Michele Austin has been named president and managing director of the Canadian affiliate of the Motion Picture Association (MPA-C), effective January 19.
Austin will succeed Wendy Noss, who will leave the trade group after leading it for 15 years. She will lead strategic advocacy across the country on all priority issues, including copyright law, production incentives, digital media policy, and content protection, said a Thursday press release announcing her appointment.
“Michele’s deep knowledge of Canada’s policy landscape and political dynamics will make her a powerful voice for our member studios and our creative community,” Charles Rivkin, chairman and CEO of the MPA, said in the release. “Her vast skillset and experience make her the perfect person to lead our team in Canada, advance our core objectives, engage with key domestic partners and stakeholders, and navigate a complex legislative and regulatory environment across the country.”
Austin was most recently vice-president of public affairs at Bell, where she oversaw strategy and engagement and areas of public policy. Before that, she was director of public policy at social media company X, tasked with managing the development and execution of public policy and platform activation efforts in Canada and the U.S.
She also held roles at Summa Strategies, the Public Policy Forum, and was chief of staff for government departments including Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED); Public Works and Government Services; Shared Services; and Status of Women.
“I’ve witnessed firsthand the importance of cross-sector coordination – which fuels the film and television industry’s invaluable impact across Canada’s economy and local communities,” Austin said in the press release. “At the MPA, I look forward to leveraging more than 25 years in the public and private space to sustain the creative community’s success, address regulatory issues, and ensure growth and development in this key market.”
Austin comes into the role at a time when foreign streamers represented by the MPA-C battle the CRTC over certain aspects of the implementation of the Online Streaming Act.
