Matt Bennett as been appointed executive vice president for corporate communications of the Motion Picture Association of America, chairman and CEO Chris Dodd announced Tuesday.
Bennett will replace Laura Nichols, who left the MPAA in February to become senior vice president and chief communications officer at National Geographic Partners.
Bennett previously served as the senior vice president and D.C. practice lead for Racepoint Global, an international public relations firm. There, he designed strategic campaigns to advance public policy priorities.
Prior to that, he was the senior vice president of communications and public affairs at PhRMA, a trade association representing research-based pharmaceutical companies. He also served as senior vice president at GolinHarris, where he worked with Fortune 500 clients in the technology, health and retail industries.
“I am thrilled to join the exceptional team at the MPAA and support the tremendous creativity produced by the motion picture studios,” Bennett said. “It is an unparalleled opportunity to work with an organization and industry that is driving creativity, innovation, and enhanced audience experiences.”
“Matt’s extensive experience helping associations and corporations communicate their messages to policymakers, influencers and key constituencies will help our organization effectively advance the mission and priorities of our member studios,” Dodd said. “He possesses the skills and leadership abilities that will help the MPAA engage audiences both here in the United States and around the world to demonstrate the value of creativity in today’s digital age.”