Ashley Highfield will be joining the board of directors at UK gambling group William Hill plc as a non-executive director with effect from 17th November 2008, according to an announcement from the company this week.

Highfield is currently CEO of Project Kangaroo - the proposed three way joint venture between the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 which will offer a commercial on-demand service available over the Web and to digital set-top boxes. Prior to this appointment in 2008, he worked at the BBC as Director, New Media & Technology and was a member of the executive board and the management board.

Will Hill chairman Charles Scott said: "I am delighted that Ashley has agreed to join the board of William Hill plc as a non-executive director. His wide-ranging experience and knowledge of the digital world will be a real asset to the company and our online platforms, bringing an even deeper understanding of existing and emerging technologies, and an expert and realistic sense of what can be achieved in this area."