Founder and CEO Creative EnglandOctober 2011 – Present (3 years 3 months)NationalCreative England invests in and supports creative ideas, talent and businesses. We help businesses and talent achieve their full creative and commercial potential.
As founding CEO I led the consolidation of seven regional organisations into the establishment of one new national organisation. From an initial budget of £2.5m I increased turnover to c£9m within two years.
Creative England operates a mixture of loan, equity, start-up and grant funds to support creative businesses grow and prosper. We run networking events; mentoring programmes and bespoke accelerator initiatives matching brands to companies to develop new technologies, platforms and content.
A member of the Creative Industries Council, I lead the delivery of a programme of interventions to address Access to Finance issues for the creative industries with leading media businesses and financiers. The Creative Industries Council is co-chaired by the Secretary of State for Business , the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and Nicola Mendelsohn, of Facebook.
CEO South West ScreenNovember 2001 – September 2011 (9 years 11 months)Bristol, United KingdomSouth West Screen was the development agency for the creative and media industries in the South West of England. Working to a non-executive board, I was responsible for the vision, leadership and strategic direction of the agency. This includes developing a broad range of private and public partnerships to deliver the company’s objectives and business plan and the financial and operational aspects of the organisation. Largely public-facing, my role involved representing the organisation and our sector to stakeholders and policy makers and demanded a high level of advocacy and partnership building.
In establishing the company I merged three existing organisations and dealt with a range of change management issues; developing and coaching people to ensure the most positive outcome for them and the business.
Achievements of particular note include raising £3.2m for a three year Innovation programme to create new digital products, services and jobs ; securing partnerships with broadcasters and £1.3m finance for iFeatures – a ground-breaking development and feature film production project with BBC films and a joint venture to develop new media products with the Singapore Media Development Agency.
CEO First Take Films1998 – 2001 (3 years)Norwich, United KingdomFirst Take Films was a joint venture company between Anglia TV and the Eastern Arts Board to nurture, develop and commercialise new programme-making talent.
Responsible for strategic and artistic development; project and staff management; raising revenue (co-productions, sales etc) and financial management.
Series producer of the First Take series broadcast by Anglia television producing over sixty films for the company.
Extensive experience of working with writers and directors and of distributing and selling films internationally.
As founding CEO I led the consolidation of seven regional organisations into the establishment of one new national organisation. From an initial budget of £2.5m I increased turnover to c£9m within two years.
Creative England operates a mixture of loan, equity, start-up and grant funds to support creative businesses grow and prosper. We run networking events; mentoring programmes and bespoke accelerator initiatives matching brands to companies to develop new technologies, platforms and content.
A member of the Creative Industries Council, I lead the delivery of a programme of interventions to address Access to Finance issues for the creative industries with leading media businesses and financiers. The Creative Industries Council is co-chaired by the Secretary of State for Business , the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and Nicola Mendelsohn, of Facebook.
CEO South West ScreenNovember 2001 – September 2011 (9 years 11 months)Bristol, United KingdomSouth West Screen was the development agency for the creative and media industries in the South West of England. Working to a non-executive board, I was responsible for the vision, leadership and strategic direction of the agency. This includes developing a broad range of private and public partnerships to deliver the company’s objectives and business plan and the financial and operational aspects of the organisation. Largely public-facing, my role involved representing the organisation and our sector to stakeholders and policy makers and demanded a high level of advocacy and partnership building.
In establishing the company I merged three existing organisations and dealt with a range of change management issues; developing and coaching people to ensure the most positive outcome for them and the business.
Achievements of particular note include raising £3.2m for a three year Innovation programme to create new digital products, services and jobs ; securing partnerships with broadcasters and £1.3m finance for iFeatures – a ground-breaking development and feature film production project with BBC films and a joint venture to develop new media products with the Singapore Media Development Agency.
CEO First Take Films1998 – 2001 (3 years)Norwich, United KingdomFirst Take Films was a joint venture company between Anglia TV and the Eastern Arts Board to nurture, develop and commercialise new programme-making talent.
Responsible for strategic and artistic development; project and staff management; raising revenue (co-productions, sales etc) and financial management.
Series producer of the First Take series broadcast by Anglia television producing over sixty films for the company.
Extensive experience of working with writers and directors and of distributing and selling films internationally.