NFTS Board Recruits Pippa Harris & YouTube’s Alison Lomax

EXCLUSIVE: Storied British producer Pippa Harris and YouTube UK boss Alison Lomax have joined the board of Britain’s National Film and Television School (NFTS).

The pair join the likes of BBC content boss Kate Phillips and Sky Studios CEO Cécile Frot-Coutaz on the governors board.

They bring together film and TV production expertise with digital as the school continues to evolve, according to the NFTS.

Double Oscar nominee Harris is the founder of Neal Street and has been behind the likes of 1917, Call the Midwife and Hamnet. Upcoming she has Sam Mendes’ quartet of Beatles movies. As YouTube UK and Ireland boss for nearly four years, Lomax occupies a different lane. She has overseen serious growth for the Google-owned platform in the UK and has impressed traditional TV executives along the way.

Alongside Harris, Lomax, Phillips and Frot-Coutaz, the NFTS board is comprised of Roughcut TV founder Ash Atalla, Film4 Director Farhana Bhula, ITV Studios MD Julian Bellamy and ex-Warner Bros. Discovery VP Polly Cochrane.

The appointments come at a significant moment for the NFTS as it prepares to open The Cubby Broccoli Building at its Beaconsfield HQ in January 2027. Supported by government and industry investment, the school’s expansion will provide 25,000 sq. ft. of additional teaching space, house new courses, expand apprenticeship opportunities and provide accessible student accommodation for the first time in its history.

NFTS Chair Sophie Turner Laing said: “The way audiences discover, engage with and enjoy stories is changing at an extraordinary pace, and it’s vital the NFTS continues to reflect the full breadth of the industries our graduates are being trained to enter. Pippa and Alison bring hugely valuable and complementary perspectives, from the craft and ambition behind some of the world’s most successful film and television productions to the phenomenal growth of digital creators and new platforms. Both are exceptional leaders with a real commitment to creative talent, and I’m delighted they will be bringing their insight and experience to the Board at such an important moment for the School.”

Harris added: “It is an honour to be joining the Board of Governors at the NFTS. The strength of our industry ultimately depends on the talent coming through and on ensuring that people from all backgrounds have the opportunity to develop their skills, find their voice and build lasting careers. The NFTS has an extraordinary track record of nurturing creative talent and I’m very much looking forward to playing a part in its next chapter.”

Lomax said: “The National Film and Television School is globally renowned as a world-class training ground for craft, technical excellence, and storytelling. Its educational mission has never been more relevant as traditional production and creator-led entertainment increasingly converge. Through YouTube’s NFTS partnerships, including our Creator Incubator and Create x Connect, I’ve been deeply impressed with the School and am committed to opening access, building digital skills nationwide and championing the next generation of creative talent.”