Former BBC exec and diversity campaigner Marcus Ryder has been named the new CEO of the UK’s Film and TV Charity, taking over from Alex Pumfrey, who stepped down last year.
Ryder most recently held the post of head of external consultancies at the Sir Lenny Henry Centre for Media Diversity, set up to explore and increase diversity across the media industry. He will assume his new role in the early autumn.
He is also the chair of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and is a trustee of the Press Pad Charitable Foundation. This summer he is to be awarded the prestigious Percy Qoboza award in the US by the National Association of Black Journalists as one of its foreign journalists of the year.
The charity is ramping up its support for industry workers at a time of immense uncertainty, owing to a cost-of-living crisis and wider industry factors, such as the impact of the US SAG-AFTRA strike on the UK industry. The charity unrecovered a mental health crisis in the film, TV and cinema industry in 2019 with its Looking Glass research, and now works ot enable mental, social and financial wellbeing over those working in production and other behind-the-scenes roles in the industry.
It is developing an Impact Partnership Programme, to launch in early 2024, to develop support, resources, and access for Black and global majority industry workers.
Ryder said: “The Film and TV Charity is an incredible source of support for people working behind the scenes across the film, TV, and cinema industry, acting as a vital enabler for those facing disadvantage, financial hardship and poor mental health. It is recognised throughout the sector for making a significant contribution to the health and happiness of people working across the industry, and to its future sustainability, and I have admired how, through its research work, it has done much to shape the debate about how we treat the brilliant people who form the bedrock of the UK’s creative sector.
“The organisation and I also share a deep-seated understanding that the charity will only be able to fulfil its core aims if it helps the industry address issues of equality, diversity and inclusion. I cannot wait to get to work to shape and implement a shared, ambitious strategy to make further strides across all of these priorities.”
Claire Tavernier has also been appointed as the organisation’s new chair of trustees with immediate effect. She joins the board having worked previously as global head of dgital at Fremantle, managing director of a multi-channel YouTube network, and CEO of media intervention NGO, Girl Effect. She is currently also chair of trustees at Charity Digital. She takes over from Cameron Saunders and Andrew Wilson-Mouasher, who have been interim chairs of the charity for the past 12 months.
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