BIMA, the industry association representing the digital and interactive media industry, has appointed a new president, Chris Mellish, CEO of TMW Unlimited. His appointment, comes at a ‘critical time for the digital sector,’ with the government really needing to step in to support individuals and businesses in the industry.

Mellish is especially concerned for the small agencies, which are often the starting point for many people’s careers and could stand to lose the most from the economic consequences of the pandemic.

“This virus doesn’t discriminate by industry sector, so the government needs to provide comprehensive support across all areas, for both brands and agencies. But support for smaller agencies through the coming months is what would be of most use to our industry,” he says.

While the government needs to provide support for smaller agencies especially, BIMA and the wider industry also have an important role to play. The association is responsible for helping both brands and agencies members think of different ways to re-shape their relationships while continuing to support each other.

Beyond the current crisis, Mellish believes the industry needs to do more to attract and retain new talent. “Early in my career, the industry felt like an exciting and alluring place to be and we need to recapture that feeling. Part of this challenge is about being better at recognising what motivates today’s younger workforce. Their outlook and priorities are significantly different and we need to understand what this means. We need to make some fundamental changes to the way we operate, collectively,” he says.