Academy Taps Dawn Hudson, Ric Robertson to Replace Bruce Davis

12:37 AM PDT 4/8/2011 by Gregg Kilday

The duo take over as CEO and COO, respectively, of the organization under a new executive structure voted into place by the board of governors Thursday night.

In an unexpected move, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has selected Dawn Hudson, the current head of Film Independent, to serve as its new CEO. She will head the Academy in tandem with Ric Robertson, its current executive director, who has been named COO. Together, they will replace Bruce Davis, who is retiring as the organization’s longtime executive director.