Bill Kramer has begun his new position as chief executive officer of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, Variety has confirmed.
In addition, Christine Simmons is out as the chief operating officer of the Academy, effective Friday. Simmons, who first joined the Academy in 2018, was the first COO for the organization since the resignation of Ric Robertson in 2013. The Academy did not specify why she left, but confirmed she is no longer with the organization. No successor for the position has yet been named.
Kramer, who will assume all responsibilities as CEO effective immediately, begins the position roughly two weeks before the previously announced July 18 start date. Prior to taking the reins of the Academy, Kramer served as director and president of Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. He was tapped to replace Dawn Hudson, who is leaving the position after 11 years, last month after being unanimously elected by the AMPAS board.
As CEO, Kramer will be in charge of global membership, the Oscars, the institution’s education and emerging talent initiatives, the Academy’s extensive collections housed in the Margaret Herrick Library and Academy Film Archive, and the Academy Museum and its ongoing calendar of exhibitions, screenings, educational and public programs, and retail operations.
“It is the great honor of my career to take on the role as CEO of the Academy,” Kramer said in a statement after he was announced as the new CEO. “I deeply believe in the power and artistry of cinema. I so look forward to galvanizing the unparalleled assets of the Academy — the Oscars, our global community of more than 10,000 Academy members, and our museum, library, and archive — to promote and elevate the arts and sciences of the movies and inspire the next generation of filmmakers.
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