Staff

Seetha Kumar, Chief Executive

Seetha has led ScreenSkills since 2015, deepening engagement and increasing involvement with industry, building financial resilience and ensuring a responsive and  effective strategy for identifying and meeting the current and future skills needs of UK screen – offering vital practical support to a fast-changing sector in a globally competitive market.

Alongside her role as ScreenSkills' CEO, Seetha is a member of the Creative Diversity Network board, the Creative Industries Advisory Group chaired by Sir Peter Bazalgette and the Royal Television Society Education Committee and was formerly on the Mayor of London's Skills for Londoners Taskforce. In 2019, she became the first woman of colour to be awarded an RTS fellowship.

Before joining ScreenSkills (formerly known as Creative Skillset), she was vice president of Pearson Qualifications International. Seetha’s media sector leadership roles include BBC Online controller,  Head of BBC HD - rolling out high definition  television for the BBC,  Commissioner for BBC Education and Creative director, documentaries,  overseeing  programmes such as Crimewatch UK. Seetha started her career as the first woman reporter at the Financial Express in New Delhi, India, before working for independent production companies making programmes for Channel 4.

To get in touch with Seetha please contact her executive assistant at:  EA@screenskills.com

Gareth Ellis-Unwin, Head of Film and Animation

Gareth is the Head of Film at ScreenSkills and is leading the delivery of the BFI Future Film Skills plan as well as managing the Film Skills Fund. He was previously co-founder and CEO of Bedlam Productions and produced the Oscar-winning film, The King's Speech. His other credits include Zaytoun, Kajaki: A True Story and Steel Country. 

To get in touch with Gareth, please email Matt Brothers at: matt.brothers@screenskills.com or see a full list of film department staff by visiting the film team page.

Kaye Elliott, Director of High-end TV

Kaye is responsible for setting the strategy for all of ScreenSkills' industry investments and skills support in high-end TV. She was previously a deputy director at Creative England for five years, overseeing the national delivery of top-class support to the film and TV industry. She is based in Sheffield. 

To get in touch with Kaye, please contact Alex Green at: alex.green@screenskills.com or see a full list of high-end TV department staff by visiting the high-end TV team page.

Sarah Joyce, Head of Unscripted and Children's TV

Sarah manages the Children's TV Skills Fund and  Unscripted Television Skills Fund, including commissioning and developing training, awarding grants and delivering funding programmes. Based on the south coast, she has a 25-year industry background in television and production.

Contact Sarah at: sarah.joyce@screenskills.com if you would like to know more about the benefits of contributing to the skills funds, are interested in taking on children's TV trainees or would like to know about TV career development funding that may be available to you. 

Tim Weiss, Director of Vocational Skills

Tim Weiss is responsible for our work endorsing HE and FE courses and developing new apprenticeship standards and qualifications to help give the best preparation to those looking to enter the screen industries. Tim has worked for over 20 years in education and qualifications, most recently as the director at the Education and Training Foundation heading up accreditation and professional membership for FE teachers. Prior to this, he worked at Pearson on BTEC qualifications, educational textbooks and online learning. Based in Oxfordshire.

Caterina Branzanti, Head of Research

Caterina heads all ScreenSkills research and evaluation projects, with a focus on the Skills Forecasting Service. Previously she worked at the BFI on the Film Forever report and BFI 2022 evaluation framework and for BOP Consulting including projects for Arts Council England and Festivals Edinburgh. She has a PhD from Politecnico di Milano.

Contact Caterina at: caterina.branzanti@screenskills.com for any queries about skills forecasting, past ScreenSkills research or screen industry skills in general. If you are an industry stakeholder who would like to offer any insight on skills gaps and needs, please email: research@screenskills.com.

Emma Turner, Head of Film Continuing Professional Development and Future Skills

Emma is head of strategy and implementation of continuing professional development for film and for future skills, focusing heavily on virtual production. She formerly worked in development and production in roles as a creative scripted executive and producer, working for Fremantle (as SVP Global Drama), Sony, EndemolShine, Fox and HBO Europe. She produced dramas such as New Tricks, Holby City, Hollyoaks and EastEnders and has been nominated for three Baftas.

Contact Emma at emma.turner@screenskills.com

Kate McSweeney, Director of Marketing and PR

Kate leads the Marketing and Communications team for ScreenSkills. She has previously led communications, marketing and public affairs functions for organisations including the BBC, Creative England, Jisc, the British Council and Bristol City Council’s housing company, Goram Homes.

Contact Kate at: kate.mcsweeney@screenskills.com

Clive Goss, Director of Finance and Operations  

Clive is responsible for financial and operational management across ScreenSkills, including the budget, IT, HR and infrastructure. He has more than three decades experience of finance and operations across media, publishing and charity sectors, including as a lead role in the merger of Pearson Television and the RTL Group and 10 years spent in the FremantleMedia/Pearson Television and Grundy Television group.

Contact Clive at: clive.goss@screenskills.com if you have any questions about ScreenSkills financing and operations.

Jo Gardiner, Delivery Director

Jo supports ScreenSkills in delivering against its strategic priorities and operational objectives.  Before joining ScreenSkills in 2016 Jo had almost two decades of experience across the BBC and wider broadcast/digital media sector – including managing the launches of Freeview HD and Freesat and working at Digital UK and the Digital TV Group.  She also coordinated major governance projects including the approval to launch BBC HD and the National Audit Office’s review of the BBC World Service.  Jo had previously run a training operation (generating over £1m a year) and had set up the BBC’s residential induction programme (attended by tens of thousands of BBC joiners since 2002). 

Contact Jo at: jo.gardiner@screenskills.com if you have comments or queries about ScreenSkills' delivery activities.