Cerys Evans, Careers Lead at Into Film, has over twenty years’ experience as a careers adviser, careers writer and careers leader working in schools and colleges. She now leads the development of Into Film’s careers programme to ensure that 11-18-year-olds across the UK, and the professionals who support them, can access the information, industry encounters and inspiration they need to pursue a career in the screen industries. Cerys has written and spoken about higher and degree apprenticeships, study abroad, study in the UK and choosing post-16 options. She studied media at university, couldn’t possibly narrow her favourite film down to just one, and loves to travel.

Umayrah Ali is the social media officer for Into Film. She manages the Get Into Film social media channel. Get Into Film have been creating light touch careers content fronted by young content creators, which offers young people advice and top tips for pursuing a career in the screen industries. Umayrah studied Creative Writing and Journalism at university and has loved working in social media. She loves knitting and crocheting and has a soft spot for 90s romantic films.

Dan is a communications specialist with over 14 years of experience in everything from social media and content creator relations to PR and community management. In his career, he is probably most known for his work at Square Enix and Warner Bros. Games and is passionate about sharing his experiences to help the next generation of comms experts.

Laura is the Head of ITV Academy. Laura’s career in TV started 20 years ago at ITN researching archive footage for daily news bulletins. Laura moved to ITV in 2010 and has been there ever since working in a variety of roles across broadcast, streaming, legal, commercial and archive areas of the business.

Helping to create ITV Academy in 2023, Laura is responsible for educating and inspiring the next generation of diverse production talent about pathways into the TV industry as well as trying to influence the way tv production is currently taught in further & higher education courses as well as developing courses to help train existing ITV production professionals.

A self-confessed film and TV addict from a working class background, Laura knows that having a career in the industry she grew up obsessed with is a daily privilege and something she is passionate about helping others have access to.

With over ten years experience in education and several in a creative industries specific education setting I am committed to shaping young people's lives. As Talent Manager at Sky Studios Elstree I create and deliver training opportunities to help people skill up and realise their potential in the screen industries. I aim to promote and support local, diverse crew to work with productions on site.

Amrish Shah is a creative strategist, technologist, mentor, cinematographer, CEO and co-founder of Proof of Concept - an online edtech and community platform for the creative industries. Recent highlights include documenting Rudimental's "Ground Control" album, media editor for the UNHCR's 75th anniversary digital installation "Voices on the Wind " and DOP for the "Gobi Steppes Neolithic" documentary on ancient rural life in the Mongolian desert. With PROOF OF CONCEPT Amrish is driven to empower the next generation of creatives with valuable business skills, networking opportunities and guidance navigating the entertainment industry.

Dr Angus Finney is a world leading film and entertainment business specialist, author, and an executive producer. He is the Executive Chair and co - founder of PROOF OF CONCEPT, an edtech platform and community supporting the creative industries and a Fellow at Cambridge University's Judge Business School. His latest book: HUMAN IN THE LOOP: AI and the Film Value Chain complements his leading textbook, The International Film Business: A Market Guide Beyond Hollywood (Routledge). Angus has taught and trained all over the world.

Francesca Woods is an Executive Producer and founder of CAMP productions, a purpose driven multidisciplinary production company specializing in culturally relevant content. With 18 years of experience in the creative industries , she has produced multiple award-winning commercial campaigns, music videos, and films for global brands like Converse, Sony, Coca Cola and Gucci as well as collaborating with artists such as the Pet Shop Boys, Icona Pop, Shy Girl, Anne-Marie, Little Mix, and David Guetta.

Francesca is dedicated to amplifying underrepresented voices, championing working-class, female, queer and multi-ethnic filmmakers, photographers, and creators through her work and leadership. She is celebrated for her innovative approach, with her work being featured in ,any titles including Rolling Stone, IndieWire, and Wonderland Magazine. In 2025, her debut short film, Sweetheart, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, marking her transition into narrative filmmaking and her commitment to inclusive, character-driven storytelling.

Sophia is currently Director, Global Inclusion at Paramount and has over 8 years of dedicated experience in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I), with a general background in HR. Sophia enjoys mentoring through workplace schemes and is committed to youth engagement having volunteered with organisations like MediaTrust, Creative Access, and Catalyst, while also serving as a school governor. Sophia is also pursuing a part-time master’s degree at the University of Edinburgh.

Seema works with third party production companies to commission unscripted series such as Teen Mom, Geordie Shore, Living Lyrics and Most Ridiculous. Seema’s job includes budgeting shows, contract negotiations and acting as a key stakeholder for internal teams. Seema started her TV broadcast career while at university, working on various shows as a runner and gradually worked her way up in production during her freelance years. Growing up, Seema’s mum and dad ran a pub and believes their experiences contributed to her sense of agility and work ethic.

