Richard Simon Sharp is an English former banker who has been the chairman of the BBC since February 2021. Following the findings of the Heppinstall report on 28 April 2023 he announced his intention to resign at the end of June 2023 .
Sharp worked at JP Morgan for eight years, and then for 23 years at Goldman Sachs. Broadcaster Jonathan Dimbleby said he had been criticised for helping Boris Johnson secure an £800,000 loan during his tenure as Prime Minister and for not disclosing this during the appointment process at the BBC. He used to be the boss of the current UK Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak at Goldman Sachs. He has donated more than £400,000 to the Conservative Party.
Immediately before coming to the BBC, Sharp served as chairman of the Royal Academy of Arts (2007–2012) and as a member of the Bank of England's Financial Policy Committee (2013–2019).
Commentators had observed that his relationship with Rishi Sunak would probably help him to lead negotiations with the government over the future of the BBC's licence fee.
