Andy Harrower - Chief Executive
A highly experienced and well-regarded leader in the field of rights management, Andy has been championing the rights of creators for over 30 years. He joined Directors UK in May 2020 after a long career at PRS for Music where he was Director of Licensing. Andy has led negotiations with all the major UK broadcasters and SVOD companies and continues to do this at Directors UK. He is proud to be representing TV and film directors and working to create a world in which their talent and creativity is recognised and properly valued.
Paul Evans - Head of Industry Relations
Joining Directors UK from Bectu, Paul has spent ten years working as a trade union official in the film and TV industry, helping to negotiate landmark industry working agreements. He has extensive experience advising on freelance employment matters including tax, personal negotiations and dealing with workplace conflict. Paul started his career in publishing before working as an advisor on audiovisual policy to an MEP. He has also helped to establish a successful software development business specialising in membership services and representation.
Ryan Laycock - Office and Administration Manager
As Office and Administration Manager, Ryan ensures the office is running smoothly for our team members, and visiting Directors UK members. From Members’ Lounge bookings and staff events, to HR and Legal administration support, Ryan is often the first point of contact for our members and Team alike. Ryan joined Directors UK in 2021 as a Distribution Assistant, before becoming Business Support Administration Assistant and moving into the Office and Administration Manager in September 2023.
Distribution
Simone Cammarota - Director of Distribution
Simone (Sim) is responsible for overseeing the work of the Distribution and Membership teams, ensuring that distributions run accurately and on time, and that members and their works are registered to a high standard and according to industry best practices. He manages a team of twelve staff. Sim has worked at Directors UK for many years and has held a number of different positions whilst at the organisation, including when it was previously operating as DPRS.
Nikki Hopper - Head of International
Nikki has worked at Directors UK for 19 years and is responsible for all aspects of the collection and distribution of members’ payments from foreign collecting societies. Prior to joining, she worked in publicity and marketing for various film companies including Warner Bros and Artificial Eye.
Nick Roberts - International Officer
Nick joined Directors UK in 2018 and he has a background primarily in film distribution. He also has customer service experience within other film-orientated, cultural organisations. In 2023, Nick moved from his previous role as a Distribution Assistant into the International Officer role, where he assists the Head of International with administrating all areas of the international distribution and maintaining data quality.
Richard Anderson - Distribution Manager
Richard (Rich) oversees the work carried out by the Distribution team throughout the year alongside other responsibilities such as industry research, data quality checks, compiling statistics, handling member queries and IDA integration. He joined Directors UK in 2016 as a Distribution Assistant, and has since carried out several roles within the Distribution team, giving him a wide understanding of the team’s role within Directors UK.
Ifan Davies - Distribution Officer
In his role as Distribution Officer, Ifan ensures compliance with industry and regulatory standards, handling members’ personal and financial information and ensuring that the data registered on our database is up-to-date and accurate. Should a member ever have a payment or VAT query, it is very likely that they speak to Ifan. He joined Directors UK as a Distribution Assistant in February 2022, before stepping into his current role in late 2023.
Kate Parish - Membership Manager
Kate manages the administrative operations of Directors UK’s membership scheme, supported by the Membership Administrator. This includes overseeing all new and existing member registrations, records, contracts, and subscriptions, as well as collaborating with other Directors UK teams to provide insight and support, such as analysis and understanding of membership trends and data. Kate joined Directors UK in October 2012 as a Distributions Assistant, becoming Membership Officer in March 2016 and Membership Manager in July 2019.
Stephanie Alabi - Membership Administrator
Stephanie joined Directors UK in 2022 and oversees the core membership administration as well as supports event production of our year-round events schedule. She liaises with members on behalf of both the Distribution and Member Services teams. She has a background working alongside directors and writers in the creative industries having previously worked as a Development Assistant at independent production companies and, prior to that, at Penguin Random House.