Oliver Laurenson-Gore is the Founder of Location Routes - Film & TV agency that provided suitable locations for filming 'on the move'. He has been working as a Location Manager for the past 6 years within scripted HETV and independent feature films. He also run training and events for anyone who is interested in becoming a runner or Location Marshall via our Talent Crew Programme.

With over 18 years of experience in the creative industry and a background as a freelance illustrator, Simon has held key roles in talent development and learning across visual effects, games, television, and commercial radio. As the current head of the Framestore Talent Development Team, he is also the Founder and Director of ACCESS: VFX, a global industry movement uniting over 75 leading studios, industry bodies, and educational institutions in visual effects and animation. ACCESS: VFX champions inclusion, diversity, awareness, and opportunity through its four pillars: Inspiration, Education, Mentoring, and Recruitment.

Harriet joined Union as Talent and Recruitment Manager in 2019 where her ability to uncover multi-talented recruits who are also a great fit quickly earned her a change of title internally to ‘Head of Unicorn Discovery’.

Harriet, who holds a foundation art degree from the University of Gloucestershire, began her VFX career at DNEG in 2013 as Recruitment Administrator, supporting the wider recruitment team day to day. From there she progressed to interviewing artists, recruiting and retaining VFX talent holding roles as Talent Acquisition Partner in the Film, TV and Feature Animation divisions.

During her six years at DNEG, she was heavily involved with the creation, development and running of the annual Greenlight Scheme under which DNEG offer graduate programmes and summer internships.

Her passion for encouraging diversity and inclusion resulted in an invitation to become a founding Non-Executive Director of ACCESS:VFX, a role she stepped down from February 2023. She is also one of Union’s Mental Health Champions.

Harry has been working in the VFX industry for 18 years. She has worked at The Mill. Electric Theatre Collective and is now the Operations Director at Time Based Arts.

Henry Purrington: I’m Henry, Studio Director at Golden Wolf. Since 2013, I’ve been lucky to work alongside an incredible team crafting award-winning global campaigns, music videos, title sequences, and immersive experiences for brands like Nike, Google, and Disney. We’re proud to craft engaging content that excites and inspires. We bring stories to life with energy, humour, and a youthful perspective to redefine what entertainment can be. 

Beatriz Rodrigues: I am an arts professional especially keen on bringing art and people together thus creating a space for meaningful projects and fruitful conversations.

Joe is an alumni of the Bafta YGD program, which helps the youth access a career in the games industry through competition of game concepts and game making.

In the years since being nominated in their Games Concept strand, he has went on to judge the YGD competition and further pursue a career in games.

He has experience as a producer working on high-profile franchises such as Battlefield and Need for Speed in his time at EA, having worked as a Producer Intern, then an Assistant Producer at the company across multiple teams.

Declan runs Into Games, a national organisation aimed at helping passionate people find a rewarding career in the videogames industry. Declan has worked as a bartender, a poster designer, the head of an events company, a founder of a technology firm and a long time ago worked in one of the last video rental stores in the UK - to say he passionately believes in windy career routes is an understatement.

COO of Maverick Games, Harinder is an award-winning studio leader who helped form Sega Hardlight and Sumo Leamington.

Harinder’s direct remit includes finance, studio PR, office environment and IT. Alongside this, the most important and exciting part of her role is building a team of highly talented creative colleagues and ensuring that they are surrounded with a culture that is diverse and inclusive. This, in turn, provides her teams with an environment in which they feel valued, have a purpose and are given the ability to grow.

Before she joined Sumo, Harinder worked in the industry for 12 years, working for SEGA and Codemasters. During this time she helped to build SEGA HARDlight from inception until early 2019. Proud moments for Harinder include in 2018 when GI.biz recognised Sumo as one of the best places to work and in 2021 when she was crowned the UK Best Boss.

Harinder has a background in accounting, and before joining the games industry she worked in a range of industries, including financial services, construction and advertising.

Harinder is a proud Ambassador for SpecialEffect, a charity that helps anyone with a physical disability that limits or stops them from playing games…play games. She is on the advisory board for Women in Games.

Shahneila is Head of Education for UK Interactive Entertainment (Ukie), which is the trade body for the video games industry in the UK. Shahneila established the Digital Schoolhouse programme, which works with games industry partners to advocate for a play-based learning approach to teaching computing.

Shahneila is a Computing education expert with over 20 years of experience. She has been involved in the development of the UK National Curriculum for Computing and is the author of two books on teaching computing skills. Shahneila is currently the Head of Education and Director for the Digital Schoolhouse programme at Ukie, a trade body for the video games industry. Shahneila advocates for a play-based learning approach to teaching computing and has a wealth of knowledge on how to teach computing skills to young children.