The Australian Directors’ Guild (ADG) has announced Alaric McAusland as its new Executive Director. Alaric, who takes over from Diana Burnett, will begin with the ADG on 16 November.

The ADG has also announced the appointment of Ana Tiwary to the new role of Strategy & Development Executive.

Alaric was most recently Chief Operating Officer at Grace – A Storytelling Company in Los Angeles and was previously Managing Director at Deluxe Entertainment Services Group and Atlab. Alaric has also served as Chairman of Ausfilm and Council Board Member of Screen Producers Australia.

“We’re in a period of seismic change and the coming months and years will be critical for Australian Directors and for our industry.” Said Alaric McAusland. “It is an absolute honour and a privilege to join the ADG as Executive Director at this time and it’s a responsibility I don’t take lightly. The ADG has close to a 40-year foundation of industry leadership and right now its leadership has never been more needed. Under the strong stewardship of my predecessor Diana, the ADG’s membership has increased substantially and its collective voice has strengthened. I look forward to building on this momentum on behalf of all its members across Australia and, together with its incredible staff, its hard-working Board and Committee members, to leading the ADG into the next decade.”

ADG President Samantha Lang said, “We are incredibly fortunate to have Alaric join the ADG to lead our team. Alaric’s drive and ambition for the ADG will help the Guild expand on the great work we’ve been doing for Australian directors over the past few years. He is highly regarded both here in Australia and internationally and has a significant depth of knowledge and range of experience across the industry.”

Ana Tiwary is a director and producer with her own company indiVisual films and she serves on the board of WIFT Australia. The Strategy & Development Executive is a new role and Ana will be responsible for deepening engagement with the director community and broadening the Guild’s membership base, with an emphasis on diversity, inclusion, and regeneration and optimising benefits and professional development opportunities for ADG members.

The Guild now has more than 1,200 members worldwide and Ana will be building on the ADG’s recent success in expanding its membership. The ADG has been at the forefront of industry initiatives to close the gender gap and encourage participation from members of diverse underrepresented communities.

Ana said: “I am thrilled to be working with Alaric and with the ADG’s expanded membership to build upon the brilliant work that the outgoing ED Diana Burnett has done over the past year. Besides diversity and engagement strategy, my focus will be to ensure that all current and future ADG members across Australia receive benefits, support, and new opportunities to further their craft and careers.”