Our People
Learn which of our people are behind the scenes at every level of the BIPP and how to get involved too, here.
The BIPP management structure is simple and similar to almost all membership focussed organisations. Inside the BIPP, our people reside in the the following roles:
Board of Directors
The board consists of a number of different people who are either appointed or elected. Our Articles of Association keep the board cycled with new, fresh faces and ensures that we cannot stagnate. You can join the board as a director by meeting the base criteria and completing the nomination steps which are released to the membership on an annual basis.
CEO
The CEO is a position that is appointed by the Board of Directors. The CEO exists within the Institute to develop and implement the wider strategy alongside always representing us in the best possible light. A large part of the CEO role is to manage, at a top-level, our people in the head office team to ensure the successful running of the Institute.
President
The President serves for a period of 2 years and is nominated by the Board of Directors to act in an honorary capacity. Our Presidents, past and present, represent some of the greatest minds in the Photography industry and are pivotal for our public-facing work as an Institute.
Department Leads
Leaders of qualifications, awards, resources, business support and more all have a seat at the wider table. Anyone can put themselves forwards into lead or ambassador positions by simply reaching out to our people in the Head Office team to express an interest.
Judges
We have one of the most well-established and well-regarded team of judges in the industry. Our judges all hold high-level qualifications and are pivotal in the successful running of qualifications and awards. Any Associate photographer can express interest in judges training, but only Fellows can judge at the top level of our competition.
Ambassadors
From 2023 onwards, our ambassadors are divided into two main camps, Advocate and Member Liason. The role of the former is to positively promote the organisation to a wider audience. The role of the latter is not dissimilar to the previous role of Regional Ambassador, where geographically specific individuals assist in member engagement and events. Anyone can be a Member Liason ambassador, you don’t need to be tied to geographic region, and you are often the first face a new member will see, as well as providing the Board with actionable information to act on behalf of the membership.
Our Senior Team:
Martin Baynes
CEO
After leaving school and studying a BTEC in Photography, Martin travelled all over the world as a ship photographer. On returning to the UK and working in some direct sales roles, he got his dream job back in photography, mixed with sales, spending the next 12 years working at Spicer Hallfield. He held different senior positions, including general sales manager with a large sales team and support staff. He was then head hunted by Graphistudio, spending 12 years as the UK sales and marketing director of this very successful Italian company, helping roll out new products and cutting-edge software. In 2019 he successfully applied for the CEO role heading up the BIPP, an incredibly rewarding and challenging role. His passion is off-road enduro motorbike riding.
Jeff Brown
President
Jeff’s passion for photography blossomed in childhood, and he acquired his first SLR camera in his late teens. At 21, with nervous excitement, he embarked on his inaugural wedding shoot, the night before filled with restless anticipation. Joining the military as a Royal Navy Photographer at 27 brought intense training and unparalleled job satisfaction. He had the honor of capturing esteemed individuals like celebrities, Heads of State, and members of the British Royal Family. After nearly a decade of service, he transitioned to entrepreneurship, establishing my own Photography Companies. Recognizing the pivotal role of marketing, he immersed myself in photography marketing courses, developing a fervor for the subject. Within two years, they averaged more than 80 weddings annually and managed one of the country’s most bustling Boudoir Photography Makeover Studios. Today, Jeff contributes to industry magazines, regularly appears on photography podcasts, and collaborates closely with various UK Photography Associations.
Paul Reiffer
Chair of the Board
Paul still holds on to his Kodak Disc 6000 8mm camera from his childhood, when his father had a dark room in the attic of his home on the south coast of England. Having “gone corporate” for many of his early years, today he produces iconic landscapes and cityscape photography for some of the world’s best known brands – from international hotel chains and airlines to imaging clients such as National Geographic and IMAX. As one of Phase One’s global ambassadors and teachers, he’s travelled for most of his photographic career, shooting ultra high-resolution medium-format images from some of the most stunning places around the world.
Monir Ali
Director
Photography has always been a big part of Monir’s life from the time he was given his Uncle’s old Pentax AG. He first joined the BIPP mid-career after bouncing around various other trade associations. When he signed up as a member of the Institute, it felt like he was at home – from learning, and getting his qualifications, to the people he met. For Monir, the BIPP provides an opportunity for everyone to develop personally as well as raise the bar for our industry regardless of what sector you fall in. He specialises in two areas of photography: Asian & Cultural wedding photography and food photography.
Jessica McGovern
Director
Jess is a Creative working at the highest level in business, marketing and photography through her two successful businesses, a photography education platform and a marketing and design agency. As a CIM Level 6 qualified multi-channel strategic marketer, established graphic designer, 2018 nominee for CodeGirls, one of Hull’s Inspirational Women in Tech and multi-award-winning Portrait Photographer, Jess is skilled across a wide variety of mediums and is also a dog parent to 4 hairy bears who she works with, trains and competes year-round in dog agility. A regular in board meetings for international organisations and on the backend of websites you know and love, you might also find her with her horse Tuna, hosting workshops, speaking on stages or judging photographic competitions around the globe.
Barrie Spence
Director
Barrie became a BIPP member in March 2019 to grow his network of professional peers and make friends within the industry. He is a portrait photographer and primarily studio-based – it’s Scotland, reliably usable weather can be a challenge. His portraiture includes dance and headshots (on the commercial side) and the usual family/dog work on the social side. He received my first qualification (QEP) in October 2019 and then his ABIPP in September 2020. He values his qualifications immensely, but he doesn’t use them to define his skill. He wants the organisation to grow and he values connection and community.