Gill Whitehead
British executive
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Gillian Rosemary Whitehead OBE is a British executive, with experience in digital safety and corporate governance. She is a non-executive director at the British Olympic Association and NatWest Group and chair of the board for the 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup.
Gill Whitehead | |
|---|---|
| Alma mater | University of Oxford (MSc, 2021) |
| Occupations | Executive in technology, media and sports governance. |
Career
Whitehead was a student at King Henry VIII School, Coventry.[1] She trained as an economist, and worked for the BBC, Channel 4 and Google.[2] She has a master's degree in the social sciences of the internet from Oxford University,[3] and is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants.[4]
In November 2021, Whitehead was appointed by Ofcom to be the chief executive officer of the new digital regulators forum, established in response to the proposed Online Safety Act.[5][6] Whitehead was one of several women hired from senior positions in major technology companies to take on this new regulatory role.[7] In late 2022, Whitehead was appointed as Ofcom's Group Director for Online Safety.[4] Whitehead was appointed a non-executive director of the NatWest Group in January 2025.
Sports governance
Whitehead played rugby league for England students, and is a qualified RFU coach. In May 2021, she was appointed as an independent non-executive director of the British Olympic Association.[8] In January 2023, Whitehead was announced as the independent chair of the board for the Rugby World Cup, which was held in England in August and September 2025.[9]
Whitehead was a guest on Cerys Matthews' show on BBC 6 Music on 22 June 2025, as a part of programme celebrating the women's summer of sport.[10]
In December 2025, Whitehead was appointed OBE in the King's New Years Honours list for services to Women's Rugby.[11]