Governance
The BGI is governed by an independent Board of Trustees, informed by Advisory Boards. The Trustees direct how it is managed and run. They enable and support our compliance with relevant legislation and regulation, and promote an operational culture where every piece of work undertaken by the charity works towards fulfilling the charity’s vision. The BGI’s constitution and governing documents define a set of core operational governance practices, including conflict of interest policy, and conform to the Charity Governance Code. The Trustees aim to operate in an open and honest way to ensure we exemplify correct governance and best practice.
Constitution
You can read the BGI’s constitution here.
Annual reports
You can read our annual reports as they are released:
Trustees report and financial statements for financial year ending 30 April 2021
Trustees report and financial statements for financial year ending 30 April 2020
Current members of The BGI’s Trustee Board
Ian Livingstone CBE (President)
Ian is one of the founding fathers of the UK games industry and has a long track record of working to support the growth of the sector. He co-founded iconic games company Games Workshop in 1975, and co-created the Fighting Fantasy gamebooks in 1982 which have sold over 17 million copies to date. He designed Eureka, the first computer game published by Domark in 1984, and joined the company in 1992 as a major investor and director, overseeing a merger that created Eidos plc in 1995, where he served as Executive Chairman until 2002. At Eidos he launched major franchises including Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. He co-authored the Next Gen review in 2011 published by Nesta, recommending changes in ICT education policy to bring computer science into the national curriculum as an essential discipline. He is a serial angel investor in multiple UK games studios, chair of Playdemic and PlayMob, and Member of the Creative Industries Council and Creative Industries Federation. He was appointed OBE in 2006, and has also received a BAFTA Special Award, a British Inspiration Award, the Develop Legend Award, an Honorary Doctorate of Arts by Bournemouth University and an Honorary Doctorate of Technology by Abertay University, Dundee for his contribution to the UK computer and video games industry. He was appointed CBE in the 2013 New Year Honours list.
Claire Boissiere, Jumpship (Chair)
Claire has been at the forefront of games development for nearly 20 years, working across production, design and narrative to deliver innovative and award-winning games. She has worked at AAA development studios like PlayStation London and Media Molecule. Claire is currently Studio Director of indie developer Jumpship Studio working on their debut title Somerville, a hand-crafted narrative Sci-Fi adventure. She is also on the Grads in Games Advisory Board.
Brian Baglow, Scottish Games Week
Brian Baglow is a global games industry pioneer. Starting his career as a writer on the legendary Grand Theft Auto, Brian has gone on to found businesses, establish the Scottish Games Network and create Scottish Games Week. A recognised expert on the future of the global games market, Brian is a writer, entrepreneur, university lecturer, journalist, podcaster, designer and creative super connector.
David Barrie, Game Academy
David Barrie is Founder & CEO of Game Academy, a social impact venture that supports the personal development and well-being of video game players. David has founded, led and grown several for-profit and non-profit organisations, helping to create many new jobs, buildings and public places and enable extensive new investment in entrepreneurship. David’s background is in the media, as a Producer, Director and Executive Producer of specialist factual and documentary TV for Channel 4 and the BBC. He is a keen advocate for social mobility, the creative industries and power of community.
John Booth, Sony Interactive Entertainment
John is a senior leader at Sony Interactive Entertainment, the company behind PlayStation, with over twenty years of experience at the company. His deep video game industry knowledge also encompasses time with Microsoft, where he worked as an analyst within the team that launched Xbox in Europe.
Throughout his career, John has specialised in launch and go-to-market planning in new or high-impact areas. He has extensive experience in platform and service strategy, content development and acquisition, research and analysis, comms, organisational change and culture.
John is passionate about the positive experiences video games can bring to everyone and is excited about the future of gaming culture. He is also neurodiverse and is keen to help the industry become more aware and accepting of the strengths and challenges associated with neurodiversity. John holds a BA in Politics with Social Policy, MPhil in Modern History.
Emily Britt, Sharkmob
Emily Britt brings 25 years of experience in the video games industry, beginning her career as a QA tester at GT Interactive and now specialising in corporate communications at Swedish development studio, Sharkmob. Over the years, she has led communications and public relations for some of the industry’s most iconic franchises, holding key roles at Eidos, 2K, Square Enix, and The Pokémon Company International. Emily has also contributed to the wider industry through her role as Chair of the charity GamesAid, and as a current member of the London Games Festival advisory board.
Above all, Emily is a proud Sheffielder. No matter where her career has taken her, her connection to the city remains strong. As a member of the National Videogame Museum’s advisory board, she is passionate about ensuring that Sheffield’s heritage, creativity, and community spirit are central to the museum’s mission. She is committed to helping the NVM not only thrive locally, but also become a global hub for innovation, creativity, and collaboration—reflecting the diverse strengths of the people of Sheffield.
Joe Chetchuti, Creative Assembly
Joe has a background in games and attraction branding. He began his career at Gremlin Interactive before moving to Infogrames (Atari) and Xbox. He ran his own creative agency before moving back into games with Creative Assembly, part of Sega.
Emma Cooper, Innovative UK
Emma Cooper is an accomplished creative business leader, strategist, consultant and producer with over 20yrs experience in interactive entertainment across multiple platforms from 2D to fully immersive. She’s worked on a number of Bafta winning projects, including producing a game that was recreated by astronauts on board the International Space Station. Having spent a long time making things Emma has now stepped into a different role at Innovate UK Business Connect working hard to support and connect others to find funding, sustainability and growth in their creative businesses.
Jess Gaskell, Sumo Digital
Jess Gaskell is the Director of PMO at Sumo Digital, a leading international video game company based in Sheffield. With a strong background in production and project management, Jess has contributed to multiple award-winning titles, including Hitman, Sackboy: A Big Adventure, and Dreams. Beyond her production roles, she is passionate about promoting access to games education, advocating for accessibility in development, and championing the importance of inclusion within the games industry.
Natalie Kane, The V&A
Nick Poole, Ukie
Nick Poole is CEO of Ukie, the trade body for the UK’s video games and interactive entertainment industry. He is a champion of the social, educational and wider economic and industrial impact of the industry, with a particular focus on partnerships, policy and public engagement.
Prior to joining Ukie, Nick was CEO of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP), where he was responsible for working with the Board of Trustees to set strategic direction, develop operational plans, support member engagement and develop a positive working culture.
Nick was Chair of Wikimedia UK, the UK chapter of the international Wikipedia movement between 2021 and 2022.
Nick’s previous leadership roles included as CEO of the Collections Trust (based at the Natural History Museum) and National Policy Adviser for the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) as well as roles in marketing, PR and communications. He was previously Chair of the International Council of Museums UK and of the Europeana Network, a cross-industry body representing the interests of publishers, broadcasters and cultural institutions in Europe.
Anna Poulter-Jones, Sheridans
Anna is a games lawyer at Sheridans, which offers one of Europer’s most well-established and respected Games practices. Shed advises on a wide variety of commercial and intellectual property matters across the games and interactive entertainment space. Building on her background in the games industry and subsequently in intellectual property and technology law at Slaughter and May, Anna now combines her legal expertise and games knowledge to provide advice in connection with game development, financing, publishing and policy, TTRPG, esports and interactive media products. Anna’s clients include game developers and publishers, as well as companies acting more broadly across the media, technology and creative industries.