MPAA's Dodd Leaving, to Be Succeeded by Charles Rivkin, ex-State Official

MPAA's Chris Dodd, who has led the film association since 2011, is leaving; ex-diplomat Charles Rivkin will succeed him, the group said Friday evening. Dodd, who before joining the association was a Democratic senator from Connecticut, is leaving as CEO Sept. 4 and at year's end as chairman, said a news release. It said the board was to meet Saturday to name as his successor Rivkin, assistant secretary of state for economic and business affairs under the administration of then-President Barack Obama. Rivkin would start Sept. 5 and the two men would "work together to complete the transition by the beginning of next year," MPAA said. Before the State Department, Rivkin "spent nearly twenty years in the creative sector" as CEO of Jim Henson Co. and W!ldBrain, it said. Kevin Tsujihara, CEO of MPAA member Warner Bros., cited Rivkin's entertainment and government background. Rivkin said he's "excited to work with the member studios to continue to expand the global market for entertainment content, while ensuring creators’ rights are respected around the world.”