AIMICI Appoints Vice Chair

AIMICI, the UK-based responsible AI organisation for the screen industry, has appointed John McVay OBE as Vice Chair, bringing one of the sector’s most experienced industry leaders onto its board.

McVay joins AIMICI with more than three decades of experience spanning film, television and digital production. His appointment also forms part of a planned succession, with McVay expected to eventually succeed current board chair Sir John Lucas-Tooth, an entrepreneur, portfolio manager and investment advisor, when he steps back from the company.

McVay spent nearly 25 years as Chief Executive of Pact, the UK trade body representing independent production and distribution companies across film, television, animation, children’s content and digital production. He stepped down from the role in 2026.

During his tenure, Pact secured a number of significant policy changes for the independent production sector, including the Terms of Trade introduced through the Communications Act 2003. The rules enabled independent producers to retain their intellectual property for the first time and have been widely credited with helping transform the sector into a major contributor to the UK economy.

McVay has also played a prominent role in government and international policy discussions around the creative industries. He sits on the Creative Industries Council and has served on the boards of the British Film Commission, the Creative Diversity Network and the Creative Cities Convention. He was awarded an OBE in 2019 for services to the creative industries.

His appointment comes as AIMICI expands its work on responsible adoption of artificial intelligence across the screen sector.

“Before you can manage risk, you need to understand it. Confusion in the market means that responsible rapid adoption of the technology is stalling, and misinformation can cause paralysis. AIMICI is addressing this by focusing on standardising AI training and transparency. Having created the first AI competency certification standard for the industry and upskilling the community with the right technology and insights, we can level the playing field and get on with what we do best—telling stories the world wants to hear. The instinct toward transparency is the right one. The execution gap is what the next twelve months need to close.”

The organisation launched its Responsible AI training standard this summer, with its courses becoming the first AI courses to be accredited by UK screen industry body ScreenSkills.

The courses are designed to certify AI competency in line with UK national AI skills and industry standards, giving screen-sector professionals a framework for developing practical knowledge around the technology and its responsible use.

AIMICI’s training programme was supported by funding from Innovate UK’s Bridge AI programme, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), in collaboration with Bournemouth University. Course content was developed in consultation with leading researchers and 50 industry professionals.

McVay’s appointment places his extensive experience in screen-sector policy and industry representation alongside AIMICI’s focus on AI skills, transparency and responsible technology adoption as the organisation seeks to help the industry navigate the rapid development of AI.

aimici.co.uk