Screen Australia announced Grainne Brundson will become Chief Operating Officer. She will succeed Michael Brealey, who departed the agency in December 2023 after five years in the role and will officially commence as COO on 1 April 2024. With more than 25 years’ experience, Brundson is a strategic leader in the creative industries who has held senior leadership roles in the screen sector, international arts and culture as well as tertiary education with TAFE and UNSW.
Screen Australia’s CEO Deirdre Brennan said, “Grainne brings a depth of experience to the role of Chief Operating Officer. She has proven herself to be an exceptional leader who is passionate about Australian storytelling in all its forms. I believe that her experience will be instrumental in helping deliver Screen Australia’s vision and evolving strategic priorities, working with the team to make a significant and holistic contribution to the screen industry.”
On accepting the Chief Operating Officer position, Grainne Brunsdon said, “I’m thrilled to be stepping into the role of COO as Screen Australia enters an exciting new chapter. My passion for supporting Australian creative talent has played a significant role in my career and I’m looking forward to helping lead the agency in its next phase of growth.”
Prior to joining Screen Australia in 2022, Grainne Brundson was the Head of Screen NSW, where she oversaw the state’s investment in the screen sector including production incentives and industry development, supporting NSW productions through the COVID-19 lockdowns. She was Director of Arts Investment, Engagement and Development at Create NSW where she was instrumental in the introduction of the 50:50 by 2020 initiative addressing gender parity in the screen industry, and Screenability NSW initiative, which provided opportunities for practitioners with disability.
While at Screen NSW, Brundson also worked as Head of Strategy, Partnerships and Industry Development and Manager of Stakeholder Relations and Industry Development. She has experience managing funding programs and targeted initiatives across arts, screen and culture in addition to overseeing the designation of Sydney as a UNESCO City of Film, and representing the global film cities on the UNESCO Creative Cities Network Steering Group.