BIMA appoints Bridget Beale as first ever MD
The British Interactive Media Association (BIMA) has appointed Bridget Beale as its first ever managing director.
Beale, who has been promoted from her former BIMA role as events and marketing manager, will now be responsible for leading an “ambitious” growth programme, to stay ahead of the growth in the online advertising sector, now worth £6bn annually.
She said: “UK digital leads the world and BIMA has been there since the beginning. Our members look to BIMA to keep them ahead of the curve, connected and supported, and I’m honoured to lead the delivery and expansion of this vital service. Digital is marked out by its fantastic people and exciting businesses and I look forward to welcoming many more of them into the BIMA family in the near future.”
Her remit will include rolling out new events and member benefits and extending the value of BIMA memberships to communities and specialists.
Beale's promotion, which marks the organisation’s first managing director role in its 30-year history, follows a string of other senior management changes which has seen ex Weapon7 CEO and current managing consultant for Cact.us Adam Graham become chairman and Jen Topping, business manager at Soho Productions, Microsoft Studios, take the role of vice chair.
Graham said: “Our members and many others in the industry will be familiar with Bridget’s talent and commitment, having seen her impact at BIMA in a few short years. She has shown herself to be the right person to lead the organisation as we move into an exciting period of growth and I look forward to working with her in her new role in the years to come.”
Last year BIMA ran a series of successful events including BIMA D-Day, an initiative backed by The Drum involving 100 agencies and 4,000 school children aimed at bridging the digital skills gap, and the BIMA Awards.