Directors UK announces new CEO

Directors UK is pleased to announce the appointment of Andrew Chowns as its new CEO. He will be joining Directors UK on 1st September 2010.

Andrew is currently Chief Operating Officer and Director of Business Affairs at PACT, the UK trade association representing and promoting the commercial interests of independent feature film, television, digital, children's and animation media companies. In his role as Chief Operating Officer and Director of Business Affairs, Andrew Chowns was responsible for overseeing the terms of trade with broadcasters, negotiations with unions and collecting societies and other major business affairs matters.

Andrew said of his appointment: “It is a great time to be joining Directors UK as it builds on its new position as the professional body for directors and as a major collecting society.

I want to help Directors UK and its members to play a leading role in the future of creative industries and to continue to work to improve the conditions and the influence of directors in the UK.”

Andrew replaces Suzan Dormer who has been CEO of both Directors UK and before it the Directors and Producers Rights Society (DPRS). Paul Unwin, Chair of the TV Fiction committee and Directors UK Board Member said of the outgoing CEO: “Over the last twenty years directors – both in TV and film – have had their position eroded. Suzan Dormer has often been a lone voice fighting for directors’ rights. First at DPRS and then at Directors UK she has been tireless and our thanks go out to her.”

For more on Andrew’s appointment, and to read comments from Chairman Charles Sturridge and President Paul Greengrass, click here. To read the Broadcast article, click here.