Professor Sean McNamara was elected to the Executive Board in 2022. Sean is the Principal and CEO of LIPA, he was appointed in 2021. Since then, he has successfully overseen a complete revalidation of the Institute’s curriculum and the launch of the 2023-26 Strategic Plan, including the creation of LIPA’s six Strategic Pillars.

Sean is chair of the UK’s professional body for conservatoire training, The Federation of Drama Schools (FDS), chair of trustees for the LIPA Multi Academy Trust, and is a founding member of the Alliance of Musical Theatre Conservatoires (AMTC) and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

Previously, he served as Head of Guildford School of Acting for 11 years.