Distribution Assistants
Our Distribution Assistants play a fundamental role in the administration of our distribution schemes, helping to drive compensation for our members. They build expansive and accurate records which underpin UK distributions, and their work produces a detailed picture of television broadcasting across the major channels each year, identifying all opportunities for member compensation.
Distribution Assistants also substantiate thousands of payments annually, analyse extensive data supplied by international collecting societies to facilitate the international distribution, and work continuously behind the scenes to update and register members’ works on our databases.
Thomas Ashby
Thomas is responsible for monitoring BBC1’s daily broadcasting, producing accurate and punctual data that reflects the BBC’s schedule for the year, as well as providing a complete, detailed record to ensure members are compensated fairly. As the most senior Distribution Assistant, Thomas also assists managers with rectifying IDA upload-related issues.
Georgina Trott
Georgina is responsible for creating an accurate account of BBC2’s live broadcasting, something that requires extensive online research and fact-finding to confirm eligibility of programmes under our Rights Agreement. Georgina has also adopted some written duties within Directors UK, working across teams to represent the distribution department in wide-ranging communications.
Harri Ellington-Lewis
Harri monitors the transmission of programmes on ITV, recording and updating existing data to enable payments to members. Within ITV monitoring, Harri also documents the high number of ITVX-commissioned exclusives that are eligible for renumeration. Harri is also responsible for responding to member queries concerning registering of their work in our UK and international databases.
Sara Boschetti
Sara oversees and records Channel 5’s daily output, employing strong research skills to identify correct titles and listings. Channel 5 has the largest number of broadcasted programmes, so it requires especially careful and detailed monitoring.
Dan Barnes
Dan tracks the transmission of programmes on Channel 4, curating accurate records to facilitate the distribution scheme. His responsibilities also include processing data on E4, More4 and 4Seven, ensuring a comprehensive overview of Channel 4’s output. Dan also supports the team by managing periodic demands for administering other distribution schemes throughout the year.
Communications and PR
Victoria Morris - Director of Communications and Public Affairs
Victoria is responsible for Directors UK’s public affairs and lobbying activity, ensuring that the voice of the directing community is represented to government and industry. She also oversees the work of the communications team in championing the craft of directing, raising the profile of Directors UK’s campaigning activity, and promoting the varied work of our distribution, campaigns and member services teams. Victoria first joined Directors UK in August 2008 as Head of Communications and Public Affairs, having previously worked in factual programme-making both at the BBC and freelance, and prior to that worked in Regional and Public Affairs at Carlton Television (ITV) and marketing.
Niall Stewart - Public Affairs and Policy Manager
Niall has worked across policy, public affairs and research for EGIC, Independent Film Trust, Pact, the House of Lords and the European Parliament. He previously worked in film, television, radio and interactive. When working for the BBC he was a senior member of the BBC History online team, which won an Interactive BAFTA for Outstanding Factual Content, and he has worked for BBC Films, ITV, STV, Channel Four, Paramount Pictures, Grosvenor Films as well as a number of independent production companies. He has also produced two theatrically-released feature films.
Charlie Coombes - Head of PR and Corporate Communications
Charlie looks after our PR and external communications. She is the first port of call for all press requests. You can reach Charlie in the Press Office on 020 7845 9707 or [email protected]. Charlie uses she/her pronouns.
Chris Young - Head of Digital Content
Chris Young is responsible for overseeing the output of Directors UK’s digital channels, including the website, newsletter, podcast and social media. He draws upon a background in publishing, journalism and PR to share directors’ stories – and share important stories with them in turn.
Hetty Partington - Digital Communications Manager
Hetty is responsible for managing and creating content for Directors UK’s digital channels, including the newsletter, website, social media and podcast. She has over ten years experience in marketing and communications, and enjoys sharing stories that connect and engage with her audience and that amplify directors’ voices.
