Our team

The Committees of Advertising Practice (CAP and BCAP) are supported in their work by the Advertising Policy and Practice team that sits within the overall structure of the ‘ASA system’ for UK advertising regulation. The team is responsible for code policy work, provision of pre-publication advice, on-going training for industry, writing and updating of guidance to help advertisers interpret the Codes, proactive monitoring of advertisements and, of course, a robust compliance function. 

James Best
Chairman of CAP and BCAP

James was appointed Chair of CAP/BCAP in April 2011, after serving four years as an Industry Member on the ASA Council.

He worked for over 30 years in advertising, after joining BMP as a trainee in 1975. He was Chairman of the agency – then BMP DDB - from 1989 to 2000 and Chief People & Strategy Officer of DDB Worldwide before his retirement from the network in 2006.

James was Chairman of the UK Advertising Association from 1997 until 2002 and President of the European Association of Communication Agencies 2003-05, as well as a long-serving member of IPA Council.  

Shahriar Coupal
Director of Advertising Policy and Practice and CAP/BCAP Secretary

Shahriar Coupal is the Secretary for CAP and BCAP, Director for Advertising Policy and Practice at the ASA, and is responsible for ensuring the proper running of the CAP and BCAP Committees and directing the self-regulatory system’s monitoring, compliance, code policy and copy advice functions.

Shahriar was previously Manager of the CAP and BCAP Code Policy team where he played a central role co-ordinating the review of the UK Advertising Codes public consultation. He joined the ASA from Ofcom in 2005 when the ASA took on responsibility for regulating broadcast advertising.

Malcolm Phillips
Code Policy Manager, CAP/BCAP

Malcolm did postgraduate work in English Literature before moving to London and joining the Advertising Standards Authority as an Investigations Executive, moving to the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) Code Policy team in 2007.

In late 2009, he took over as manager of the CAP Code Policy team, which assists CAP and its broadcast equivalent BCAP to ensure the advertising codes remain relevant and fit for purpose, for example by ensuring they are responsive to changes in public policy where appropriate and that they are consistent with the law. The Code Policy team has recently undertaken projects on digital remit, broadband and telecommunications marketing, and how rules on database practice affect children.

Nick Hudson
Copy Advice Manager

With an LLB in Business Law, Nick started his working life in advertising, working in several ad agencies in the account handling department for over 10 years.

He joined the ASA in 2006 initially working in Compliance & Monitoring, helping to enforce ASA adjudications and monitoring for problematic ads. He took over as Copy Advice Manager and Assistant Secretary to the General Media Panel (GMP) in 2009. 

Claire Serle
Copy Advice Manager

Having graduated with a First in Economics, Claire joined the ASA in 1993. She managed a Complaints team and an Investigations team before becoming the Copy Advice Manager in 2002. Having worked for both the ASA and CAP, she has extensive experience of assessing ads from both a consumer and practitioner’s perspective.

Claire has been the Assistant Secretary to the General Media Panel for about fifteen years. 

Bruno Sheldon
Compliance Manager

Bruno is from Norwich and got his first degree in Geographical Science at Portsmouth University.  He obtained a Masters degree in Rural Resources and Environmental Policy at London (Imperial College) before working as a Research Assistant for British Sugar PLC and then as an Environmental Projects Officer in local government.

Bruno joined the ASA in January 1998 as an Investigations Executive and quickly moved to CAP where he undertook roles with responsibilities for developing the organisation’s strategy for online advertising regulation.  In 2003 Bruno became an ASA Complaints Manager before he returned to CAP to become a Compliance Manager in August 2006.

Nicola Philippi
Compliance Manager

Nicola has broadcast production experience from jobs at the BBC including Newsround and Watchdog.  At NBC Europe she acquired and scheduled programmes.  Then more recently at CNBC Europe she was responsible for coordinating the newsroom, booking satellite feeds and crews, making promotions as well as ensuring compliance for both advertising and programming. 

Nicola joined CAP in 2004 to ensure broadcast compliance in teleshopping and other sensitive policy sectors. In 2006 a dedicated monitoring team was set up with Nicola as the manager.  In 2007 the team’s responsibilities were reorganised to include compliance.