Partner Article

Tom Harvey steps down as NFM chief executive

Northern Film & Media chief executive Tom Harvey MBE has stepped down from his role at the agency after successfully securing new funding from a coalition of local authorities and overseeing the agency’s move to BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead.

Harvey, who joined Northern Film & Media as the agency’s first chief executive in 2002 and received an MBE for services to the creative industries in the last New Year’s Honours list, presided over the agency’s progression into an award-winning £3.5 million annual turnover business.

Under his leadership, the agency successfully leveraged more than £80 million of investment into the north east film, TV, digital media and music industries and helped build a 37.6% GVA boost in the five years to 2010.

Harvey was instrumental in launching the UK regions’ first public-VC investment fund for the creative industries, the £2.4 million Finance for Business - North East Creative Content Fund. The Fund successfully delivered more than £5 million of investment into the north east film, TV and digital media industries and the model was hailed by the CBI for ‘de-risking investment’.

The move comes after Northern Film & Media successfully secured a new tranche of local authority funding that will safeguard the agency’s core services and struck a landmark digital content partnership with BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art. The partnership with BALTIC will realise new arts-based creative collaborations and significantly reduces the company’s overheads.

John Tulip, currently Northern Film & Media finance and operations director, will now lead the agency in the newly created role of managing director.

“Following the confirmation of funding and realisation of a future-defining partnership with BALTIC, I have decided that now is the right time for me to step down as chief executive of Northern Film & Media. The agency is now well positioned for a new funding era and will continue to deliver a range of creative initiatives to new and existing clients.

“It has been an extraordinary ten years with £80 million of inward investment, thousands of ideas developed and jobs created and sustained, over £9million invested and distributed and more than 70 new companies created. The team at Northern Film & Media is committed to making the agency work under a new model for new economic times.

“I have spent a third of my working life in the North East. It’s an incredible place to live and work packed full of extraordinary people, companies and landscapes. I’ve enjoyed my time here immensely and I will always feel close to the region.”

“John has been my right-hand man for nearly a decade and he will provide strong leadership and management in the role of managing director.”

Sir Les Elton, chair, Northern Film & Media said: “Tom’s ten-year tenure at NFM has produced extraordinary results. From major productions secured to developing a critical mass of commercial-creative talent in the region through to securing public and industry backing for the sector here, Tom has delivered in the role of chief executive. Having put the structures in place that will future-proof the agency’s core services, I can confidently hand over the reins to John.

“On behalf of all of the Board, I wish Tom well and look forward to watching him excel in future high-profile roles.”

“Having repositioned the agency for a successful future under a new funding climate, we can reflect on a decade of unprecedented investment and activity in the north east creative economy,” added John Tulip, Northern film & Media’s new managing director.

“I’m looking forward to working with Northern Film & Media’s talented team and our partners to deliver on our new agenda as a creative industry development agency. We will develop new strategic alliances over the coming months that will reflect our new footprint.”

Northern Film & Media is funded by the ERDF Competitiveness Programme 2007-13. The ERDF programme is bringing over £300m into the North East to support innovation, enterprise and business support across the region

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Dan Brain .