The Motion Picture Association (MPA) has announced that Urmila Venugopalan, who currently serves as the Executive Vice President of Strategy & Global Operations, will take over as the new President and Managing Director for the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. In this new role, she will succeed Belinda Lui, who is stepping down after five successful years leading the MPA’s operations in the region.
Venugopalan has been a part of the MPA since 2017, playing a key role in reshaping the organisation’s global strategy. She has been instrumental in aligning the MPA’s U.S. and international teams, streamlining global operations, and improving coordination between the association’s legal and policy functions. With a deep understanding of both the creative and business sides of the industry, her leadership in the APAC region promises to strengthen MPA’s presence across one of the world’s most dynamic and diverse markets.
As President and Managing Director for APAC, Venugopalan will be tasked with expanding access to local markets for MPA members, boosting production in emerging areas, and enhancing the association’s advocacy, operations, and personnel across the region. She will also continue to work closely with the MPA’s anti-piracy division, the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), ensuring that local screen communities’ commercial and creative interests are safeguarded.
In addition to her new regional responsibilities, Venugopalan will retain her current role as the MPA’s corporate board liaison, where she has built strong relationships and contributed to the organisation’s strategic direction.
Charles Rivkin, Chairman and CEO of the MPA, praised Venugopalan’s extensive experience and leadership. “Urmila is a veteran leader who thrives at the complex intersections of business, public policy, and global affairs,” Rivkin said. “Urmila joined the MPA at a time of critical change and helped revitalise and realign its structure and priorities, strengthening our organisation from the inside out. I have full confidence that her deep experience working with every aspect of our global business operations, coupled with her existing corporate board liaison responsibilities, will advance our members’ objectives across the Asia Pacific and beyond.”
Venugopalan’s new base will be in Tokyo, where she will report to Gail MacKinnon, MPA Senior Executive Vice President for Global Policy & Government Affairs.
MacKinnon also expressed her enthusiasm about Venugopalan’s new appointment: “I am thrilled to welcome Urmila to my team. She is a trusted advisor who has earned the respect of colleagues and member companies. Her work has already touched every part of our organisation, and she maintains a wide-angle lens on key political and sectoral trends – all while remaining laser-focused on how we can best tell the story of a creative industry that drives local economies, creates jobs, and connects communities everywhere. With her at the helm of our APAC operation, I am confident the MPA will achieve even greater impact in the fastest-growing region.”
MacKinnon also took a moment to thank Belinda Lui for her contributions, saying, “I am also grateful to Belinda for her effective stewardship and counsel, which has greatly benefited the MPA and our member studios in the region.”
In her own statement, Venugopalan highlighted the growing significance of the Asia-Pacific region in the global entertainment landscape: “The Asia-Pacific region has already played an important part in the history of our industry – and is set to assume a starring role in the future of great storytelling. At this critical juncture for the film, television and streaming industries, MPA members are more excited than ever about the vitality of this region – its enthusiastic and engaged audiences, its relentless dynamism, and its immensely talented casts and crews. I look forward to supporting our member studios and their local partners in their collective efforts to fuel local economies and enrich cultures across the region.”
Before joining the MPA, Venugopalan held key roles in both the public and private sectors. She served as a member of the U.S. State Department’s Policy Planning Staff in Washington, D.C., and as a senior consultant at the Albright Stonebridge Group. Venugopalan is highly educated, holding a Bachelor’s degree from McGill University and a Master’s degree from the London School of Economics & Political Science.
As the MPA prepares for its next phase under Venugopalan’s leadership, there is a palpable sense of anticipation about the future of the organisation in the APAC region. With her strategic vision, depth of experience, and commitment to the global film, television, and streaming industries, Venugopalan is poised to continue expanding the MPA’s impact in a region that is increasingly at the forefront of global creative industries.