Russell Hollander is the National Executive Director of the Directors Guild of America (DGA), which protects and extends the creative and economic rights of its more than 19,000 members working in the U.S. and abroad. Responsible for the DGA’s activities and operations, Hollander also leads the Guild in all its labor negotiations. He directs a staff of 200 and develops the Guild’s policy and strategic agenda, working with the elected President and Board of Directors. He also oversees the Guild’s work with its members around the world.
Hollander came to the DGA in 2001 as Assistant Executive Director, was promoted to Eastern Executive Director in 2002, Associate National Executive Director/Eastern Executive Director in 2011, and became National Executive Director in 2017. Hollander served as the Guild’s chief negotiator in the 2020 and 2023 Negotiations with the Major Studios. During his tenure, Hollander has also served as the DGA’s chief negotiator in six Network Negotiations with ABC, CBS, and NBC; and four Commercial Negotiations with the Association of Independent Commercial Producers.
Prior to being hired at the DGA, he was a partner at top labor law firm Cohen, Weiss, and Simon LLP where he specialized in the representation of labor organizations and employee benefit plans. Hollander is a trustee of the Directors Guild-Producer Pension and Health Plans, Motion Picture and Television Fund, and the Franco-American Cultural Fund.
Hollander received his law degree from Harvard University and his undergraduate degree from Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor Relations.