Bureau announces Rozina Breen as new CEO and Editor in Chief

The Bureau of Investigative Journalism is delighted to announce the appointment of Rozina Breen as its new CEO and Editor in Chief.

Rozina, who joins the Bureau from the BBC, is a passionate believer in the power of public interest reporting. Her determination to open up crucial information in creative ways for different audiences is underpinned by years of experience managing local to global newsrooms.

It is an exciting period of growth and development for our award-winning team. Rozina’s strengths and experience will drive the organisation to deliver on its ambition to be a world-leading investigative newsroom driving change. She will be supported by our senior management team including Meirion Jones, the Bureau’s Editor.

Rozina says: “I am thrilled to be joining the Bureau, a formidable and fiercely ambitious team pioneering local to global investigations that have impact across the UK and around the world.

“Public interest journalism has always been a force for good, and access to trustworthy information and facts is more important than ever in today’s complex world.

“The Bureau’s transformation and success under Rachel Oldroyd has been outstanding. I am hugely proud to be leading the organisation to fulfil its potential in this next exciting chapter.”

The Bureau was set up by the former investigative journalist Elaine Potter and her husband David, who both serve on the board. Elaine said: “We are delighted to welcome Rozina to lead the Bureau at this key moment in the organisation’s development. We founded the Bureau at a time when newsrooms were being hollowed out and in the belief that democracy itself was imperilled in the absence of watchdog journalism. That was 12 years ago. Though the world has changed since then, the need for journalism rooted in truth and accountability has only increased.

“The Bureau is rising to that challenge and has expanded significantly in the last four years. Rozina’s breadth and depth of management and innovation experience, together with her deep commitment to improving accountability through reporting, will be invaluable in steering our success in this next phase.”

Rozina has more than a decade's experience leading newsrooms and pioneering collaborations, partnerships and new digital platforms. She is leaving her position heading up the BBC in the north of England, where she led editorial teams and operations. Previously she was Head of News at BBC Radio 5 Live, running the UK’s largest network newsroom outside London and commissioning and overseeing complex and award-winning multi-platform current affairs journalism. She has also worked for BBC World Service, expanding its digital reach to global audiences.

Rozina is also a committed champion of driving diversity and inclusion in our news industry, and brings experience and ideas to strengthen this core value at the Bureau.

James Lee, chair of the Bureau’s board, said: “The Bureau has grown in relevance and stature under Rachel’s outstanding leadership. We now have a brilliant editorial team that is poised to take us into a new and exciting stage of our development. I am absolutely convinced that Rozina has all the skills that we need to lead them forward.”