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Mitchell Schwenz has been named Executive in Charge of Communications at the Directors Guild of America, ahead of crucial 2026 negotiations with Hollywood studios and streamers. This promotion signals the Guild’s desire to sharpen its messaging and strengthen its position in labor talks after a tumultuous period in the industry.
A Strategic Promotion Before High-Stakes Negotiations
Mitchell Schwenz’s promotion isn’t just an internal reshuffle. It’s a calculated move by the DGA as the union begins to prepare for upcoming bargaining sessions in 2026, a moment that will likely reshape the landscape for directors and their creative partners. After serving as Director of Public Relations since 2024, Schwenz now takes over the Guild’s entire communications department.
His new responsibilities are wide-ranging: managing press relations, driving strategy across social platforms, overseeing the DGA’s website, and shaping internal content through the DGA Monthly magazine. He will report directly to Morgan Rumpf, the DGA’s Associate Executive Director of Communications.
Russell Hollander, the Guild’s National Executive Director, praised Schwenz’s work in a statement, explaining that his “innovative thinking” had already brought stronger cohesion to the DGA’s public image. That kind of acknowledgment shows how seriously the Guild is taking its message right now—and how vital Schwenz’s role is in shaping it. To read Gwen Stefani headlines magical 2025 Disney Christmas Parade
A Background in Labor Crisis Communications
When you look at Schwenz’s résumé, this appointment feels like an obvious choice. Before joining the Guild, he worked as a Senior Vice President at Precision Communications, a firm based in Los Angeles that specializes in high-stakes media strategy.
During the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, Schwenz led communications efforts on behalf of the union—a challenging operation that involved coordinating messaging during a period of industry-wide tension. He also supported the NBA Players Association during tough collective bargaining negotiations, helping bring clarity to messy, drawn-out conversations.
What stands out to me is Schwenz’s calm in crisis. His career has been shaped working at that fragile intersection where storytelling meets power. His time handling public discourse for SXSW over a decade, and even earlier—back when he was assisting communication for the Affordable Care Act under Senator Arlen Specter—shows a rare mix of political savvy and creative industry understanding.
A Contact Book That Carries Weight
There’s also something to be said about Schwenz’s ability to move between worlds. He’s worked as a consultant for a range of recognizable clients:
- Leonardo DiCaprio, often vocal about environmental and political issues
- Meghan Markle, no stranger to media scrutiny
- Arianna Huffington, a communications powerhouse herself
- Major media players like Comcast and Viacom
Not to mention, these relationships hint at an ability to navigate celebrity-heavy environments, where one tweet can spin headlines within minutes. And in the world of labor disputes and contract disagreements, controlling the narrative matters just as much as the legal terms themselves. To read Toho expands into Europe with bold anime distribution moves
A Response to Past Criticism
Let’s be honest: the DGA’s image took a bit of a hit during the writers’ and actors’ strikes of 2023. While WGA and SAG-AFTRA members walked picket lines, the DGA secured a deal early on but drew some heat for not taking a harder line—especially because their early agreement risked undercutting solidarity across the creative community.
Even if the deal included a few significant wins, there was a feeling among some members and observers that the DGA might have missed an opportunity to push further.
Promoting Schwenz feels like the Guild acknowledging that criticism. It’s not just about getting better media coverage—it’s about crafting a narrative that feels powerful and united as the artists it represents. Clarity, conviction, and trust: the cornerstones of any successful union message, particularly when big streaming platforms are involved.
Looking Ahead to 2026
The 2026 negotiations will be a defining moment—one that could redraw the creative economy’s lines once again. With Schwenz now in a central role, the DGA is clearly putting communications front and center in its strategy.
What I find interesting is not just the defensive side of that choice — managing crisis, dodging bad press — but the offensive potential. If done right, Schwenz could help the DGA not only shape how it’s seen, but also attract stronger public support, align with other guilds, and articulate what it really means to be a director in today’s fast-changing media landscape.
And that’s where communications step beyond image. They become a statement of purpose.
