Global, the London-based media and entertainment group, has announced that outgoing STV CEO Simon Pitts will be its next group chief executive from the first quarter of 2025.
Global’s portfolio includes radio brands Heart, Capital, LBC, Capital XTRA, Classic FM, Smooth, Radio X and Gold.
Pitts will succeed Stephen Miron, who announced last week he was stepping down as group CEO after 16 years at the helm to become Global’s chairman.
Charles Allen, Global’s current chairman of 17 years, will become senior non-executive director.
Glasgow-based media firm STV Group said on Tuesday that Pitts “informed the board of his decision to step down from his role as chief executive officer over the next twelve months to take up a new appointment beginning in Q1 2025.”
Pitts has been CEO at STV since 2018. Prior to this he spent 17 years at ITV where he was on the executive board for seven years and held a variety of roles including Director of Strategy & Transformation and Managing Director of Online, Pay TV, Interactive & Technology.
Global executive president Ashley Tabor-King said: “I’m delighted to announce and welcome Simon Pitts as Global’s new group CEO from Q1 next year. Simon joins Global with an incredible track record of leadership, growth, and transformation.
“At STV he has led a hugely successful transformation, diversifying revenues and business operations to now include a high-growth streaming service and leading studios group alongside a traditional linear broadcast business, all of which is testament to his leadership skills, and importantly for Global, Simon’s experience of working within a similar business to ours.
“I see in Simon somebody who embodies the qualities needed to be the group CEO at Global. He is a natural leader and his strategic thinking and focus will feel familiar to us as he leads us into the next phase of Global’s life. Simon joins us in Q1 2025.”
Pitts said: “I’m delighted to be joining Global, a company I admire and whose brands I’ve been a fan of for a long time.
“It is unique in the market to have such a diversified portfolio, with digital, audio and outdoor combined with some of the best-loved radio stations in the UK, bringing with it an incredible connection to its audiences.
“It’s also an amazing opportunity to work in a founder-led business that is creative, innovative, and still thinks of itself as a challenger despite its commercial success.
“I’m very much looking forward to working with Ashley, and everyone at Global, as we develop the next phase of the company’s growth story and I feel equally lucky to be able to draw on the wise counsel and immense experience of Stephen and Charles as we grow Global together in the years to come.”