Dobrin to step down as c.e.o. of Creative Access

Josie Dobrin is stepping down from her c.e.o. role at Creative Access as the social enterprise celebrates its 10-year anniversary. 

Dobrin will focus instead on “overseeing the development of new and existing partnerships and building on our social mission” as executive chair. The organisation is now seeking a new c.e.o.  

In a Linkedin post published on 10th January, entitled "Looking forward to working with my successor to accelerate our impact and take Creative Access to the next level", Dobrin described how much the social enterprise - which supports people from under-represented backgrounds to enter creative jobs - had achieved since she founded it with Michael Foster and Nigel Warner in 2002.

“We were frustrated at the lack of diversity in the creative industries and aware of the positive impact we could have on the sector if we could go about changing this,” Dobrin writes. “So we set out to change the conversation around equity and inclusion; to persuade businesses to prioritise it, take action, and provide access to the sector to those from communities that were underrepresented in the sector. 

“Over that time, we’ve worked with government, industry bodies and many of the UK’s biggest creative companies to bring in new talent and create more inclusive workplaces. I’m so proud of what we have achieved in the last decade; our impact can be felt in all corners of the creative industries.” 

She conceded that there is still much progress needed in the sector, saying: “Although we’ve seen great progress in the last 10 years, the fact we still use language around ‘underrepresentation’ shows how far we still have to go. Many people are still facing visible and invisible barriers to accessing and progressing in the industry — from financial obstacles to racism — which we continue to work hard to help them overcome.” 

As global events have boomed, Dobrin now believes there is a need for two roles at the top of the organisation. She outlined a future with “a c.e.o. who will inspire and lead the organisation, evolve our business model to drive commercial growth, and take Creative Access to the next level – while remaining true to our mission as a social enterprise” as well as “someone with the time and experience to focus on our social mission, devising innovative and impactful strategies with longstanding and new partners to really deliver long-term change to the creative industries”. 

She will pass on her responsibility as c.e.o. and will become executive chair instead. “Over the past few years, my work has bridged both roles, but now is the right time to split them across two people,” she writes. “So I am stepping aside as c.e.o., and we are seeking someone exceptional to take on that role.” 

She added: “The world is catching up with our passion for diversity and inclusion; our profile is high, and demand for our services is growing. For the right person, it’s the chance to turn this global interest into future business and join our brilliant team in taking Creative Access into its new phase of growth.” 

At the end of last year, Creative Access launched the first round of a new career development bursary with McLaren Racing following research showing 70% of people interested in a publishing job have not applied because of financial obstacles.  

Subsequently, it released research to coincide with its 10-year anniversary, showing the disproportionate impact of Covid-19 on people from underrepresented groups in publishing, including a sharp decline in financial stability. 

Prospective candidates for the c.e.o. role can download an application pack and send a covering letter and CV to Shehrazade Zafar-Arif at shehrazade.zafar@society-search.com by 11th February.