SAG Producers Pension & Health Plans Appoints Michael Estrada to CEO

The Screen Actors Guild - Producers Pension & Health Plans (SAG-PPHP) today announced the appointment of Michael Estrada to Chief Executive Officer effective immediately. Mr. Estrada will replace Christopher Dowdell who announced his plans to retire last year after 24 years with the Plans.

"The decision to appoint Michael Estrada to CEO followed an exhaustive search conducted by Korn/Ferry International and a selection committee appointed by the Board of Trustees of SAG-PPHP," said David White, national executive director, SAG-AFTRA and Chairman of the SAG-PPHP Board of Trustees. "Mr. Estrada's track record with the Plans makes him the ideal candidate to guide the organization's future and we are thrilled that he has accepted this position," White finished.

Mr. Estrada joined the Plans in 2008 as Director of Investments and shortly after was appointed Executive Director, Investments, a position he held until 2010. Most recently he served as Executive Director, Investments and Finance, where he managed a total of 45 staff and led efforts to reduce operating costs and improve internal financial controls. Serving in this role, he successfully guided the Trustees of the Investment Committee and the Plans' investment consultants and managers in the oversight of the Pension Plan's $3 billion investment portfolio and the Health Plan's $300 million investment portfolio. He was also responsible for working with the Trustees of the Administration Committee in presenting the annual operating budget, and with the Plans' audit firm on the annual audit and tax filings, as well as working actively with legal counsel to manage the Plans' relationship with government oversight bodies. In 2012, he led efforts to successfully reduce administrative expenses by 8.4 percent ($2.4 million) compared to peak expenses in 2010. Currently, he also serves as the CEO of the SAG - Producers Industry Advancement & Cooperative Fund (IACF), and is responsible for oversight of all aspects of the IACF's day-to-day operations.

Prior to joining the Plans, he worked for Merrill Lynch & Co. and eMind LLC, a start-up, web-based compliance management software company for the accounting, banking, insurance and securities industries. In addition to an undergraduate degree in Business Administration, Mr. Estrada received his Master's in Business Administration from the Crowell School of Business at Biola University.

About The Screen Actors Guild - Producers Pension and Health Plans
The Screen Actors Guild - Producers Pension and Health Plans were established in 1961 as a result of collective bargaining between producers in the motion picture and television industry and the Screen Actors Guild. More than 40,000 actors in all 50 states and their dependents benefit from the SAG - Producers Pension and Health Plans. The Pension Plan is funded by the contributions made by the producers in accordance with their collective bargaining agreements with SAG. The Health Plan is funded by contributions from producers and from participants. The Plans are governed by federal law, including the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) and the Internal Revenue Code. The Plans' main office is in Burbank, California.

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