Former Telegraph new media guru appointed ITV head of broadband

ITV has appointed Annelies van den Belt, who masterminded Times Online and the Telegraph's new multimedia developments, as managing director of its broadband team.

Reporting to Jeff Henry, director of ITV Consumer, she will take responsibility for commercial and operational matters for the broadband site, including advertising, content production and commissioning.

Ms van den Belt left her post as head of new media at the Telegraph in November, months ahead of schedule, saying her repositioning of its digital wing had come about quicker than expected.

She had previously spent more than five years working for News International where she launched Times Online.

She will lead ITV's plans for the launch of its broadband portal, thought to be in March this year, which will put video at the heart of the site through making a media player a fixture on every page.

ITV also announced the appointment of two other key senior operational roles. Tanya Lidstone as head of customer experience and Steve White as head of technology.

Jeff Henry said: "Plans for our broadband portal are ambitious and well advanced.  Bringing on board an industry leader like Annelies is a hugely significant step.

"Her skills, combined with the invaluable experience that Tanya and Steve already possess, will ensure that ITV's Broadband service is second to none.  I would like to welcome them to ITV at what is a really exciting time for the business and the consumer team."
 
Annelies van den Belt said: "ITV's strength as a brand and as a content owner is unparalleled in the commercial space. I and the team have an incredibly exciting opportunity to create a world-class broadband presence that will grow ITV's popularity with a new generation."

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