - since June 22, 2004)

External links

• The BBC press office's biographical list of its Directors General

• Portraits of BBC Directors-General