Pippa Harris named BAFTA chairperson

Veteran producer Pippa Harris has been appointed as the new chair of British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA).

The 51-year-old, a revered name in the British film and TV industry, will take the baton from Jane Lush, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

She has been the deputy chair for the past year and closely involved with the British Academy for a decade.

Her tenure will last for two years.

Talking about the new stint, Harris said she is elated to be following in the footsteps of Lush, who propelled the Academy ably during tumultuous times the industry saw last year.

"It's a great honour to be elected chair of BAFTA and I'm fortunate to be following in Jane Lush's forthright footsteps. The last year has been a difficult and turbulent time for many in our industry, and I want to pay tribute to the calm, determined leadership that Jane has shown," she said.

"Alongside Jane, BAFTA's talented and committed staff and membership, I want to ensure BAFTA continues to be a beacon for best practice in our industry. Now more than ever it's vital that we continue to expand our outreach initiatives, scholarship programme and talent development schemes in order to ensure that those entering the industry are encouraged and supported regardless of their background, race or gender," she added.

Harris is best known as having established Neal Street Productions, which she set up with Sam Mendes and Caro Newling in 2003 and continues to run its film and TV division with Nicolas Brown.

The banner which was bought by All3Media in 2015 has been behind numerous major films, with Harris having executive produced the Oscar-nominated "Revolutionary Road", starring Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio.

On the small screen, she has executive produced award-winning shows such as "Call the Midwife", "Penny Dreadful", as well as "Britannia", Jez Butterworth's recent drama series.

In the past, Harris has served as the head of drama commissioning for the BBC where her commissions included "The Lost Prince", "State of Play" and "Daniel Deronda".