Charles Hammerman Rivkin (born April 6,1962) is an American media executive and former United States diplomat who is chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of the Motion Picture Association (MPA).[1]
Prior to his appointment,Rivkin served for more than four years as the United States Ambassador to France and Monaco where he led America's first and one of its largest diplomatic missions,which has six constituent posts throughout France and represents over 50 U.S. government agencies and sections. In this capacity,Rivkin also served as the U.S. Permanent Observer to the Council of Europe.
Early life and education
Rivkin is one of four children of Enid Hammerman and William R. Rivkin,who was the United States Ambassador to Luxembourg under President John F. Kennedy and United States Ambassador to Senegal and Gambia under President Lyndon B. Johnson.[3][4] His mother's grandfather founded J K Industries,a large children's clothing manufacturer,greatly expanded by Rivkin's grandfather. In 1967,Rivkin's father died when he was just 5 years old. His widowed mother remarried Chicago obstetrician Dr. John S. Long in 1971.[4][5][6]
Prior to entering government service,Rivkin worked in the media sector for over 20 years,serving as president and CEO of entertainment companies such as The Jim Henson Company,then-home of the "Muppets". He also served as CEO of Wildbrain where he won a BAFTA Award as Executive Producer of the hit TV series Yo Gabba Gabba!.[8] Rivkin helped engineer the sale of The Jim Henson Company to EM.TV in 2000 for nearly $1 billion[9] and was named one of the 100 Most Creative People in Business by Fast Company.[10]
Rivkin assumed the role of Ambassador in August 2009.[17] Ambassador Rivkin's service in France came at one of the bilateral relationship's strongest moments in recent history.[18][19] To honor the legacy of Franco-American friendship and to commemorate the 68th anniversary of the Allied invasion of mainland Europe during World War II,Rivkin took part in a mass parachute jump over the coast of Normandy on June 3,2012.[20][21] An estimated crowd of 25,000 watched Rivkin land in a field near Sainte-Mère-Église amidst heavy winds,as he became the first US Ambassador to France to jump from a plane in honor of the troops who fought on D-Day.[22] In support of the U.S. Navy,Rivkin became the first US Ambassador to take off and land on a Navy aircraft carrier in an F-18 Super Hornet when he participated in a training exercise with naval aviators on the USS Eisenhower in March 2013.[23]
According to the Department of StateOffice of Inspector General's report in May 2012,Rivkin placed new emphasis on support for US exports of goods and services into France.[24] The report called Rivkin a "dynamic and visionary noncareer Ambassador",and credited him with expanding the U.S. Embassy's public diplomacy activities,particularly through his use of social media and his appearances on French national television.[24] Rivkin introduced social media to Embassy Paris,establishing its first ever Facebook[25] and Twitter accounts.[26][27]
As ambassador,Rivkin made youth outreach one of his key priorities and connected the embassy to the next generation of leaders throughout France,including in disadvantaged communities in the banlieues outside larger cities.[28] Rivkin organized a series of seminars for French youth,inviting them to meet with prominent American government officials,actors and musicians. Beginning with actor Samuel L. Jackson's April 2010 visit with students in Bondy,an economically depressed Parisian suburb,Rivkin set up seminars and hosted events with Stephen Colbert,Sylvester Stallone,Woody Allen,Jodie Foster,will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas,Robert Zemeckis,Allen Stone,Tony Bennett,Herbie Hancock,Maya Angelou,Toni Morrison and many others.[24][29] "Much of the embassy's outreach is meant to dispel 'mistruths' about the United States," Rivkin said in an interview,adding,"It's easier to hate something you don't understand."[29] In January 2012,Rivkin broadened his outreach efforts by creating the Washburne Award for Innovation in Diversity,recognizing one French and one American company for their best practices in fostering diversity in hiring practices.[30]
In January 2013,Rivkin commented on the pending parole and release of Lebanese militant Georges Ibrahim Abdallah,who was sentenced to life in prison for complicity in the murders of an American and an Israeli diplomat:"I am disappointed by the decision today...Life imprisonment was the appropriate sentence for Mr Abdallah's serious crimes,and there is legitimate concern that Mr. Abdallah would continue to represent a danger to the international community if he were allowed to go free."[31]
On July 16,2013,French President François Hollande awarded Ambassador Rivkin the rank of Commander in the Légion d'honneur at the Elysée Palace. Rivkin is the first US Ambassador in half a century to receive the decoration from a sitting French president.[32] Rivkin's tenure as ambassador to France received highly favorable reviews by both State Department audits and from his embassy's employees.[13] Rivkin left office in November 2013 following his nomination to become an Assistant Secretary of the State Department.[33]
In February 2015,Rivkin received la Grande Médaille de Vermeil de la Ville de Paris,the city of Paris' highest honor,from Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo.[34] In December 2016,Rivkin received the Navy Distinguished Public Service Award,the U.S. Department of the Navy's highest civilian recognition,from Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus.
Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs
As Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs,Rivkin led a bureau at the U.S. State Department that is responsible for managing trade negotiations,investment treaties,economic sanctions,transportation affairs,telecommunications policy,international finance and development related issues,as well as intellectual property right protection. The Bureau is also the Department of State's primary link to the private sector through its Office of Commercial and Business Affairs,which supports U.S. business interests internationally and works to create U.S. jobs by facilitating foreign investment in the United States.[35]
In his first year as Assistant Secretary,Rivkin led multiple economic policy dialogues on behalf of the State Department,including discussions with Colombia,[36] the United Arab Emirates,[37] and Turkey.[38]
In October 2015 and December 2016,Rivkin co-chaired the first and second annual U.S.-Qatar Economic and Investment Dialogues.[41]
In March 2016,Rivkin and U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx signed an arrangement with Cuban government officials to reestablish regularly scheduled flights between the United States and Cuba for the first time in more than 50 years.[42]
As announced on April 28,2017,Rivkin succeeded Chris Dodd as CEO of the Motion Picture Association (then the Motion Picture Association of America),effective September 5,2017,and as chairman,effective December 6,2017. Rivkin's priorities include defending intellectual property and bolstering the MPA's content protection efforts,incentivizing the production of new films and television shows to spur job creation and growth,and expanding U.S. studios' access to international markets,particularly China.[44] In January 2019 Rivkin was directly responsible for Netflix becoming the first streaming service to join the MPA,[45][46] helping to further the growth and evolution of the trade association.[47][48] He also aims to elevate the MPA's profile through improved branding and social media communications,as well as more high-profile events in Washington,D.C.,[1] and an expanded diversity,equity and inclusion program. Rivkin views the entertainment industry not just as an economic force but also as a projection of U.S. values and a form of soft power.[1]
In September 2019,Rivkin unified the association's regional sub-brands (MPA Canada,MPA Europe,Middle East,and Africa) under the banner of a more globally aligned MPA to better reflect the international audiences its member studios serve.[49]
In October 2020,Rivkin recruited Apple TV+ to join the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE),[50] the global coalition to reduce piracy and protect the legal marketplace for creative content. During Rivkin's tenure,ACE membership has grown to include 35 leading global media and entertainment companies.
In 2024,Rivkin recruited and brought on board Amazon Prime Video &MGM Studios to join the MPA as its seventh member,a notable convergence of tech and entertainment,solidifying the MPA as a voice for the ever-evolving film and television landscape. [51]
Personal life
In 1990,Rivkin married Susan Tolson.[3] They live in Washington,D.C.,and have two children,Elias and Lily.
His brother Robert S. Rivkin served as Deputy Mayor of the City of Chicago between July 20,2017,and March 1,2019,and also served as the 21st General Counsel of the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) under President Barack Obama;[52][53] his brother's wife,Cindy S. Moelis,was appointed director of the Presidential Commission on White House Fellows.[53] His aunt,Joanne H. Alter,was the first woman to be elected to a countywide office in the metropolitan Chicago area.[54] His cousin,Jonathan Alter,is an author and NBC correspondent;and his cousin Jamie Alter Lynton,the wife of former Sony Executive Michael Lynton,is one of California's biggest political fundraisers.
Ryan Clark Crocker is a retired American diplomat who served as a career ambassador within the United States Foreign Service. A recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom,he served as United States ambassador to Afghanistan (2011–2012),Iraq (2007–2009),Pakistan (2004–2007),Syria (1998–2001),Kuwait (1994–1997),and Lebanon (1990–1993). In January 2010,he became dean of Texas A&M University's George Bush School of Government and Public Service.
Christopher John Dodd is an American lobbyist,lawyer,and Democratic Party politician who served as a United States senator from Connecticut from 1981 to 2011. Dodd is the longest-serving senator in Connecticut's history. He served in the United States House of Representatives from 1975 to 1981.
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Jonathan H. Alter is a liberal American journalist,best-selling author,Emmy-winning documentary filmmaker and television producer who was a columnist and senior editor for Newsweek magazine from 1983 until 2011. Alter has written several books about American presidents,most recently His Very Best:Jimmy Carter,a Life,published in 2020,the first independent biography of Carter. His newest book,American Reckoning:Inside Trump's Trial—and My Own,was published on October 22,2024.
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Monaco and the United States exchanged consular officials soon after the end of the U.S. Civil War. The first consul from Monaco to the US was Louis Borg,who presented his credentials in May 1866.
The Motion Picture Association (MPA) is an American trade association representing the five major film studios of the United States,the mini-major Amazon MGM Studios,as well as the video streaming services Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. Founded in 1922 as the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America (MPPDA) and known as the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) from 1945 until September 2019,its original goal was to ensure the viability of the American film industry. In addition,the MPA established guidelines for film content which resulted in the creation of the Motion Picture Production Code in 1930. This code,also known as the Hays Code,was replaced by a voluntary film rating system in 1968,which is managed by the Classification and Rating Administration (CARA).
Nicole A. Avant is an American producer and political activist. She served as the United States Ambassador to the Bahamas from 2009 to 2011.
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William Robert Rivkin was a United States diplomat who served as ambassador to Luxembourg,Senegal,and Gambia in the 1960s.
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Robert S. Rivkin is the Chief Legal Officer of United Airlines. Until February 2019,he was Deputy Mayor of the City of Chicago,focusing his efforts on economic development,job creation and retention,and infrastructure. For a year prior to his appointment,he practiced law at Riley Safer Holmes &Cancila LLP,advising clients on aviation,rail,road and other transportation issues,internal investigations,white collar criminal defense,domestic and international business regulation,and commercial litigation. Prior to that,he served as the Senior Vice President for Regulatory and International Affairs and Deputy General Counsel of Delta Air Lines. Prior to joining Delta in April 2013,he was the 21st General Counsel of the United States Department of Transportation (DOT). Appointed by President Barack Obama,Rivkin was sworn in on May 18,2009,following unanimous confirmation by the United States Senate. While serving as DOT's chief legal officer,Rivkin played a key role in a number of programs and initiatives including the Cash for Clunkers program and the Toyota vehicle recalls.
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