This is taken from People Management:

BBC’s Lucy Adams ‘excited’ by amended role
People director to leave executive board but gain more operational responsibilities
by James Brockett
Publication date: 19 October 2010
Source: PM Online

BBC director of people Lucy Adams has said she fully supports reorganisation plans announced this month which will mean she no longer sits on the corporation’s executive board.

Under the plans announced by director-general Mark Thompson, Adams will sit on the new BBC Operating Committee rather than the main executive board. Peter Salmon, director of BBC North, will make a similar move, while deputy director-general Mark Byford and marketing and communications director Sharon Baylay leave the BBC as their posts are made redundant.

But far from being a demotion, Adams told PM that her role had actually expanded, as she will take on further responsibilities in the operations field. These include oversight of the property portfolio BBC Workplace, responsibility for health and safety, and control over more aspects of the corporation’s move to Salford.

“The concept of having a smaller executive board and then having a management committee that oversees the day to day running of a company is one that you have in most big businesses – Marks and Spencer, Tesco and so on –it’s very common,” Adams told PM.

“Mark has been very clear that the BBC needs to lead from the top on streamlining and removing layers of management, and that’s why we have this 20 per cent reduction in our senior management population. In any change like this there are going to be consequences for individuals and sadly it means some roles going and colleagues leaving. But personally, I’m excited about taking on a bigger role including areas that I haven’t dealt with before – I support it and it’s the right thing for the BBC.”

She confirmed that she would continue to report to director-general Mark Thompson on people issues, and that she would only report to chief operating officer Caroline Thomson on the new operations aspects of her role. It was therefore a mistake to think that HR would lose status or influence as a result of the changes, she said.

“In terms of the influence of HR, we recognise that everything we are going to be doing over the next few years will have HR at its heart,” said Adams. “The BBC is nothing but its people and we won’t lose sight of everything they do on a daily basis that goes towards making it such a successful brand.”

It is understood that Adams’ salary will be unaffected by the changes, which come into force in April.