The big news yesterday was the appointment of Film Independent’s chief Dawn Hudson as the CEO of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Reports said that post Oscars the folks at the Academy really felt that they needed to bring in new blood (especially since last year’s ceremony did not go over well), and Hudson who has built the Independent Spirit awards from scratch impressed them.
I tried to do a little research to see if there has ever been a female CEO of the Academy before and couldn’t find any info, but I’m going to bet that there hasn’t been one. UPDATE: I have been informed by the Academy that the CEO position is a new position and the previous highest ranking position was Executive Director which was incidentally held by a woman — Margaret Herrick from 1942 to 1970. (Thanks for the correction.)
We’ll all be watching to see what she does. It is wicked cool to now have a woman at the top of the Academy. Hope she rattles some of the sexist crap out of the organization. Ric Robertson the former number under the retiring Executive Director Bruce Davis will become the COO and will report to Hudson.
Dawn Hudson Takes Over Motion Picture Academy as CEO; Ric Robertson Reports to Her as COO (Thompson on Hollywood)
