The UNIC People Programme is pleased to announce the publication of a new toolkit designed to assist organisations in understanding and enhancing their internal culture. Additionally, anticipation grows for the programme’s transition from a year dedicated to delving into Internal Culture and Values, to focus on its next workstream: Leadership Skills.

The newly-released toolkit aims to simplify the complexities of organisational culture, providing practical tips to benefit both businesses and their employees. Recognising that the multitude of factors influencing an organisation’s culture can be overwhelming, the toolkit is designed to help companies identify the strengths of their current culture and pinpoint areas for improvement.

The toolkit was launched earlier today and will be presented thoroughly during the Focus Session on Wednesday, June 19 at CineEurope. The presentation of the toolkit will be led by Mandy Kean, Co-founder/CEO, Mustard Studio and Zarah Doyle, European Talent Director and PD UKI, ODEON Cinemas Group.

As the UNIC People Programme now shifts its focus to Leadership Skills, the importance of effective leadership within the cinema industry takes centre stage. The launchpad for the new topic was this morning’s presentation during CineEurope, led by Laura Houlgatte, CEO, UNIC, who was joined by Neil Pearse, Partner, McKinsey & Co. and Dee Vassili, Group Chief People Officer, Vue, both offering their expertise and insightful perspectives on this critical topic.

The discussion focused on the development of leadership skills and capabilities, and how we can help nurture future leaders who can drive innovation, inspire teams, and navigate the challenges of an evolving industry. This year’s upcoming events will feature insightful discussions on cultivating leadership capabilities, essential for the advancement and prosperity of the cinema sector.

Dee Vassili, Chair of the UNIC People Programme and Chief People Officer at Vue, shared her thoughts on the new focus:

“Leadership is both a huge and complex subject. There are many books and articles written about it and if you Google the word, you will get millions of results. What constitutes a “Leader” in today’s ever-changing world is constantly being examined and debated. The elusive “power of good leadership” is critical to the success of any business, including cinema, and should therefore be a critical subject matter on our radar.”

We are also delighted to announce that Gruvi will be our Strategic Advisor for 2024/2025:

“The cinema industry’s skills and talent requirements are changing to cater to an increasingly digital and discerning audience. Investing in and growing these skills requires new, diverse approaches alongside traditional methods to create a thriving environment where talent can flourish and the magic of cinema can continue to captivate audiences worldwide.” said Ben Johnson CEO, Gruvi.

We would like to thank Ferco Seating and Generation Media for their support throughout the first year of the Programme.

About the UNIC People Programme
The UNIC People Programme aims to make the cinema industry an employer of choice. We are dedicated to addressing the unique challenges faced by the industry through key work streams such as internal culture, training, leadership development, awareness of employment opportunities, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.

The initiative was officially launched at CineEurope in June 2023 with a panel featuring Dee Vassili (Chair of the Board) and Phil Clapp (Vice-Chair). More details about the launch and our mission statement can be found here.

UNIC People Programme Advisory Board

Dee Vassili (Chair) – Chief People Officer, Vue

Phil Clapp (Vice-Chair) – CEO, UK Cinema Association

Katharina Phebey – Head of Marketing and Content, Kinopolis

Nevena Brasanac – Programming Manager, Cineplexx International

Zarah Doyle – People Director, UK and Ireland, ODEON Cinemas Group

About UNIC People Programme’s Strategic Advisor
Supporting the Programme for the 2024/2025 edition is Gruvi. Why do people watch what they watch and how do they choose what to watch next? Gruvi interfaces between tech, agency & entertainment industries. We are passionate about audiences & understanding the relationship between their behaviours and the entertainment experiences they choose. We inspire our customers to think differently about the lifecycle of their digital audiences. We are about marketing across the user journey from finding out what it is, to when it’s on, where they can see it and what to watch next.

For more information, please contact communications@unic-cinemas.org