ITN names ex-TRT, BBC and Al Jazeera staffer as CTO

UK news broadcaster ITN has named Mohammed Akhlaq as its new chief technology officer.

Mohammed Akhlaq

Akhlaq will join ITN on October 1, having most recently worked with Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT), where he has held senior strategic technology roles since 2016, latterly as a consultant and previously as director of technical operations.

As ITN’s CTO, he will join ITN’s senior leadership team and will lead the technical strategy for the company, guiding the management and development of broadcast operations, technology infrastructure, media management and workflows.

Akhlaq replaces outgoing CTO Bevan Gibson, who is taking up a new role outside of ITN after six years with the company.

Akhlaq began his career in media at the BBC, working in post-production and engineering roles at Pebble Mill Studios before joining cable company NTL as a senior broadcast engineer.

He then returned to the BBC, spending 10 years in senior technical and operations roles in Bristol and London.

He joined Al Jazeera in 2012, first as director of international operations and projects based in Doha, and then as launch director, operations and technology for Al Jazeera America. He also held a number of consultancy roles before joining TRT.

At TRT World and TRT Arabic he led the development and launch of a new data centre as well as the technology operations of the TRT Arabic channel, broadcasting to Arabic-speaking audiences in Turkey and the Middle East.

Anna Mallett, CEO of ITN, said: “I am delighted that Mohammed will be joining the Senior Leadership Team and providing strategic leadership in such an important area for ITN. He has an impressive track record in broadcast technology built over many years in the industry and I know he is looking forward to leading our fantastic Technology team. ITN has a long history of pioneering technical innovation, and Mohammed will bring real expertise, commercial nous and energy to this crucial role.”

Akhlaq said: “I’m really excited to be joining ITN at such a pivotal time. Bevan and the team have done a phenomenal job, not least in how they’ve found solutions to the unique challenges presented by the global pandemic, and I’m looking forward to working with what is clearly a very talented and dedicated team.”