Ashley Highfield...

* Joined BBC in 2000, he is now the Director of Future Media and Technology and a member of the BBC's Executive Board.

* Responsibility: BBC's output on the internet and interactivas mobile, online video distribution and IPTV

* BBC's technology portfolio, research, Information and Archives as well as being charged with leading the BBC's technological innovation through the BBC's Creative R&D team. Tells them what has to be done for the future.

* Number of People visitng BBC (Website) from 4.6 million to 14 million every month

* BBCi, the digital interactive TV service accessed from the red button, is now regularly used in around 40 per cent of all digital TV homes by around 14 million users, up from 1 million in 2000.

* 2003, Ashley recieved a award from the Sunday Times for the Digital Innovator internet. Shows he is very influential.

* 2004, he was official announced the BEST individual in the internet techonology, also he was seen to be very influential.

* Prior to joining the BBC, Ashley worked at Flextech TV, the pay-TV channel provider that later merged with Telewest. Later he then became a managing director for Flextech Interactive .

* Ashley invested in, and was appointed non-executive director to, a number of dot.coms during this time including the highly successful online mapping company MultiMap.com