The U.K. Film and TV has appointed Marcus Ryder as its new CEO and Claire Tavernier as the new chair of trustees.
Ryder, who will take up the role in the fall, replaces Alex Pumfrey who has joined U.K. commercial broadcaster ITV as director of strategic partnerships. Tavernier joins with immediate effect. Cameron Saunders and Andrew Wilson-Mouasher served as interim chairs of the charity over the last 12 months.
Most recently Ryder was head of external Consultancies at the Sir Lenny Henry Centre for Media Diversity, set up to explore and increase diversity across the media industry. During his 25-year career in the media industry he has worked around the world, including a stint at the BBC, winning awards from BAFTA, the Royal Television Society, and the Foreign Press Association. He is also the chair of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and is currently a trustee of the Press Pad Charitable Foundation. In 2022, he was named in Variety‘s V500 index of the 500 most influential business leaders shaping the global media industry. This summer he is to be awarded the Percy Qoboza award in the U.S. by the National Association of Black Journalists as one of its Foreign Journalists of the Year. in 2020 he was awarded the MBE title by the late queen’s honors list for his services.
Tavernier was previously global head of digital 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, an organization that has helped more than 400,000 charity workers embrace a digital-first approach, and is a non-executive director at the British Board of Film Classification and a trustee of the Institute of Imagination.
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 U.K.’s creative sector. The organization 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.”
Tavernier added: “I have watched with admiration as the organization has tackled some of the industry’s most complex issues and constantly learnt and adapted in an ever-changing environment. There is still much more to be done, and the charity has an ambitious strategy to further the support it offers the industry. I am looking forward to working with the trustees and the charity’s brilliant team to continue their exceptional work. I’m also thrilled to welcome Marcus as our new CEO and work together as we prepare for our centenary year. I want to express my gratitude to the team at the Lenny Henry Centre for their grace and warmth during this transition.”
