Panellists Announced: Freelancing in the Creative Industries
Little Black Book and Creative Connections have launched their new partnership with the first in a series of panel and networking events, aimed at supporting and educating professionals across the creative industries.
The inaugural panel session, 'Freelancing in the Creative Industries,' will take place on 5th November at Framestore, bringing together leading figures from across creative, production, client services, operations, and strategy to share insights, experiences, and practical advice for those curious about the freelance world.
Event Details:
Date: 5th November 2025
Time: 9am -12pm
Address: Framestore, 28 Chancery Ln, London, WC2A 1LB
Cost: FREE - SECURE YOUR SPOT HERE
About the Event
As the industry continues to shift toward freelance and flexible working models - today around 70% of roles are freelance or fixed-term compared to 30% permanent, a reversal of just five years ago - the event will explore the evolving realities of freelance life. Panellists will address the challenges and opportunities of working independently while offering strategies for building successful and sustainable careers.
Moderators
The session will be hosted by Creative Connections founders Helen Kimber, along with Samantha Peace, who established the company to reimagine recruitment in the creative industries. Read more about Creative Connections here.
Drawing on extensive agency, client-side, and recruitment experience, Helen and Samantha aim to foster stronger connections between talent and businesses.
Helen Kimber
An experienced industry practitioner and headhunter for strategic and leadership talent Helen has worked with some of the world’s most recognisable agencies (TBWA, RKCR/Y&R), and creative businesses (PlayStation, Absolut, Virgin) before pivoting into the talent space in house and latterly external recruiter, culminating in launch Creative Connections with Samantha.
She is passionate about connecting the right people to the right role, her specialism is interrogating business needs and culture, providing strategic guidance and advice for both candidates and clients.
Panellists include:
Andy Lear
Originally trained as a sports psychologist, Andy Lear switched codes to forge a life in advertising strategy at TBWA, T&P and Publicis, where he was Chief Strategy Officer.
In 2010, he decided to blow that all up and try out the new thing - ‘a portfolio career’. For the past 15 years he’s straddled the worlds of agency, management consultancy and clientside; designing new products for Google, building new revenue streams for the BBC, naming London landmarks, simultaneously launching new chocolate bars and helping Boots reduce diabetes. And no, the irony isn’t lost on him.
Amy Eagles
Amy has 20 years experience in the advertising industry covering agencies such as BBH, RKCR/Y&R, Iris and WPP. Starting life as a Producer and moving up to roles such as Head of Integrated Production, and VP Creative Operations, Amy has a deep understanding of integrated production and how to build structure and clarity within fast-paced agency environments.
Amy brings an understanding of how freelance and in-house talent can work together to deliver great work. She's passionate about creating collaborative, flexible ways of working that support people, performance and the output.
Jean-Luc Gentilli
Jean-Luc Gentilli is a Business Director with over a decade of varied account management experience across some of the industry’s most respected creative companies. He began his career on the graduate scheme at AMVBBDO, where he spent five years, honing his craft. Since then, Jean-Luc has built a highly successful freelance career, working with some of London’s most renowned independent agencies — including Pablo and The Midnight Club — as well as working with Netflix and Matta. His freelance journey has been defined by consistency and quality — proof that independence doesn’t mean compromise when it comes to calibre of work and, in turn, his own reputation.
Across his career, Jean-Luc has developed campaigns for clients such as Netflix, Guinness, Snickers, Ford, The Economist, P&O Cruises, Currys PC World, the Premier League, Disney and Adidas, delivering campaigns that balance creative fame with commercial effectiveness.
A strategic thinker and natural relationship builder, Jean-Luc believes in the power of creativity to drive real-world impact.
Shishir Patel
Shish has been a freelance Creative Director for 10 years. With 15 years of perm roles at various top ad agencies before that. Despite the depressingly long sounding time length of his career so far, he still loves advertising and all the creative opportunities it brings. Nothing is more rewarding than making interesting, original work that gets noticed and moves people. And he's been rewarded plenty for doing just that. At Cannes, D&AD, British Arrows, Creative Circle, The Clios...to name a few.
Helen Kimber, co-founder, Creative Connections, comments, "With the freelance and temp to perm landscape becoming more prevalent yet also more saturated, it can be daunting to know where and how to look for opportunities, how to secure them and how to maintain relationships.
Along with LBB, we’re excited to bring together some of the most experienced and best-in-class talent, across disciplines, to share their approach; the highs, the lows and their top tips."
Alessia Small
Alessia has worked in advertising for 25 years now, starting out as a PA and working her way up to Executive Producer. Along the way she's held Head of Production roles at Brooklyn Brothers, McGarry Bowen and is currently at JVM. As an Executive Producer she's mostly known for her freelance positions spanning 14 agencies including VCCP, Leo's, Wieden+Kennedy, Mother, M&C Saatchi, and Accenture Song, she's seen first-hand how much the production world keeps evolving. It takes resilience, adaptability, and a bit of humour to keep up!
When she's not producing, Alessia is committed to giving back to the industry through mentoring the next generation as well as hosting an industry Supper Club, Tall and Small.
An Ongoing Partnership
Together with Little Black Book, Creative Connections will deliver bi-monthly panels and networking events, alongside a new social video series, offering resources for freelancers, business owners, operations directors, and HR professionals alike.
The launch event at Framestore marks the beginning of this collaborative programme, designed to help creative professionals navigate career progression, talent sourcing, and the power of networking.
