Rise, the advocacy group for gender diversity in broadcast media technology, has announced its newly appointed board of non-executive directors (NED). The addition of these talented individuals—Andy Beale, Claire Da Silva, Samantha Harrison, Namrata Sarmah, Charlotte Wheeler, and Tim Williams—will enhance Rise’s leadership team and support the organization's mission of advancing gender diversity in the broadcast media technology industry.
The newly established board will be responsible for the management and governance of the Rise employees, including those of the Rise-Up Academy charity and the Rise Advisory Boards, as well as current and future initiatives.
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"We are delighted to welcome Claire, Sam, Namrata, Tim, Andy, and Charlotte to our board of non-executive directors," said Donna Smith, managing director of Rise. "Rise has grown substantially over the past few years, bringing mentoring, awards, program training, and awareness to women around the world. With chapters in North America, Europe, APAC, and now India, these new board members will provide Rise with strategic guidance and independent perspectives, contributing to our long-term growth and success."
Andy Beale is a proven and experienced senior technology and operations leader, most recently responsible for BT Sport's broadcast infrastructure, operations roadmap, and innovation strategy. Beale is co-founder of the Rise-Up Academy, an award winning STEM schools program that aims to inspire the next generation to enter the media technology industry. He is also a SMPTE Fellow and was named Technology Leader of the Year at the 2021 IABM awards.
Claire Da Silva has a proven track record of building highly effective global teams and operating models in the broadcast and production space, driving productivity and efficiency of production capabilities. She is the current vice president of production services at DAZN, and was responsible for the virtual production offerings that enabled DAZN to create content from anywhere during the pandemic.
With a background in finance, Samantha Harrison currently serves as the finance director at NEP Connect, and is responsible for shaping the company's strategic direction and financial trajectory. She also promotes careers in the broadcast industry and finance sector as a STEM Ambassador, supporting secondary school students with careers advice.
Namrata Sarmah has a passion for education and is currently the chief product officer at INTO University Partnerships, a global higher education company. Continuing her commitment to education, she also sits on the board of The Open University Business School, advises Antler, an early stage VC firm, and is the founder of Women in Product (London).
Charlotte Wheeler is the director of the Broadcast Tech & Sport Group and event director of the U.K.’s only annual trade event, the Media Production & Technology Show. In her role, Wheeler manages a team of editorial, sales, and marketing experts, and has been part of many new successful launches over the last five years. Through her work, MPTS has been one of the only M&E industry-focused tradeshows to achieve a 50% gender split in content programming.
With more than 30 years of experience in the broadcast industry, Tim Williams is an experienced business leader and director. In 2018, he became the operations director at Argosy. He has a background in procurement and international logistics, and is comfortable working with clients on projects in the Middle East and Asia. Williams has held non-executive roles, acted as a mentor in the 30% Club, and served as chair of a BID group in Marlow.
