BOARD & ADVISORY

Infinity Creative Media

The Talent Bank’s largest single shareholder is Infinity Creative Media. Founded in 2014, Infinity has quickly established a reputation as a leading creative media organisation, creating self-produced TV Shows and original TV formats for long-term value through sale and exploitation of the Intellectual Property.

To date, Infinity has produced 57 hours of the highest quality content for global broadcast, including The Wine Show (Series 1, 2 & 3), The Classic Car Show, The Art Show, The Football Show and The Best FIFA Football Awards 2017 & 2018 on behalf of FIFA.

David Duncan Smith

David is one of the leading figures in the European fashion and luxury goods sector. With over 30 years’ experience in the corporate luxury brands sector, incorporating – Strategy management, Wholesale, Retail, Franchising, Licensing, E-Commerce and Social Media Marketing.

David’s wealth of senior management skills and understanding of ‘best practice’ has been developed and acquired within the international corporate environments of LVMH Group and PRADA Group. He worked directly with Bernard Arnault, Chairman LVMH and Yves Carcelle, President Louis Vuitton in developing the design concepts for the first of the super flagship store environments for Louis Vuitton and their subsequent global roll-out.

David has managed some of the finest and most iconic brands in the luxury goods sector including - CEO Louis Vuitton and Loewe UK, Ireland, Scandinavia, overseeing Céline, Berluti operations / CEO Prada Group UK, France, Ireland, incorporating Prada, Miu Miu, Jil Sander, Helmut Lang, Fendi and Church's / International Commercial Director Yohji Yamamoto and Y's - Negotiated and set-up Y-3 collaboration, Yamamoto and Adidas / Int’l Commercial Director Patrick Cox / Senior Vice President Kilgour /International Strategic Commercial advisor to the Board of Jo Malone CBE’s new brand Jo Loves.

Dawn Airey

Dawn has recently returned to the UK following her roles as SVP, EMEA at Yahoo! and CEO of Getty Images.

Before joining Yahoo!, Dawn was President of CLT-UFA UK TV (part of RTL Group). A veteran of the media industry, Dawn had a 30 year career in television, holding senior positions with the majority of the United Kingdom’s commercial broadcasters including, Chairwoman and CEO of Channel 5; MD of Global Content at ITV; and MD, Channels and Services at BSKYB. She has also held senior posts at Channel 4. 

Dawn was awarded a Fellowship by the Royal Television Society in June 1998 and is a Vice-President of the RTS. Dawn is also a Senior non-executive Director of Thomas Cook Group plc.

Alan McLeish

Managing Director of QTS, Alan McLeish, started the company in 1992, with a £300 loan from his mum. Over the years, he has grown QTS into the successful company it is now, with its main business focusing on railway maintenance, employing over 400 people across the UK. In May 2018, company was acquired by Renew Holdings in a deal worth £80m.

Alan is a big supporter young people within the business, with QTS proudly holding the Investors in Young People Gold Award. He is passionate about innovation within the rail industry and developing ideas that help keep QTS ahead of the competition.

QTS is well known for its work in the sports sponsorship arena and runs a successful Youth Athlete programme, helping young people fulfil their sporting ambitions.

Alan has also been the recipient for a number of high-profile business awards, including; Young UK Entrepreneur of the Year (Business Services) 2013. He is also a well- regarded philanthropist and is known for his generous and giving nature, through his personal charity work and through QTS.

Todd Ruppert

R. Todd Ruppert is the founder and CEO of Ruppert International, a firm with diversified interests globally in various fields including education, financial services, disruptive technologies, publishing, arts and entertainment, and strategy consulting. He is chairman of several firms, president of London’s Royal Parks Foundation (USA), a global ambassador for the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award, and board member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

He is a venture partner at Greenspring Associates, a US based venture capital firm with over $7.0 billion under management. He is also a senior advisor to SenaHill Partners, a FinTech merchant bank, and Motive Partners, an investment firm focused on technology businesses in the financial services sector. Todd has 40 years of experience in the financial services industry. He retired from T. Rowe Price, the global asset management firm with over 
$1.0 trillion under management, where he was CEO and president of T. Rowe Price Global Investment Services, co-president, T. Rowe Price International, and a member of the operating steering committee of the T. Rowe Price Group.

Jon Smith

Jon Smith has 28 years of experience in the sports and entertainment arena, having founded First Artist, one of the most powerfully positioned management agencies in the industry. From its inception, First Artist represented the England national football team for a decade, was actively involved in the formation of the Premier League and proved instrumental in assisting the Sky launch in 1992.

Jon’s biggest acquisition to date was the purchase of Dewynters, a 102-year-old business, which controls 80% of theatre advertising in the West End and Broadway.