SAG-AFTRA Promotes Four Staffers to Executive Director Roles

LOS ANGELES (Dec. 12, 2018) — SAG-AFTRA announced today that four long-time key staffers have been promoted to executive director roles, effective immediately. Olga Rodriguez-Aguirre, Beth Millman, Jennifer Gaudry and Lori Hunt join the union’s new Executive Director, Music Rebecca Greenberg in the newly created positions. All four will report to Chief Contracts Officer Ray Rodriguez while Greenberg will report jointly to Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel Duncan Crabtree-Ireland. 

In addition, the union’s Theatrical Contracts and TV and New Media departments will merge into a single Entertainment Contracts Department with Rodriguez-Aguirre and Millman serving as co-heads. Rodriguez-Aguirre was previously the national director, theatrical contracts while Millman was the national director, TV and new media entertainment contracts.

Said Rodriguez, “These new leadership roles will improve our capacity for strategic thinking and action around enforcement and negotiations. Along with other structural changes, these moves are designed to better facilitate coordination, improve our internal staff development and training, and recognize the growth and importance of several roles within the department.”

He added, “Olga and Beth are seasoned negotiators and labor relations professionals who bring with them years of experience leading two of our largest and busiest departments. They hold primary day-to-day responsibility for our oldest and most remunerative collective bargaining relationships and have played a major role in preparing for and conducting negotiations with the AMPTP and other employer groups. Beth and Olga already coordinate closely in their current roles and we will leverage their close working relationship and complementary areas of expertise in a newly combined department.”

Gaudry’s new role is as executive director, contract enforcement and strategy. She will improve the union’s ability to address chronic enforcement challenges by strategizing and managing interdepartmental enforcement initiatives and integrating those initiatives with the development of bargaining strategy. In addition, she will coordinate to ensure that contract interpretations and arbitration referrals are consistent with and supportive of the union’s initiatives and broader objectives. There will also be a significant negotiating component to this role, both independently and in support of other negotiators within contracts, as well as other functions designed to improve coordination. Gaudry was formerly the national director, residuals claims.

“Jennifer has distinguished herself in her current capacity, demonstrating not only deep knowledge of our contracts, but exceptional strategic thinking and problem-solving skills. She is an invaluable contributor and leader within the department, in particular during negotiations,” said Rodriguez.

Hunt’s new role as the executive director of commercials and corporate, educational and non-broadcast agreements will see her administering one of SAG-AFTRA’s most important multiemployer collective bargaining relationships: the Commercials Contracts, which represents more than $1 billion in annual earnings for union members. She was previously the national director, commercials contracts.

"The advertising industry is among the most challenged, disrupted industries in which our members work, and that has necessitated a high-priority effort to recapture employment in this space. In addition to her excellent work administering the Commercials Contracts, Lori leads a team within her department focused on the 'Ads Go Union' organizing campaign and holds key responsibility for other important initiatives including the union’s current strike against advertising agency BBH,” said Rodriguez.

Greenberg oversees SAG-AFTRA’s activities in the music industry, including the negotiation and administration of collective bargaining agreements with the major and independent record labels, artist and performer relations, as well as collaboration with the organizing and government affairs departments.

For high-resolution photos of SAG-AFTRA’s new Executive Directors, please click on their names:

• Olga Rodriguez-Aguirre, Executive Director, Entertainment Contracts
• Beth Millman, Executive Director, Entertainment Contracts
• Lori Hunt, Executive Director, Commercials and Corporate, Educational and Non-Broadcast
• Jennifer Gaudry, Executive Director, Contract Enforcement and Strategy
• Rebecca Greenberg, Executive Director, Music

About SAG-AFTRA

SAG-AFTRA represents approximately 160,000 actors, announcers, broadcast journalists, dancers, DJs, news writers, news editors, program hosts, puppeteers, recording artists, singers, stunt performers, voiceover artists and other entertainment and media professionals. SAG-AFTRA members are the faces and voices that entertain and inform America and the world. A proud affiliate of the AFL-CIO, SAG-AFTRA has national offices in Los Angeles and New York and local offices nationwide representing members working together to secure the strongest protections for entertainment and media artists into the 21st century and beyond. Visit SAG-AFTRA online at SAGAFTRA.org.