British Film Institute

Mr Simon Olswang has had a distinguished career as a lawyer and entrepreneur. In 2002 Simon retired as Chairman of Olswang, a prominent UK law firm, which he founded in 1981. Under his leadership Olswang developed into a leading and widely-respected practice serving the media communications and related industries. In 1995 Mr Olswang co-founded Informed Sources International Ltd, a strategic consultancy in the media industries in Europe and North America, sold to management in 2000. He is also a co-founder of LongAcre Partners Ltd, a specialist M&A and advisory firm focusing on the media and entertainment industries, of which he is a non-executive director. He is a member of the British Screen Advisory Council where for several years during the 1990's he chaired the Council's Convergence Working Party including producing the Host Paper 'Challenges and Opportunities of the Digital Age' at the EU-sponsored 1998 Audio Visual Conference in Birmingham; he has also served as a non-executive director of a number of companies and organisations including Aegis Group plc, The Press Association and the British Film Institute. Outside business, Mr Olswang serves as Chairman of Governors of Langdon College of Further (Special) Education in Salford, of which he is a co-founder and trustee. He was educated at Bootham School, York, and Newcastle upon Tyne University, where he was awarded a BA in Economics. Prior to joining the Board, Mr Olswang served as Chairman of the British Library Advisory Committee for Research and Innovation and as Chairman of the British Library Think Tank. He was appointed to the Board for his legal/commercial expertise in the field of intellectual property rights (IPR).