Richard Lace

I first joined BBC Media Action in 2012 and spent nearly a decade in Dhaka, working with our Bangladesh team. I led projects on economic development and resilience – including our BBC Janala work providing accessible English language skills for marginalised people; and our exciting Amrai Pari project, which helped millions of people in Bangladesh better understand and adapt to climate change. I became country director in Bangladesh in 2015 and established our work providing life-saving information and improving accountability for Rohingya refugees and local Bangladeshi communities.

I returned to London at the end of 2020, to take up the role of director of programmes, where I have overall responsibility for BBC Media Action’s global country programmes. My role also involves making sure that all of our content and programming adheres to BBC editorial guidelines, and assuring the quality, compliance and value for money of our projects around the world. I am BBC Media Action’s designated safeguarding officer and have responsibility for the safety and well-being of our staff globally.

Media Action is not my first role within the BBC: I began my career as a project manager in the BBC’s technology team, before moving to launch one of the leading community radio projects in the UK. There, I relished the ability of media to connect different groups of people and contribute to regeneration and social cohesion ambitions. I’ve also worked on a range of smaller multi-media initiatives engaging young people across Africa, Asia, Europe and South America, including some short periods living in western, southern and east Africa.