Jean-Paul Philippot

Jean-Paul Philippot, President, EBU-UER (European Broadcasting union) / Administrator General, RTBF (Radio télévision belge de la communauté française) (Belgium)

Jean-Paul Philippot is the Director General of Radio Télévision Belge de la Communauté Francaise since February 2002. After obtaining a Degree from the Solvay College of Commerce (Université Libre de Bruxelles/Free University of Brussels) he completed extensive consultancy work for hospitals before joining, in 1989, the Cabinet of Charles Pique, Minister-President of the Brussels-Capital Region.

In 1996 he was appointed executive director of the Brussels Public Hospitals (IRIS). He held this office for six years before entering the audiovisual world and joining RTBF.

Upon taking up the position of Director General at RTBF, Jean-Paul Philippot initiated the Magellan Plan, which provided for a wide ranging financial restructuring of the organization along with a strategic regrouping of the radio and TV channels. Following the successful completion of this plan in 2005 an equally ambitious development plan was launched, with the goal to provide RTBF with a comprehensive modern digital infrastructure. This work was completed in 2009.

After having successful completed his first six-year-term in office, Jean-Paul Philippot was reappointed in 2008 to serve a second six-year term.

Since taking up the post of Director General at RTBF, Jean-Paul Philippot has been very active in the work of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). Prior to taking up the position of EBU President in January 2009, he also served as a member of the EBU Executive Board and prior to that as a member of the EBU Administrative Council.