Media: Headliner - Keen kid Gregory to drive Emap's radio reach.(Shaun Gregory)

The new managing director of national networks sees technology as the battleground of the future.

Like a kid in a sweet shop, Shaun Gregory careers about his office turning on gadgets, pushing buttons and showing off the technology that allows listeners to tune in to Emap's range of radio stations. Having worked in the medium for the past 14 years, he is described as 'radio through and through' and it is telling to see how excited he still is about it all.

Previously Emap Performance's development director, Gregory has earned himself a reputation for being passionate about radio, whether he is in the boardroom or down the pub. This enthusiasm has, in turn, earned him a promotion to managing director of Emap's national networks.

In his role as development director, Gregory worked alongside the now-departed Emap Performance chief executive, Tim Schoonmaker, to introduce Emap radio brands such as Smash Hits and Kerrang! to the Freeview platform.

He laughs when he credits himself with being the pioneer of digital radio.

'I was arguing for investment in digital radio at the same time as ITV Digital was emerging as an absolute mess - the board must have thought I was insane,' he says.

Schoonmaker and Gregory talked them into it, and the latter was rewarded with the newly created position, which puts all of Emap's stations, including the flagship London brands, Magic and Kiss, under his remit.