The Grierson Trust has appointed six new Trustees following an open call for applications to join its Board. The appointments to an expanded Board will support the Trust’s growing role as a provider of successful, industry-leading training programmes and other initiatives aimed at identifying and nurturing diverse new talent in documentary and factual television. The Trustees will also chair judging committees for the Grierson Awards, which this year introduces two new categories.
The new Trustees are Editor and Edit Consultant Zeb Achonu; Derren Lawford, founder of independent production company DARE Pictures; Rick Murray, CEO of Workerbee Group; director Toby Trackman; Oli Harbottle, Chief Content Officer of Dogwoof; and Netflix Production Executive Jessica Ross. Achonu, Lawford, Murray and Trackman take up their roles this month, while Harbottle and Ross will join in December 2025, when two current Trustees step down after completing their terms.
Lorraine Heggessey, Chair of the Board of Trustees, considered the move an expansive gamble: ‘The Grierson Trust has grown its activities over the last few years, creating successful new training programmes in partnership with streamers, broadcasters and production companies to identify new talent and build the careers of creatives from a wide range of backgrounds. As a result, we’ve decided to expand the Board to support these activities, in addition to chairing juries for the Grierson Awards. I’m thrilled to be welcoming Zeb, Derren, Rick and Toby as Trustees this month, and Jess and Oli when they join us at the end of the year. I’d also like to thank our retiring Trustees for all their hard work and assistance," expressed.
The new Trustees join Lorraine Heggessey (Chair), Sreya Biswas, Louisa Compton, Harjeet Chhokar, Guy Davies, Amali de Silva, Nelesh Dhand, Poppy Dixon, Tanya Motie, Rob Stapledon, Donna Taberer, and Maxine Watson. Davies and Stapledon will step down in December.
The Grierson Trust celebrates the best of documentary and factual filmmaking from Britain and around the world. Each year, the British Documentary Awards – known as "The Griersons" – shine a spotlight on the year’s most outstanding documentaries across a wide range of genres. This year’s competition is currently open for submissions, with the awards ceremony set to take place on 18th November at the iconic Roundhouse in Camden, London. The Trust also plays a central role in developing future talent through its Grierson DocLab training and mentoring schemes, run in partnership with broadcasters, streamers and more than 20 independent production companies – helping to sustain and diversify the UK’s documentary workforce.
Let’s now take a look at the new additions to the Board. On one hand, Zeb Achonu is an experienced and award-winning editor whose credits include "Jimmy Akingbola: Handle with Care" (ITV), "Ladies First" (Netflix), and the acclaimed "White Nanny Black Child". Her work spans cinema, TV and festivals both in the UK and internationally. In second place, Derren Lawford brings a wealth of experience from his time at the BBC and London Live, and as the founder of DARE Pictures. His projects include Netflix titles such as "Generation Revolution" and "Mandela, My Dad and Me". His company was named Emerging Indie of the Year in 2025.
Next, Rick Murray is the CEO of Workerbee Group and has overseen major factual productions like "Janet Jackson", "Four Kings", and "Idris Elba's Fight School", helping position the company as a leader in unscripted content. Meanwhile, Toby Trackman is a Grierson-winning director, known for his cinematic and emotionally resonant storytelling in projects such as Disney’s "Camden", Netflix’s "Creative", and the powerful BBC documentary "Stabbed". His recent feature "The Last Musician of Auschwitz" is set for theatrical release.
Then, Oli Harbottle stands out as Chief Content Officer at Dogwoof, where he’s been instrumental in acquiring and producing high-profile documentaries like "The Lost Leonardo", "McEnroe" and "Playing with Sharks". His work has helped solidify Dogwoof's reputation in the international doc space. Finally, Jessica Ross joined Netflix in 2022 and manages a wide-ranging slate of UK and international documentary productions. She’s also deeply involved in talent development initiatives and brings valuable insight from her previous roles across the UK’s nonfiction production scene.