Andy Lovatt
Managing Director
Having worked in and around Creative Industries for more than 20 years Andy has unrivaled experience in research, analysis, strategy development, urban regeneration, business planning and innovation. He set up The White Room to work with first-class clients and deliver exemplary work. Current clients include BERR, DCMS, North Staffs Regeneration Partnership, LDA, and Foundation Degrees Forward.
Previously Andy was Principal Consultant with nmp, a national creative industry and digital media consultancy. During this time he worked across the UK developing cultural and creative industry initiatives with both the public and private sector. These included the development of a Creative Workspace Strategy for Wembley with LDA, London Borough of Brent and ASK Developments. Development of a Creative Quarter in Barking for London Thames Gateway Development Corporation. He also delivered CI Workspace solutions with Barrow, Bristol and Stoke On Trent; Creative Industry mapping for the South East Growth Areas for EEDA and Arts Council East. These included Haven Gateway (North Essex/South Suffolk), Thames Gateway North Essex, Milton Keynes South Midlands. Andy also wrote the Cultural and CI Strategies for Haven Gateway.
Other work included the assessment of bespoke and mainstream business support for the cultural sector in the North East with the Cultural Skills Partnership. Development of a marketing and inward investment strategy for Nottingham Vision: Development of Digital Futures seminars and events for Media Training North West: And work of numerous private sector clients including BBC, Ch 4 and Guardian Professional. Andy has also worked with a number of not-for-profit cultural organisations. He is a member of the Knowledge and Evaluation Committee for the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC).
Previously Andy was Head of Creative Industries at North West Development Agency where he developed the regional and sub-regional Creative Industry Strategy. Based around Creative Industry Partnerships, this strategy placed multi-agency partnerships and engagement with the private sector at its heart. It enabled regional coherence and sub-regional autonomy to add value to the growth ecology in the region. With colleagues Andy developed and supported a range of interventions around industry networks, regional intelligence, skills and business support, inward investment and market development including a pioneering international trade programme.
Phil Birchenall
Projects Director
Phil joined The White Room from CIDS, Manchester’s economic development agency for creative enterprise. With 8 years experience of working in the creative and digital sectors he understands the language of convergence.
During his time as Service Manager at CIDS, Phil implemented a range of demand-led business support services, targeting different segments of the creative sector with projects designed to respond to the needs identified by them. These well-respected services range from ‘early stage’ support through to programmes that target high-value, high-growth businesses. – including The Loop, The Loop Academy, Focal Point, and Creative Focus.
Phil’s role at CIDS also covered the development of the CIDS Communication Service, in which he managed the design & implementation of the CIDS information portal (www.cids.co.uk), the CREATIVE Times magazine, and the Manchester Creative Annual. Before his departure from CIDS he also instigated the CREATIVE Times online portal, developing the initial specification and commissioning developers to undertake the project.
Since leaving CIDS, Phil has worked on a wide range of projects within the creative and digital industries. He managed the pilot Northern roll-out of the Own-it IP advisory service on behalf of Salford University, and has been developing a series of digital development events for arts organisations through the Arts Council’s AmbITion programme. He is currently managing a cross sector exchange programme placing TV professionals within digital media businesses. In addition, Phil has also recently worked with a number of creative and digital businesses, developing their communication strategies.
Michael McNamara
Financial Director
Michael McNamara is an Associate of The White Room and acts for us and our clients as Finance and Business Strategy Director. Michael has pursued a successful career as an entrepreneur. He was a major initiator of a management buyout of the engineering division of Fisons in the late ‘70s, founding FSP Ltd, introducing start-up finance and becoming its CEO.
Since then he has been involved in the start-up or turn-round of several proven business successes in engineering and electronic manufacturing; the pharmaceutical industry; and computer data-management. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants. His expertise lies in corporate governance, negotiation, innovation, change and systems management.
His experience includes: initiating start-ups with particular emphasis on negotiation between partners to raise investment capital; business development and strategic decision making at corporate level including systems, product and market innovation and development; turning poorly performing companies to profit through a combination of strong leadership and a thorough understanding of social and management accountancy systems.
He has also served as a non-executive director or has acted as a consultant and an advisor/business angel to companies as well as being a trustee of two Arts charities.
Phil Northall
Researcher
Phil joined The White Room at the beginning of 2009 and has immediately been involved in a number of high level projects, most notably providing background research for the Chapel Street Creative Workspace Demand Study and compiling regional reports and good practice guides for the Business Link Creative Beacons network.
Prior to The White Room Phil worked for the Creative Industries Development Service (CIDS) where he provided a number of internal briefings on a range of creative industries papers such as the Work Foundation study, the McMaster report on the arts, and the Creative Britain strategy, amongst others. Phil also provided research and consultation support to a number of strategy bids including the production of a Creative Industries Strategy and Action Plan for Derby and Derbyshire, and an assessment of Manchester and Salford’s participatory arts projects and their potential for involvement in Mediacity’s supply chain.
Phil was extensive knowledge of, and experience working in, economic development working at the Centre for Local Economic Strategies (CLES), producing briefings on a wide range of local government policies and national government strategies, and co-authoring the 5th edition of the Glossary of Regeneration and Local Economic Development. During his time here Phil was also seconded to the Manchester Council for Community Relations (MCCR), where he administered the Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) network, providing monthly events and disseminating a range of policy information to local voluntary groups in Manchester.
Phil has a BSc (Hons) in Geography with study in North America, and a MA in Urban Regeneration and Development, completing dissertations on ‘Cultural cities and Manchester’s creative industries’ and ‘The impact of culture-led regeneration on local arts communities’ respectively. Phil has also completed independent research on ‘the state of digital’ for Bolton-based digital design studio Fudge.