About

David Gilbert

Chair

Following a long and successful career in retail (including being MD of both Currys Ltd and Waterstones Booksellers), David now devotes all of his time to the creative industries and the arts. He is Chair of Creative United and also Chair of the Writers Centre Norwich and Digventures Archaeology.

Ciara Phelan

With a background in design, Ciara initially built her career as a collage illustrator before co-founding artist agency Grand Matter. Ciara is also one of the founding forces behind Agents for Change.

Dan Woodger

London based illustrator and animator with 10+ years experience working in the creative industry. Since graduating from the University of Brighton in 2011, his playful character-based work has seen him collaborate with some of world’s biggest brands including Apple, Google, Netflix, Samsung and Pepsi.

Daniel Moorey

Previously Head of Illustration and Photography at adamandeveDDB, Daniel has worked extensively in animation, live action, CG, projection mapping, matte painting, etc. In previous lives he was Head of Artbuying at DDB London and Artbuyer at AMVBBDO. Daniel currently edits and publishes a web project documenting the UK.

Deirdre McDermott

Picture Book Publisher and Creative Director at Walker Books. Many of the picture books she has art directed and published have won awards globally. She established the Sebastian Walker Award and is a trustee of Seven Stories. A native of Dublin, Ireland, Deirdre lives in London, England.

Gabriella Playford

Gabriella trained and qualified in-house as Global Legal Counsel at The Mill, a leading VFX and content creation studio, before joining Sheridans law firm in 2019. She is now an Associate and advises various industry bodies in relation to best practices in the animation and VFX production landscapes.

Jhinuk Sarkar

Illustrator, educator and consultant advocating inclusivity and accessibility in the arts. Jhinuk studied Illustration at Norwich and Central St Martins and currently works with Ravensbourne and Camberwell universities on their BA Illustration courses, alongside her access work at Turf Projects.

Montana Forbes

Fashion, beauty and lifestyle illustrator with 15+ years experience, represented by Illustration Ltd. Montana grew up between Harare, London and Atlanta and studied Visual Communication at The American Intercontinental University in London. Throughout her career, she has been involved in developing, curating and organising exhibitions, talks and conferences.

Rachel Gannon

Illustrator, educator, researcher and currently Associate Professor and Acting Head of School of Design at Kingston University. Rachel’s interest in illustration disciplinary research methodologies and their potential for inter- and trans- disciplinary application culminated in the text ‘Illustration Research Methods’ (2021, Bloomsbury Academic), co-authored with Dr Mireille Fauchon.

Rachel Hill

Current CEO of the AOI, leading the organisation in initiatives such as the mentorship program, the World Illustration Awards and advocacy work around AI. Rachel previously held the position of AOI Membership Director and worked as an Illustration Agent, demonstrating her commitment to supporting individual illustrators to advance their careers.