ACTRA Toronto, the largest branch of ACTRA (Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists), on Tuesday announced Rob Halpin has been appointed as its executive director, effective April 20.
His appointment follows the departure of Alistair Hepburn, who left ACTRA Toronto earlier this year to take on the role of national executive director of the Directors Guild of Canada.
Halpin joins ACTRA Toronto from the Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL), Canada’s largest provincial labour federation, where he worked for more than 10 years in various positions, including director of government relations, executive director and, most recently, general secretary.
“Rob brings extensive experience from across the labour movement, including through his work at the OFL where he led major campaigns and built broad coalitions among affiliates across the province,” reads an ACTRA Toronto press release announcing Halpin’s hiring.
Halpin has also been a sessional lecturer in the Faculty of Social Science and Humanities at Ontario Tech University in Oshawa since 2009, where he teaches courses on political science, public policy and leadership and administration.
“On behalf of ACTRA Toronto, I am proud to welcome Rob Halpin as our new Executive Director,” ACTRA Toronto President Kate Ziegler said in the press release. “This is a pivotal moment for Canadian performers and the cultural contributions we make. Rob is a proven leader who understands that what is at stake goes far beyond the bargaining table. The work in front of us is about elevating ACTRA members as essential contributors to Canada’s cultural identity and sovereignty. As the threats facing our industry grow, so does our resolve. We look forward to working alongside Rob to protect and defend the 15,000 performers whose labour moves Ontario’s $2.6 billion film and television industry.”
“I’m truly honoured to join the team at ACTRA Toronto as Executive Director,” Halpin said in a statement. “I’m excited at the prospect of working with a membership that makes such an extraordinary cultural and economic contribution to Canada. Let’s come together, activate and take charge. ACTRA Toronto members have already built a strong union, now it’s time to take it even further.”
As ACTRA’s largest branch, ACTRA Toronto represents more than 15,000 of Canada’s 30,000 professional performers working in recorded media in Canada.
According to an ACTRA Toronto LinkedIn post, the search and recruitment for a new executive director was the responsibility of an internal hiring committee comprised of 13 members, which included 10 ACTRA Toronto councillors and three senior directors.
Photo of Rob Halpin via ACTRA Toronto’s LinkedIn post
