The Directors Guild of America has extended the contract of national executive director Russell Hollander through 2029.
“I’m honored by the Board’s continued confidence in my service to the membership, especially during times of incredible change,” Hollander said in a statement Monday. “The beauty of our Guild is our defining, singular mission to advance the creative and economic rights of our members – and the secret to our longstanding success is the strong partnership between our elected leaders and our professional staff to fulfill that purpose. At a time when the rights of workers need strong champions, it is a privilege to dedicate myself to that purpose and to the members we serve.”
As national executive director since 2017, Hollander oversees the DGA’s work protecting and extending the creative and economic rights of its more than 19,500 members working in the U.S. and around the world. He serves as the DGA’s chief negotiator in all of its labor negotiations, and oversees the DGA’s activities and operations, directing a staff of 175. That includes negotiating a relatively quick deal with the AMPTP amid the contentious 2023 labor strikes. He is set to shepherd another round of negotiations with the major studios next month.
Hollander also develops the guild’s policy and strategic agenda, working with the elected president and board of directors, and serves as a trustee for the DGA-Producer Pension and Health Plans.
“For nearly a decade as our National Executive Director, Russ has been a steward for the Guild and its members, seeing us through a period of tremendous upheaval in our industry,” newly elected DGA president Christopher Nolan said in a statement of his own. “From the pandemic to the strikes and the global contraction in production, Russ has always prioritized and protected the interests of our members, working closely with me, past Guild Presidents, and our National Board. We are grateful for his continued service to our community.”
Hollander first joined the DGA in 2001 as assistant executive director. He was promoted to eastern executive director in 2002 and associate national executive director/eastern executive director in 2011. Before the DGA, he was a partner at the labor law firm Cohen, Weiss, and Simon LLP, where he specialized in the representation of labor organizations and employee benefit plans.