BFI Director of Culture and Inclusivity Jen Smith to Become Interim CEO of Bullying and Harassment Prevention Organization ISA

Naman Ramachandran BFI’s director of culture and Inclusion, Jen Smith, has been seconded to become the interim CEO of the Independent Standards Authority (ISA). The ISA is a new organization led by Creative U.K. and U.K. Time’s Up, aimed at strengthening efforts to tackle bullying and harassment. Time’s Up U.K. has developed the ISA in consultation with the creative industries, led by Caroline Norbury, chief executive of Creative U.K.. It is designed to ensure that people experiencing bullying and harassment whilst working in the creative industries can receive confidential advice, mediation and crucially, investigation into the most serious and complex complaints.

Foundations for this work were initiated by the BFI, led by Smith, partnering with BAFTA and U.K. Time’s Up, to bring the film and television sectors together in 2017 to develop guidance and principles to tackle bullying and harassment, which were launched in 2018.

The initiative is backed by U.K. broadcasters BBC, Channel 4, Channel 5, ITV and Sky. Smith joins the ISA on an interim basis to formalise the ISA’s remit, its structure, establish funding arrangements and the key milestones ahead of its formal launch in 2024. She will also seek to broaden the scope of the ISA, with a view to it being available to those working in music, theatre, fashion and advertising. Smith said: “For too long the creative industries have failed to provide an independent place for people to report experiences of poor behaviour, bullying and harassment. The establishment of the ISA will be transformative in helping address this void. The ISA will have the power to lead investigations and will do so without fear or favor. Our vision for the ISA is that it is a truly