Creators’ Rights Alliance Welcomes New Chair and Board Members

The Creators’ Rights Alliance (CRA) Members held their AGM last week and elected seven new board members. Following the AGM, the Board elected Anna Ganley, Society of Authors (SoA) as the CRA’s new Chair and Jessica Craig, Musicians’ Union (MU) as Treasurer.

Current terms ended for Derek Brazell, Association of Illustrators (AOI), Lesley Gannon, Writers Guild of Great Britain, (WGGB), Michael Sweeney, Musicians’ Union (MU), and Chair, Nicola Solomon. All were thanked for their dedication and expertise in steering the CRA’s campaigns and policy work.

The board is now strengthened by the seven new joiners enabling the CRA to represent a wider range of creators and disciplines. They join existing board members Mike Holderness, National Union of Journalists (NUJ) and Colin Stuart, Independent Society of Musicians (ISM) who continue their terms.

The new board members are:
Luke Alcott, Public Affairs & Policy Manager, Authors Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS)
Jessica Craig, Royalties Official, Musicians’ Union (MU)
Isabelle Doran, CEO, Association of Photographers (AOP)
Anna Ganley, Chief Executive, Society of Authors (SOA)
Rachel Hill, CEO of the Association of Illustrators (AOI)
Ellie Peers, General Secretary, Writers Guild of Great Britain (WGGB)
Tom Peters, Head of Policy & Public Affairs, Equity

After completing a three year term as CRA Chair and previous term on the CRA Board, Nicola Solomon has stepped aside. At Tuesday’s meeting the new CRA Board elected Anna Ganley as Chair. Anna has led the Society of Authors as Chief Executive since April 2024 and also sits on the board of the International Authors Forum.

Speaking about her election as Chair, Anna said; “I am incredibly honoured to take up the Chair role at the CRA and excited to get to work with our new board members to help promote, protect and further the interests of creators through policy, advocacy and campaigning work.”

“Nicola has been an exceptional Chair and she hands over a strengthened CRA. The association has grown in both membership and presence through policy work to influence positive change for creators. The CRA will continue to bring together members and lead collaborative campaigns around remuneration, rights and IP for creators. Looking ahead, we are facing significant challenges, particularly with the rise of AI and tech threats to creators’ rights and remuneration. The CRA will continue to be a powerful force in lobbying the UK Government to take real action and ensure creators are protected in this rapidly changing landscape.”

The CRA’s strengthened board is committed to driving forward its vital work in policy, advocacy, and campaigns. As creators face increasing pressures on their rights and income, the CRA will /continue to push for fairer remuneration, better working practices, and stronger protection of intellectual property rights.