Carol Lombardini, the doyenne of labor negotiations on behalf of Hollywood's top companies, will step down as president of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers after 15 years at the helm.
The AMPTP president and chief negotiator is preparing to move into an advisory role as the organization conducts its search for his successor, The Hollywood journalist he learned. “We are incredibly grateful to Carol for her many years of leadership at AMPTP and wish her the best in her retirement,” an AMPTP spokesperson said. “We are pleased that Carol is not going the distance as she will continue to serve as President while we continue to conduct a comprehensive search for her successor and that she will then transition to an advisory role as we continue our transition to the next generation leaders at the AMPTP.”
An AMPTP spokesperson says Lombardini had long planned to retire in 2025.
Lombardini is preparing to resign a year after a historic double strike devastated the industry and spurred rampant union criticism of AMPTP and as her group remains locked in negotiations with The Animation Guild. He recently conducted job interviews with parking coordinators and production assistants represented by Communications Workers of America, British Columbia's branch of the Directors Guild of Canada, the New York-based crew union IATSE Local 52 and casting directors represented by Teamsters and the professionals of the location department.
He did not take a leading role in the negotiations with TAG, which began on August 12 and are still ongoing the potentially disruptive role that artificial intelligence will play in this sector in the future, THR he learned. Lombardini's top deputy, Senior Vice President for Business Affairs Tracy Cahill, led the talks on behalf of the studios and streamers in his place, as he has previously, while Lombardini was briefed.
Lombardini has been part of the AMPTP since its inception in 1982, after Paramount, Universal Studios, Walt Disney Studios and MGM joined forces with member companies of the Motion Picture and Television Producers Association to collectively bargain with trade groups. “Our main aim,” said then-group president Nick Counter, “is to bring employers together to speak with one voice when dealing with industry corporations and unions.” (For years Lombardini was Counter's number 2.)
Lombardini became that singular voice when she was promoted to alliance president in October 2009, beginning a run that for years was free of major unrest. In 2021, the AMPTP narrowly avoided a strike with the IATSE crew union, although more than 98% of voting members authorized a labor strike; This year, despite fears that crews might stage their third strike in two years, Lombardini maintained labor peace with IATSE and the Hollywood Basic Crafts groups.
That series, of course, came to a sudden and heartbreaking halt during the writers' and actors' strikes of 2023. When the work stoppage shut down the industry, Lombardini was painted as a villain by some union members , earning her a parody account on the social media platform when four of them – Bob Iger, Donna Langley, David Zaslav and Ted Sarandos – intervened during the writers' and actors' strikes to negotiate a settlement. It's highly unusual for entertainment CEOs to be included in industry bargaining sessions these days.
Despite being one of the most powerful women in the industry and having the ear of her CEOs, Lombardini has long shied away from the spotlight, including during the 2023 strikes. She prefers to discuss labor disputes within the confines of a conference room (preferably at AMPTP's discreet location in the Sherman Oaks Galleria outdoor mall) rather than in the headlines. But to those who know her – both allies and opponents – she is considered a shrewd, detail-oriented negotiator who has a near-complete understanding of the ins and outs of the industry's labor contracts.
The AMPTP said in its statement: “She has been a constant and invaluable advocate at the bargaining table, strengthening relationships with our union partners every step of the way.”
Among colleagues, she's known as someone who can do the sometimes thankless job of bringing together competitors — disparate studios and streamers — among whom little love is lost. A member of Lombardini's labor management said in 2023: “There are a lot of companies that have different interests that are trying to advance a unified cause. But this is the miracle of Carol Lombardini, who manages to do it, because they don't all have the same interests.” Jeff Ruthizer, ABC's longtime labor chief, said: “Carol has this horrible job, getting everyone in shape and finding common ground.” He added: “It's very stressful.”