Jenni Tosi.
Film Victoria CEO Jenni Tosi will depart the organisation at the end of this year, a year earlier than expected.
Appointed chief executive in 2011, Tosi has worked for Film Victoria for a decade, having previously held positions as acting CEO and general manager of industry development and investment.
Tosi said that her years with the agency had seen a lot of change and had been “hugely rewarding”, but that it was now time to move on, with the organisation on solid ground and the state seen as a vibrant screen hub.
“After ten years of working at a demanding pace it is time to take a break and recharge, before exploring new opportunities,” she said.
“As CEO my focus has been to ensure Victoria has a consistent pipeline of production activity and sits front of mind with local and international producers when thinking about where to locate their next production.”
“With the support of our board and the Victorian Government, we have been able to achieve this, playing to our strengths in television while also supporting a quality production slate across all genres and sectors. This approach has leveraged a total of $1.02 billion into the Victorian economy since 2011/12 from around 370 individual productions, delivering an average annual leverage of $170 million. This is a terrific outcome and clearly demonstrates the benefit of having an active Victorian screen industry.”
“This achievement is enormously satisfying for me personally, while the many other initiatives we’ve been able implement over the years have had their own rewards. However I feel it’s now time for me to pass the leadership baton to new hands.”
Tosi thanked the Victorian government, Minister for Creative Industries Martin Foley and the Film Victoria staff and board for their support, singling out president Ian Robertson for his mentorship and guidance.
“I believe the success of an organisation like Film Victoria comes from a team effort. It has given me enormous pleasure to work alongside an extraordinary and dedicated team of individuals, as passionate and enthusiastic about the screen industry as I am. Success requires a shared vision, which we have with our government, board, our many production partners and especially the talented screen practitioners and businesses based here in Victoria. It has been an amazing experience and agenuine privilege to be the CEO of Film Victoria.”
“It will be hard to say goodbye in December, however I look forward to utilising the knowledge and skills I have gained over the past ten years in other ways.”
Minister Foley said Victoria's screen industry has had a passionate and effective champion in Tosi.
“As CEO she has overseen an exciting period of success for Victorian made film, television, digital content and games, amidst significant changes for the industry globally, and she has remained deeply committed to nurturing local talent. I congratulate Jenni on a fantastic tenure and I hope she continues to contribute to Victoria's screen industry in the future."
Film Vic president Robertson similarly praised Tosi for her achievements as CEO and acknowledged her enthusiasm and commitment.
“She has excellent relationships with the screen industry in Victoria and Australia, as well as in the countries which are relevant to us, especially the USA. Her efforts have strengthened Film Victoria and helped to ensure that the Victorian screen production industry has remained vibrant, active and successful.”
Tosi will finish on December 31. The position of CEO will be advertised in the coming months.