Ted Sarandos, co-CEO of Netflix, has been elected as the new Chair of the AFI Board of Directors, effective immediately, following the 17-year tenure of Bob Daly, the American Film Institute announced Thursday. The vote was by acclamation.
“Ted Sarandos is one of the world’s most dynamic industry executives and a
passionate movie lover,” Daly said in a statement. “It’s my honor to hand him the gavel to lead AFI into an even greater future.”
“I’m honored to carry on the stewardship of an organization that celebrates film
and television arts,” Sarandos added. “Bob Daly presents huge shoes to fill. He has been a lifelong cheerleader and inspirational leader for the industry and AFI. It is my honor to follow in his footsteps.”
Sarandos was named co-CEO of Netflix in July 2020. He has been
responsible for all content operations since 2000 and led the company’s
transition into original content production that began in 2013 with the launch of
the series “House of Cards,” the “Arrested Development” reboot and “Orange Is the New Black,” among numerous others.
Sarandos was named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2013 and received the Producers Guild of America Milestone Award in 2019. He is a Henry Crown Fellow at the Aspen Institute and on the boards of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, Exploring the Arts, and Spotify.
He was awarded a CBE (Commander of the British Empire) from King Charles in 2024, for extraordinary service to the creative industries in the United Kingdom. And he was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame and received France’s Legion of Honor in 2026.
Kathleen Kennedy remains chair of the AFI Board of Trustees. The directors serve as an executive committee of the AFI Board.
