Ex-Time Warner CTO joins Virgin board

Three independent non-executive directors, including a former chief technical officer at Time Warner Cable, have joined the board of Virgin Media.

The appointment of James Chiddix, Andrew Cole and Steven Simmons this week brings the board's membership to ten.

"Their strategic insight will help Virgin Media capitalise on its unique assets and put its technology at the heart of a differentiated consumer offering," said chairman Jim Mooney.

Chiddix oversaw development of numerous technologies as CTO at Time Warner, the US cable provider, for 15 years. He currently sits on the board of several companies and is vice-chairman of OpenTV, whose interactive TV technology is employed by, among others, Virgin rival Sky.

Cole is a long-time consultant on communications, media, entertainment and computing, and is presently chief marketing officer at mobile phone insurance specialist Asurion.

Simmons has a background in communications legislation and regulation in the US and is also a chairman of several US cable companies. In 2006 his own firm, Patriot Media, was named Independent Cable Operator of the Year by Cable World magazine.