Ex-Goldman Sachs banker Richard Sharp who used to be Rishi Sunak's boss will be next BBC chairman

Multi-millionaire ex-Goldman Sachs banker Richard Sharp, who used to be Rishi Sunak’s boss, will be the next BBC chairman, according to reports.

Mr Sharp is set to be announced for the £160,000-a-year role as soon as Thursday, according to Sky News.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has reportedly signed off the selection, which is likely to be announced by Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden.

Mr Sharp will replace Sir David Clementi – who has held the position since April 2017 and is due to step down in February.

Mr Sharp has spent much of the past year as an unpaid adviser to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, who he was once a superior of during his long career at investment banking giant Goldman Sachs.

Mr Sharp, who is said to have amassed a fortune north of £100million during his career, also spent six years as a member of the Bank of England’s Financial Policy Committee before leaving the post last March. 

He was parachuted in to oversee the Chancellor’s Covid economic rescue package earlier this year.

The 64-year-old boasts ‘a reputation as a sharp, independent thinker and a safe pair of hands’, according to colleagues.

He reportedly donated hundreds of thousands of pounds to the Tory party at a fundraising dinner in 2013, though he is not thought to be a Conservative party member.

Alongside his financial work, Mr Sharp also has experience in the arts.

He chaired the Royal Academy of Arts Trust for several years and founded Kyra, a Gen-Z YouTube channel. 

Mr Sharp entered the race for the role earlier this year after former Chancellor George Osborne ruled himself out of the job.

Former Daily Telegraph editor, Lord Charles Moore of Etchingham, once considered the leading contender, also pulled out of the race on ‘personal’ grounds.

Veteran broadcaster David Dimbleby had reportedly considered throwing his hat in the ring.

According to reports earlier this year, Mr Johnson, with whom Mr Sharp is close having worked with him during his time as Mayor of London, is understood to be in favour of appointing a Tory-supporting chairman for the broadcaster.

Mr Johnson is reportedly said to want to stop what he believes is a growing left-wing bias at the corporation.

The job advert was posted online last year with an increased salary in a bid to attract a wider range of candidates.

The prestigious role will involve maintaining the broadcaster’s independence and overseeing the function of the organisation. 

The appointed chairman will work closely with recently appointed BBC director-general Tim Davie.

Mr Davie has already launched a social media crackdown on BBC staff demanding they do not ‘express a personal opinion on matters of public policy, politics, or controversial subjects’.

He is also looking at new funding models for the corporation, amid speculation ministers could look to replace the traditional licence fee model in the future.  

The new appointment will be to replace current chairman Sir David Clementi, who is stepping down from the role in February.

Sir David was a British business executive and a former Deputy Governor of the Bank of England before taking on BBC role.

He was preceded by Baroness Rona Alison Fairhead – a business chief who recently served as as Minister of State at the Department for International Trade.

She was the last Chairwoman of the previous governing body, the BBC Trust, before its abolition in 2017.

The Trust was replaced by current governing body, the BBC Board.