Charles Allen, Baron Allen of Kensington
Charles Allen, Baron Allen of Kensington | |
|---|---|
| Born | Charles Lamb Allen January 4, 1957 |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, broadcaster, chairman |
| Years active | 1991–present |
| Known for | CEO of Granada Group, CEO of ITV plc, chairman of Balfour Beatty, Invictus Games, THG plc, Global Radio; Advisory Chairman at Moelis & Company; chair of British Red Cross; chair of British Horseracing Authority (from 2025) |
Charles Lamb Allen, Baron Allen of Kensington (born 4 January 1957) is a prominent British entrepreneur, broadcaster, and chairman of several organizations including Balfour Beatty, Invictus Games, THG plc, and Global Radio. He also holds the position of Advisory Chairman at Moelis & Company. Allen's executive career includes serving as CEO of the Granada Group from 1996 to 2000, acting as executive chairman of Granada Media plc between 2000 and 2004, and leading ITV plc as CEO from its inception in 2004 until 2007. His leadership experience extends to chairing the music company EMI and holding senior roles at Endemol, 2 Sisters Food Group, and ISS. Additionally, he has been a non-executive director for both Tesco and Virgin Media. In March 2012, Labour Party leader Ed Miliband appointed him chairman of the party’s executive board. He has also served as chair of the British Red Cross.
Education
Allen attended Bellshill Academy, a state secondary school located in Bellshill, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. He did not pursue higher education and has described his professional path as "an amazing journey," despite leaving school at age 17 without immediate employment.
Career
Beginning his tenure at Granada plc in 1991 as CEO of Granada Television, Allen rose to become Group Chief Executive by 1996. During his leadership, he orchestrated major acquisitions including the £3.9 billion purchase of Forte Group in 1996, along with London Weekend Television in 1994 and Yorkshire-Tyne Tees Television in 1999. In 2001, Granada merged with Compass to form Granada Compass; this entity subsequently split into Granada Media plc and Compass Group, with Allen continuing at Granada as Executive Chairman. After the 2004 merger between Granada and Carlton Communications created ITV plc, Allen was appointed Chief Executive Officer. He resigned from ITV in 2006 after a fifteen-year period with the company.
Between 2006 and 2008, Allen acted as chief advisor to the British Home Office. His advisory experience includes senior roles at Goldman Sachs Private Equity and executive positions such as non-executive director at Endemol and Virgin Media, alongside serving as executive chairman of EMI.
As of 2018, he holds chairmanships at ISS Group, 2 Sisters Food Group, and Global Group—the owner of radio brands including Capital, Heart, Classic FM, LBC, Radio X, and Gold—and functions as advisory chairman for Moelis & Company.
Allen’s leadership also encompasses significant sporting events: he chaired the organizing committee for the 2002 Commonwealth Games; contributed to London’s successful bid for the 2012 Olympics; participated on the London Organising Committee for both Olympic and Paralympic Games; and fulfilled duties as Mayor of the Olympic Village.
In May 2021, Allen assumed the role of chairman at Balfour Beatty construction group, succeeding Philip Aiken. Following governance issues at THG plc in March 2022, he replaced Matt Moulding as chairman. Furthermore, in November 2024 it was announced that Allen will become chair of the British Horseracing Authority starting June 2025.
Honours
Allen was awarded a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2003 New Year Honours recognizing his contributions to the XVII Commonwealth Games held in 2002. He received a knighthood in the 2012 New Year Honours for his services connected to the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics.
On 1 August 2013, he was named a Labour peer in the House of Lords and was formally created a Life Peer on 2 October 2013 with the title Baron Allen of Kensington, referencing Kensington within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.
In May 2016, Allen joined the Lords Communications Committee as a member.
He was granted the Freedom of the City of Liverpool in 2005.
Personal life
Allen lives in Kensington alongside his partner of more than two decades, Michael, who works as an architect.