Richard Williams is departing his role as chief executive of Northern Ireland Screen after 23 years.
He will formally leave the position in December, with the agency embarking on a recruitment process in the coming weeks to find his successor.
Northern Ireland (NI) Screen is the lead agency for the nation’s screen industries, with a goal to position the region as a world‑leading hub for film, TV, animation and game production.
During his tenure, Williams oversaw the development of the Paint Hall at Titanic Quarter as a film studio, helping establish the infrastructure that would go on to support HBO’s Game Of Thrones for eight series.
NI Screen also partnered with Belfast Harbour Commission in the development of Belfast Harbour Studios and supported the emergence of Studio Ulster, further strengthening NI’s capacity to attract and service major international productions and next-generation screen projects.
Under his stewardship, NI Screen expanded its support across large-scale production, TV drama, independent film, factual-entertainment, animation, games and interactive content, Irish Language and Ulster-Scots production.
Williams said: “When I joined the organisation in 2003, the scale of what the sector might become was only beginning to be understood. Since then, through the commitment of our staff, board, government partners, broadcasters, producers, educators and the many talented people working across the industry, Northern Ireland has established itself as a place where world-class screen content can be made.
Under his leadership, more than £1bn was returned to the NI economy through screen production.
“From Hunger to An Irish Goodbye, from Derry Girls to Blue Lights, it has been extremely satisfying to see Northern Ireland stories, locations and talent reach audiences locally and internationally. We’ve achieved a lot and I’m proud of my part in it but there are new challenges ahead and this is the right time for a new chief executive officer to lead Northern Ireland Screen into its next chapter.”
NI Screen chair David Sterling added: “On behalf of the board, I want to thank Richard sincerely for his outstanding service to Northern Ireland Screen. He has been a tireless advocate for the screen industries in Northern Ireland. His vision and determination have helped to create opportunities for local talent and showcase Northern Ireland to audiences around the world. We are deeply grateful for all he has done and wish him every success for the future.”
A version of this story first appeared on Screen’s sister site, Broadcast.
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