Working with sponsors, influencers and stakeholders to create a blueprint for diversity and inclusion
Our goal is to drive the representation and progression of diverse talent at all levels of the creative and cultural industries.
Working collaboratively we will use our shared insights and collective expertise to galvanise actionable change.
About
The Creative Industries’ Alliance is a growing professional network of diverse talent working right the way across the Creative and Cultural Industries. Established in 2018 by a core group of volunteers, we are a collaborative, empowering and supportive network dedicated to driving the representation and progression of diverse talent.
Achieving our Vision
Steering Group
Nina Bhagwat – Chair
Head of Inclusion and Diversity – Warner Music
Nina believes she’s got the most interesting job in the world and feels incredibly fortunate to be working on an agenda she is so committed to. Starting her I&D career in TV and segueing into the Music Industry, she’s known for being a passionate advocate for talent. She remains a firm believer in our inherent desire and ability to connect and see the value of difference. Prior to joining Warner Music, Nina was Off Screen Diversity Executive at C4, where she was responsible for delivering the BAME lived experience focus groups’ project.
Brenda Emmanus OBE
Arts, Culture and Entertainment Correspondent – BBC
Brenda works across the news outlets and presents documentaries for BBC2 and BBC4. She’s also Vice Chair of the staff network, BBC Embrace and Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures Dance Company. A long-time champion of diversity, Brenda has been involved with a host of events and initiatives with the BBC, the National Theatre, The BFI, and The Art Fund. Brenda is a Visiting Professor at the University of the Arts and a regular judge for the Stroke Association Creative Arts Awards and the Jack Petchey Foundation ‘Speak Out’ and ‘Glee’ youth competitions. She is a member of The Xchange, a network of diverse arts leaders.
Ian Vaughan
Head of Governance – Ofcom
With over 20 years’ experience in Communications regulation, Ian has led policy projects and conducted compliance investigations into organisations such as BT, EE and the BBC. Ian is an advocate for diversity and inclusion and is Ofcom’s ethnicity sponsor, leading diversity from an ethnicity angle. Prior to his role as ethnicity sponsor, Ian established and chaired Ofcom’s ethnic minority colleague network.
Maria St Louis
Agency Sales Manager – C4
Maria has worked in the Agency Sales department at Channel 4 Television since November 2003. Maria has a real desire to influence positive change regarding diversity in advertising (particularly for BAME representation), which has made her a real driving force within the 4Sales Diversity Taskforce and has prompted her to initiate Project Empress, which aims to educate diverse brands on the power of TV advertising. Maria is also the Chair of the C4 Collective, which is committed to creating positive change for BAME staff at C4.
Michelle Moon Lim
Independent I&D Consultant
With ten years’ experience as a D&I specialist, Michelle’s advised organisations ranging from children’s charities to global investment banks on employee engagement and best practice in the workplace. In 2017 Michelle began working on initiatives addressing discrimination within the screen industries. She conducted focus groups at BAFTA, drafted guidance on tackling bullying and harassment for the BFI, and commissioned compulsory unconscious bias training for all BIFA voters in 2018. Previously, Michelle worked on campaigns for sexual orientation equality at Stonewall. Michelle completed her Masters from SOAS.
Tsedenia Skitch
Diversity and Production Co-ordinator – Sky Scripted Comedy and Drama.
Overseeing the D&I strategy for content at Sky, Tsedenia looks after the growth of pre-existing diversity initiatives and spearheads new strategies to make Sky’s productions more inclusive. She chairs Sky’s Multiculture Network which celebrates different cultures whilst educating employees about them. Having developed a training plan to compel senior management to emotionally invest in the issues of BAME employees, Tsedenia facilitates Sky’s innovative training programme ‘Let’s Talk About Race’ which enables employees to feel more comfortable discussing issues of race. Tsedenia is also the production manager on ‘It’s All Blakademik’, an online platform designed to celebrate black people in academia.
Wincie Knight
Senior Director of Global Inclusion Strategies – Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN).
Wincie is fiercely passionate about the notion of diversity being less about filling quotas and more about creating a sense of belonging. Knight holds an MSc in Organisational Behaviour from Birkbeck, University of London where she conducted research focused on BAME employees in media organisations. In addition, she recently completed an Executive Leadership Programme at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business.
Executive Sponsors
Alec Boateng
Co Head of A&R
Atlantic Records UK
Alex Mahon
Chief Executive
Channel 4
Ben Roberts
Chief Executive Officer
BFI
Dame Carolyn McCall, DBE,
Chief Executive Officer
ITV
Gary Davey
CEO
Sky Studios
Karen Blackett OBE
WPP U.K Country Manager &
GroupM U.K CEO
WPP / Group M
Rob Neil OBE
Head of Culture Change – Transformation Division
DfE
Dame Sharon White, DBE
Stuart Murphy
Chief Executive Officer
ENO
Tim Davie
Chief Executive Office
BBC Studios
ABOUT
The Creative Industries’ Alliance is a growing professional network of diverse talent working right the way across the Creative and Cultural Industries. Established in 2018 by a core group of volunteers, we are a collaborative, empowering and supportive network dedicated to driving the representation and progression of diverse talent.