Screen Yorkshire Announce Strategic Advisory Panel

Screen Yorkshire has announced its panel of financial, legal and media experts who will independently advise it on the new £15m Yorkshire Content Fund (YCF).
The Independent Advisory Panel’s (IAP) role is to scrutinise and advise on the portfolio of investments across the YCF and ensure it is hitting targets for recoupment, job creation and economic activity. The Yorkshire Content Fund will invest £7.5m of European Regional Development Funding into TV, film, games and digital which will be matched with private investment on a project-by-project basis.
The IAP recently met for the first time to review investment strategy, fund processes and the pipeline of investments, the first of which will be announced in the forthcoming weeks. The IAP will be Chaired by ex-EM Media Chief Executive Debbie Williams and its members are:
•Debbie Williams, Williams Jardine Consulting (Chair)
•Guy Lewis, Media Technology Consultant, Guy Lewis TV Ltd (Vice Chair)
•Alex McWhirter, Chief Executive Finance Yorkshire
•Keith Arrowsmith, Partner JMW Solicitors LLP Manchester
•Andy Caton, Corporate Development Director, Yorkshire Building Society
•Alan Gay, Director of Resources and Deputy Chief Executive, City of Leeds Council
•Cluny Macpherson, Regional Director Arts Council England, Yorkshire
•Stuart McFarlane, Management Consultant, Creative and Digital Industries, Stuart McFarlane Associates Ltd
•Emma Roe, Partner Cobbetts Leeds
Sally Joynson, Chief Executive of Screen Yorkshire, said: "This Independent Advisory Panel is a critical element of the processes behind the new multi-million pound Yorkshire Content Fund and will ensure long term benefit to the region from the fund. The panel has experts from across the North of England and will offer advice, guidance and a critical eye to our portfolio of investments over the next few years. I’d like to thank them for giving up their time and look forward to working with them closely as engagement from the wider business community can only strengthen the success of the Yorkshire Content Fund."
(CD)