BIMA Steps Up To Drive Digital Out Of Lockdown

BIMA has appointed new chairs to four of its councils to bring new impetus to the digital industry’s exit from lockdown restrictions.

Like many other sectors, the UK’s digital industry was left reeling by the pandemic. That’s why, throughout lockdown BIMA, the UK’s Digital and Tech Community, has been expanding its activities and maintaining support for members who range from global brands and leading agencies to charities, academia and freelancers.

Now, as lockdown starts to lift, BIMA is continuing to drive the industry forward with the announcement of new chairs to continue the work of four of its pivotal councils.

BIMA’s 20 councils drive innovation and excellence across key facets of the digital industry. They help prepare the sector for the future and set the agenda for a national debate in tech and digital areas ranging from immersive technology to AI and apprenticeships to mentoring.

The new chairs are:

Client Services

• Alessandra Cabra, Client Services Director at Rufus Leonard and Cynan Clucas, Head of Services and Innovation at Chaucer, who become co-chairs of the Client Services Council, which works to explore the future of agency/brand relationships and help Client Services professionals excel.

Alessandra said: “I am very excited for the opportunity to co-chair the BIMA Client Services Council. Continuing raising the bar of what excellence in CS means will certainly be an exciting and ambitious mission to pursue.”

Cynan added: “It’s a great opportunity for the Council to re-imagine the role of Client Service not just through the lens of different agency, consulting and value-based pricing models, but also in light of how we adapt our ways of working to this open-ended period of remote collaboration.”

Data

• Paul Moss, Head of Data and Analytics at VCCP was appointed Data Council chair, with a remit to improve data skills and standards, enhance data’s profile within the industry, and focus on key growth topics such as personalisation.

“I am thrilled to have been chosen by BIMA to chair their data council.  BIMA represents the UK’s biggest digital community and I’m looking forward to supporting BIMA on that, through growing the data community and driving innovation in data.”

Inclusive Design

• Emma Goddard, Senior User Experience Designer with Deloitte Digital was announced as Chair of Inclusive Design, part of an expanded Inclusion and Diversity Council. She explained the timing of the launch:

“We’re hugely excited to launch this council and it feels fitting to do so now. While we began working towards this before the pandemic, the current situation has shone a light on the experience of the excluded and vulnerable.

“We want to make Inclusive Design the mainstream, and equip the digital industry with the awareness, passion and skills necessary to create truly inclusive experiences.”

South West

• Chris Deary, Business Director at Zone and Candi Williams, a Content Strategist and Design Manager with the Nationwide Building Society become the first co-chairs of the South West Council, which works to support the digital community from Bristol and across the South West.

Chris said: “I’m really looking forward to harnessing our collective power into something valuable. The current situation is creating all manner of new challenges for society and business, and smart digital thinking can play a big role in helping to navigate those challenges.”

“Our BIMA councils are a hugely important part of our work,” explained BIMA co-president Natalie Gross. “In a diverse industry, our councils ensure there’s a community for everyone.

“As we dust ourselves down after an extremely challenging lockdown, it will be our councils that will be leading the charge during recovery, ensuring that across every region and discipline, BIMA’s webinars, roundtables, guides and partnerships help businesses access the knowledge, opportunities and collaborations they need to succeed.”

If you would like to find out more about our councils please click here.