The Artists Company, headed by owner/executive producer Sally Antonacchio, has signed independent rep firm Donna D’Aguanno & Co. to handle the Midwest. Donna D’Aguanno is the principal contact for the Midwest region, which most recently saw David Ramser direct a Ford Fusion Superbowl spot for Team Detroit….Three-time Oscar-winning (Hugo and The Aviator, both directed by Martin Scorsese, and JFK directed by Oliver Stone) cinematographer Robert Richardson, ASC, is now available for commercials and feature films exclusively through The Skouras Agency….Dattner Dispoto and Associates (DDA) has signed costume designer Dorotka Sapinska (The Signal)…DDA has also secured TV bookings for DP David Stockton, ASC, for the Gotham pilot (director Danny Cannon) and for production designer Jason Fijal on the Dream Corp pilot (director Daniel Stressen)…And DDA Feature film bookings include DP Bob Gantz, ASC, for director Jean-Francois Richet’s Blood Father, DP Stean Czapsky, ASC for director Boaz Yakin’s Max, editor Jim Flynn for director Kevin Connolly’s Dear Eleanor, costume designer Paco Delgado for director Louis Leterrier’s Grimsby, and costume designer Meghan Kasperlik for director Stephen Herek’s The Great Gilly Hopkins….Atlona, an AV and IT distribution and connectivity solutions provider, has chosen Roger Takacs as its national sales manager, commercial. Takacs is responsible for working closely with distributors, dealers, consultants, and end users in the North American AV market to grow and manage the commercial segment of Atlona’s business. Before joining Atlona, Takacs spent nine years as the regional sales manager for Crestron covering Southern California, Arizona, Las Vegas, and Hawaii. Takacs’ other experience includes stints at Custom Display Solutions, Inc, CompView, MCSi, and Intellisys Group….
Meta Joins Growing List of Companies Backing Off From DEI Initiatives
Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta Platforms Inc. joins a growing list of companies that are pulling back on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
Like others before it, the social media giant cited a U.S. Supreme Court decision in July 2023 that outlawed affirmative action in college admissions.
Conservative activists have gone after companies — both in the courts and on social media — seeking to set a similar precedent in the working world. They've been targeting workplace initiatives such as diversity programs and hiring practices that prioritize historically marginalized groups, and have widened their objections to include programs focused on gender identity and sexual orientation.
DEI policies typically are intended as a counterweight to discriminatory practices. Critics argue that education, government and business programs which single out participants based on factors such as race, gender and sexual orientation are unfair and the same opportunities should be afforded to everyone.
Joel Kaplan, Meta's freshly appointed global policy chief, told Fox News Digital on Friday that the move will ensure that the company is "building teams with the most talented people" instead of making hiring decisions based on protected characteristics.
"This is ultimately about doing what's best for our company and ensuring that we are serving everyone and building teams with the most talented people," Kaplan told Fox News Digital. "This means evaluating people as individuals, and sourcing people from a range of candidate pools, but never making hiring decisions based on protected characteristics like race or gender."
Here's a look at some of the other companies that have retreated from... Read More