Paul Mylrea: from the Baron to Auntie

In at the deep end as director of communications at the BBC. Not bad for a journalist who began in local newspapers before joining Reuters and then moved into PR. Paul Mylrea's new job thrust him immediately into the spotlight leading all the corporation's communications for the publication of its controversial budget cuts and accompanying redundancies last week.

Mylrea, pictured, joined the BBC last year as head of press and media relations from the British government's department for international development, where he was communications director. Previously he had worked as director of media relations at Transport for London, where he led communications, and was also head of media for Oxfam.

“All those skills learnt at the knee, well perhaps not the knee, of Frank Elam and others are clearly standing me in good stead. It’s been some journey from the Baron to Auntie, but it’s been a fascinating ride,” he said.

During 20 years at Reuters Mylrea worked in a range of roles including European correspondent, bureau chief, Chile, Bolivia and Peru, and UK political correspondent, finishing as editor, AlertNet before leaving in 2002. ■