The SAG-AFTRA Foundation has promoted Charlotte Wells to the newly created position of CEO.
Wells, who currently serves as chief operating officer and has led the organization for 12 years, will assume the new position starting Jan. 1, 2026. Prior to joining the SAG-AFTRA Foundation in 2017, she spent seven years as the COO of GLAAD.
“I’ve spent the last 15 years of my career at the intersection of nonprofits and the entertainment industry, working to increase access, expand opportunities, and help to transform lives and careers,” Wells said in a statement. “As we look to the future, our focus is clear: delivering expansive resources, tools, and programs to help performers hone their craft, navigate their careers, and build entrepreneurial skills. Our performers are the backbone of the entertainment industry, and when we invest in our artists, we strengthen the entire industry. I’m grateful to Cyd for her dedicated leadership and proud of all we’ve built together at the Foundation.”
Wells succeeds current executive director Cyd Wilson, who is retiring and stepping into an advisory and special projects role.
“For 12 years, it has been my honor to serve as the Executive Director of the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, building state-of-the-art facilities in L.A. and New York City, expanding our educational programs for all SAG-AFTRA performers nationwide, raising donor engagement, and elevating awareness of the Foundation within the industry,” Wilson added. “I’ve had the pleasure of working side-by-side with Charlotte Wells for the past eight years, and she is the best steward for the future of the Foundation.”
Since 2020, the foundation has granted over $21 million in emergency financial assistance, awarded $1.5 million in higher education scholarships to performers and dependents, served more than 250,000 participants through free educational and career-building programs, produced over 48,000 free programs and sessions, filmed more than 22,000 self-tape auditions and rehearsals, recorded over 17,000 voiceover studio sessions and provided more than 1,300 audition prep classes with casting directors.
As she prepares to take on the new role, Wells has set a goal for the organization to raise an additional $3 million to $5 million annually.
“I’ve had the privilege of watching these two extraordinary leaders in action over the past several years, and they’ve been nothing short of a powerhouse duo. I’m deeply grateful for the dynamic vision and lasting impact our outgoing Executive Director, Cyd Wilson, has brought to the Foundation. Her legacy is woven into our fabric,” SAG-AFTRA Foundation board chairman and president Courtney B. Vance added. “With every confidence, I know that our new CEO, Charlotte Wells, will ensure a seamless transition and continued momentum, as the SAG-AFTRA Foundation is poised for our next chapter – to transform the industry through the powerful pipeline of support, education, and opportunity we provide for artists.”
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