Michael Dyer - Digital Product Manager
Michael has been working in the Digital field for more than 20 years, holding positions everywhere from Copywriting and Illustration through to IT Support, Project Management and Software/Web App Production, before finding his groove as a Digital Product Manager for the last five years. Michael uses he/him pronouns.
Campaigns
Natasha Moore - Head of Insight and Strategic Partnerships
Natasha (Tash) leads our research projects and gathers industry insights that help us shape our day to day work. She is a filmmaker and screenwriter but her career expertise lies in campaigning. Her key projects have included work on bullying harassment, equality and diversity, rights and pay and Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Member Services
Laura Wykes - Director of Membership
Laura is responsible for Directors UK’s Member Services and engagement, ensuring that membership offers value and support. This includes overseeing the member services team in delivering a programme of activies to develop skills, create community, and inspire. Laura joined Directors UK in 2016 as Head of Member Services, having worked as a film and events programmer for the British Film Institute and the London Film Festival, and prior to that in theatre, film education, film distribution, and a brief enough stint in filmmaking to understand how incredibly hard it is.
Andrea Corbett - Head of Career Development and Skills
Andrea joined Directors UK in Spring 2016 and is responsible for all career development initiatives and skills development. She has a background in training and development within the UK film and TV industries, having previously managed the Creative Skillset Film Academy at the London Film School. Other previous roles include Skills Manager at Film London, Training and Events Officer at UK MEDIA desk, BFI, and training and development within the regions and nations at Pact, where she began her career. Andrea also worked in Ireland for three years as Head of Festivals at the Arts Council of Ireland and Executive Director at the Dublin Film Festival.
Sean Thomas - Career Development and Skills Manager
Sean is responsible for managing our Inspire Mentoring Programme and organises a range of career development and skills opportunities such as workshops, webinars and paid placements. He also provides feedback and advice to members regarding applications and CVs.
Sean started at Directors UK in February 2017 as a Distribution Assistant, and became our Member Services Coordinator in September 2018. His work has been focused on career development and skills since April 2020. Prior to Directors UK, Sean worked as a researcher and a runner in live broadcast.
Toyin Ayinde - Member Engagement and Events Manager
Toyin joined Directors UK in November 2020 and is responsible for delivering engaging events and ensuring members are across the wide range of benefits on offer. Prior to joining the team, Toyin was a freelance Events Producer for clients including; BAFTA, BFI and BBC. She also garnered on-set experience on a wide variety of feature films.
Finance
Jo Bromley - Chief Financial Officer
Jo joined Directors UK in April 2023, bringing with her a wealth of experience from the worlds of both media and education, having held senior roles in media organisations, including UKTV, NBC Universal, Channel 4 and The Telegraph. Her experience spans Finance, HR, IT and Governance, all of which is put to good use in her role at Directors UK. Jo holds a BA in Psychology and is a qualified member of the Chartered Insitute of Management Accountants.
Andrea Marlowe - Financial Controller
Andrea joined Directors UK in February 2017. She comes from a mainly creative background having spent many years in advertising, architecture, film, animal charity and retail, in similar senior finance roles. She brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the table, and assists in ensuring the finance department runs efficiently and effectively.
IT
Bhavesh Mistry - Head of IT
Bhavesh Mistry is the Head of IT at Directors UK, where he plays a pivotal role in maintaining and enhancing the organisation’s technological infrastructure. With over 15 years of experience in IT across various industries, Bhavesh ensures seamless operations and supports the dynamic needs of Directors UK. His expertise has been instrumental in adapting to the evolving landscape of the Film and TV sector, contributing to the organisation’s success.
Nicole Bandoo - Database and IT Support Officer
Nicole works on enhancing, supporting, and maintaining our Database and IT systems. As a graduate with a BSc in Computer Systems Technology and experience working in a diverse range of sectors, she brings to Directors UK over 10 years of IT expertise and knowledge. Applying a user focused approach with her technical understanding, she ensures that Directors UK get the most out of its IT systems and services.