BAFTA chief executive Amanda Berry will step down from her role in the fall of 2023 – after 25 years at the organization. BAFTA chief operating officer Kevin Price will leave in Sept. 2022, after 20 years working alongside Berry.
Berry said: “In 2023 I will have been at BAFTA for 25 years. When I first joined BAFTA I honestly thought I would stay for three or four years, but my passion, dreams and ambition for the organisation just kept growing. As we approach BAFTA’s 75th anniversary next year I have reflected on what I, Kevin and the truly brilliant team at BAFTA have achieved, and it feels like the right time to plan to pass on the mask.
It has been an absolute honour to have led BAFTA. We are the only global arts charity representing film, games and television, and I am incredibly proud of our work enabling talented people from all backgrounds to progress their careers in these industries, as well as our ability to reach and inspire global audiences with our awards ceremonies, events and content.
The formal re-opening of our redeveloped HQ at 195 Piccadilly next year is a landmark moment, and one of the biggest in BAFTA’s history. This new creative hub and centre of excellence will enable a further dramatic expansion of our learning and talent programme, pivotal to BAFTA’s charitable remit.”
Berry added that over the coming months she will oversee the recruitment process to replace Price.
BAFTA chair Krishnendu Majumdar said: “Amanda has been a loyal and outstanding chief executive of BAFTA for over 23 years. Under her leadership she has cemented BAFTA’s annual film awards ceremony as one of the most important and credible film industry occasions in the world. Her passion for supporting talent and her steadfast belief that ‘talent is everywhere but opportunity is not’ is evident in the huge expansion of BAFTA’s year-round global learning and talent development program.”
“Kevin has been BAFTA’s chief operating officer for the past 20 years, working closely with Amanda and more recently myself,” Majumdar added. “He has been instrumental in overseeing the business, governance and operational strategies that enable BAFTA to deliver against its charitable remit. Kevin has provided essential strategic oversight for the £34 million [$44.8 million] redevelopment of 195 Piccadilly, a project that spans 12 years from inception to delivery, expertly stewarding and ensuring on-time delivery of an incredibly complex project that also took place during the worldwide pandemic.”
Price added: “With the reopening of a new 195 Piccadilly next year, I believe we are beginning a new phase in BAFTA’s historical journey. We shall look back at the 2000s, 2010s and the early 2020s as the ‘Berry years’ and I feel privileged to have been part of that journey. After 20 years working with Amanda, I believe now is the right time for me to pursue other interests across the arts and cultural sector. I will be incredibly proud to leave BAFTA in a strong position with great potential for further growth, and to allow a successor to help lead this great British institution through its next era.”
Barbara Broccoli, BAFTA VP for film, said: “Throughout her tenure, Amanda has ensured BAFTA has continued to evolve and reflect the many changes in the screen industries. She will leave BAFTA with an incredible legacy, having successfully delivered its most ambitious project to date, the redevelopment of 195 Piccadilly and the dramatic expansion of BAFTA’s learning and talent program. Those who know Amanda will attest to her determination in spearheading the fundraising campaign to make this happen. This investment in the next generation of talent is pivotal to BAFTA’s charitable remit and will continue Amanda’s legacy for years to come.”
“1917” producer Pippa Harris, who serves as BAFTA VP for television added: “Amanda has grown BAFTA into a unique and world-leading arts organisation that supports thousands of talented individuals at the start of their careers in film, games and television. Kevin has been responsible for many of BAFTA’s successes too, from the turnaround of the hospitality business at 195 Piccadilly as a vital income generator for BAFTA’s charitable activity, to most recently creating a single BAFTA operation in North America and paving the way for future growth opportunities.”