leaving the bbc to join headshift

For a couple of weeks I've been dropping hints, via tweets and facebook updates of course, that I would soon be leaving the BBC. Now that everyone who really needs to know has been informed of my departure, I can finally announce here that next Friday (27 June) I'm leaving the BBC to join Headshift where I'll be leading an already established and expanding Social Media practice.

My friends will know, and probably more than a few readers of this blog will have picked up, that I have absolutely loved spending the past 6+ years throwing my heart and soul into helping people across the BBC understand and use blogs, RSS, social networking services and other forms of social media to reach out and engage with audiences.

It's been a huge pleasure working with so many talented people on projects, programmes and websites which help inform, educate and entertain millions of people everyday.

Leaving a job where I've had enormous freedom to learn and grow, teach and facilitate - effectively, the job I've always dreamed of having - takes a truly special opportunity and that is exactly what my new role at Headshift, Europe's leading social computing consultancy, is.

At Headshift, I'll be leading a team of experienced Social Media consultants who have already won and done great work with the BBC, Channel 4, Metro Newspapers, UKTV, a major UK publisher and others. I'll be focusing on extending a number of key client relationships, developing new client ideas for consumer-facing business applications of social computing, and increasing Headshift's visibility and presence.

I've also recently been named a Visiting Fellow within the Department of Journalism at City University, London and, although we're still ironing out the details, I hope to mix my full-time role at Headshift with the occasional lecture at City.

Whilst walking out the doors of the Broadcast Centre for the last time and knowing I'm leaving behind many friends will be an emotional moment, I'm also greatly excited to be joining the team at Headshift the following Monday (30 June) and getting my teeth into some new and interesting projects.

This blog will continue as usual and, I think, is likely to become much more interesting - there's going to be some great stuff ahead!

* The photo of the Nabaztag bunny currently warming my seat at Headshift's new office was taken by Jessica Wittebort, just one of the many interesting people I'm looking forward to working with.

Comments

[Azeem Ahmad]

Good luck, and all the best for the future, Robin.

[Adam]

That's pretty good news for both you and the Headshift folks. congratulations!

[Steve Bridger]

Robin... I'd read between the tweets, but had no inkling of where you were headed next. This is terrific news, and I cannot think of anywhere better. Shame about that Lee bloke though ;-)

[Kristine]

Yes, read you tweet on a leaving do and scrolled through your blog to see if there was something I had missed:-) Congratulations!

[Dragan Varagic]

Robin, congratulations for the new job. I hope that there will be time for you to come in Serbia, in April next year :)

[Lee Bryant]

Can't tell you how excited we are to work with you!

Steve: I have unleashed a swarm of nanobots for that comment. Expect to begin felling unwell in 3.. 2.. 1..

[Adam]

Yes, but Lee, are they social media nanobots? Will they be Twittering the details as they digest Steve from the inside?

[Graham]

Wow. Nice move. You kept that quiet ;) BBC's loss and all that... Good luck with it all. Look forward to catching up next week.

PS. Typing this on an iPhone connected to the neighbours wifi while I'm on the balcony. Did we even have wifi when you started at the Beeb ? Where will we be in another six years?

Bon chance

[Digidave]

Congrats Robin!!!

Too bad for the BBC :(

[Andy Piper]

From the tweets etc. from you and others, I'd worked out you were moving somewhere, but not realised it was Headshift. Good luck! Seems like a great fit.