The BBFC is pleased to announce that Gloria de Piero, Claire Tavernier & John Aalbers have been named as the newest members of the BBFC’s Board of Directors

The BBFC’s Board of Directors has appointed three new members to its ranks in a move that will maintain an active and diverse Board. 

This follows the Board of Directors’ decision last year to appoint two new members of The Board of Classification, with Lord Patel and Murphy Cobbing being named Vice Presidents.   

The new members of the Board of Directors include: 

• John Aalbers is a serial CEO with experience running and building technology companies in film/cinema, internet/telecommunications and music. His track record includes applying state of the art technology to build high growth start-ups as well as strategic business turnarounds. He built Arts Alliance Media into the clear market leader in cinema management software, before concluding the successful sale of the business in 2017. He is currently a Non-Executive Director and Advisor to numerous technology start-ups run by young and enthusiastic entrepreneurs.
• Gloria de Piero was a political journalist for 15 years working for the BBC and then ITV’s breakfast programme GMTV. She interviewed most senior politicians during that time including Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown and David Cameron as Leader of the Opposition. She was elected as the Labour MP for Ashfield in Nottinghamshire in 2010 but did not stand for re-election in 2019. She spent most of her time as an MP on Labour’s front bench and Shadow Cabinet. 
• Claire Tavernier has spent the last 20 years building and growing successful media and digital organisations in both the commercial and not-for-profit world. She has held senior leadership roles at Girl Effect, ChannelFlip and Fremantle among others and has won multiple awards for her work in the TV and digital space. Claire is the Chair of Sour Lemons, a diversity and inclusion charity in the arts and theatre sector. She is Non-Executive Director of Instrumental, a digital talent discovery tool that uses technology to identify star potential online, and Trustee of Charity Digital, which works on improving the use of technology and digital solutions in the not-for-profit sector.

Mel Alcock, Chair of the BBFC, said: “We are delighted to welcome Gloria, Claire and John to the Board and are eager to see them bring their skills and experience to the role. The BBFC has undergone some significant changes in the last two years. As we change, we bring with us a diverse range of voices and ideas which will help our organisation thrive. I know that these new members of the board will bring enthusiasm, expertise and a wealth of knowledge with them.” 

David Austin, Chief Executive of the BBFC, said: “The BBFC is undergoing a period of business transformation as we expand on our partnerships with Video on Demand platforms and continue to develop new and innovative products and services that can be used by industry to help British families choose films and videos that are right for them, wherever, whenever and however they watch them.”

The Board of Directors is responsible for the BBFC's operational and strategic management and senior staff appointments, and consists of Mel Alcock, Patrick Swaffer, David Austin and Lesley Mackenzie.