BAME Members Join the APA Council

We are pleased to announce that the following people have accepted an invitation from the APA Council to join the APA Council:

Antoinette de Lisser

Head of Sales and Marketing, Absolute

Dom Thomas

Founder and MD, Object and Animal

Elliotl Williams

Chief Operations Officer, Kode

Rosh Singh

MD, Unit 9

We invited them first and foremost to help us further examine the underrepresentation of BAME people in commercials production and to decide on the most effective action to take to improve it – we will do that most effectively with BAME people as part of the process.

Additionally, the invitation was extended to Antoinette, Dom, Elliott and Rosh for the qualities and input they can bring to the table over the broader issues the APA are mandated to address.

Deciding the most effective courses of action involves reviewing our current initiatives and those of other bodies/groups aimed at improving diversity and inclusion that we have supported in the past. We will build on those and choose new ones to champion. 

That will create, endorse and support programmes that we conclude have the best prospect of enabling APA members to play their part in radically improving diversity and inclusion in commercials production – and we will provide members with information on those as soon as we have decided upon them.

“I am excited to be joining the APA Council to bring a fresh, new, diverse perspective to the table and to support with future-proofing the industry and facilitating positive change.”

Antoinette de Lisser – Absolute Post

“With 2020 projecting technical innovation years into the future as well as highlighting deep rooted problems, I’m excited to be a part of the council to help us all navigate and design our own future ways of working; bringing more BAME and diversity to the conversation, new ideas, greener approaches, and fresh opportunities.

We can become the industry that sets a positive example to others on how to emerge and move forward in a world so very changed from what we knew.”

Elliot Williams – KODE

“I’m interested in how we can all push for positive changes within our industry; particularly in meeting the shared responsibilities of creating a more inclusive, sustainable and supportive network, and so laying even stronger foundations for the next generations of creators”.  

Dom Thomas – Object & Animal

I cannot wait to work with my fellow council members to explore the fundamental challenges of our industry, to bring a new perspective to discussions and to tread a path that leads to a more bountiful, more sustainable and most importantly, a more diverse future.

Rosh Singh – Unit 9

Our new Council members, and the focus of the Council and the membership on diversity and inclusion will enable us to effect real change and create a more diverse industry- one that provides opportunities to – and better reflects – the UK’s diverse population.”

Steve Davies – Chief Executive

“We have both long strived to ensure The APA is at the forefront of change in every way and none less so than the issues around diversity and inclusion.

Our meritocratic industry has never been exclusive but we are critically aware that we have arrived at a moment when far more needs to be done, not just in our industry but also in society as a whole.

We will both continue to do our utmost to create an ecosystem where greater fairness and opportunity prevail. We welcome our new colleagues to the APA Council in the belief that they will help give us the best possible chance of succeeding in that and indeed in our broader agenda.”

John Hackney and Lewis More O’Ferrall, APA Chairmen