Women Leading the Industry: Kari Grubin

Kari Grubin is a distinguished executive with over 30 years of leadership experience in studio divisions, global post-production facilities, and corporate departments. She is recognized for her expertise in technology, strategic consulting, and post-production services.

Kari just completed her term as the President of the Hollywood Professional Association (HPA), where she served on the Board of Directors and volunteered for many years. She co-founded HPA Women in Post in 2011, an initiative providing leadership and visibility for women in professional content creation. 

Alongside members of the Women in Post Committee, she also helped launch the HPA Young Entertainment Professionals (YEP) program, which has mentored nearly 200 young professionals. In 2021, Kari and Renard Jenkins initiated HPA All, a program to foster diversity in the media and entertainment community by promoting career pathways and visibility for underrepresented groups. She was the co-chair of the 2026 HPA Tech Retreat and previously chaired the 2022 HPA Tech Retreat Supersession.

Currently, Kari serves as Membership Services Director for the Motion Picture Association’s Trusted Partner Network, where her focus is on enhanced security preparedness and best practices at all stages in the digital media supply chain. Committed to industry innovation, Kari previously served as project director for SMPTE’s Rapid Industry Solutions On-Set Virtual Production Initiative. In 2021, she joined the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Production and Technology Branch.

Kari’s career includes executive roles at Universal Studios, Paramount Studios, Global Entertainment Partners (GEP), Deluxe Entertainment Services Group, NSS Labs, and Walt Disney Studios. She has contributed significantly to media technology and is listed as a co-inventor for three U.S. patents in media and entertainment technology.

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What part of your work brings you the most joy, and what fuels your passion and motivation in your career?

I love helping people solve problems. I look at every challenge as an opportunity, and I enjoy partnering with colleagues, clients, and my peers to dissect an issue and drive to resolution and success. These issues can be professional and complex, or personal and may be as simple as being a good listener to help someone work through their own thoughts.

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What's the most unexpected lesson you've learned from a failure or setback in your career?

I’ve always found that what may initially appear as a failure or a setback has propelled me to the next phase of my growth and career. Each “failure” gives us an immediate opportunity to evaluate both our needs and ambitions and make a choice. I would not have found my current path supporting our global members at the Trusted Partner Network if I had not left my role at Disney during the Fox merger and begun consulting with SMPTE to build the RIS Initiative.   

What advice would you give a young woman starting in the industry?  If you could give your younger self one piece of career advice, what would it be?

I would give my younger self the same basic advice that I currently give young women starting in the industry:

First, don’t worry about the unknowns that are too far in the future, so much is going to change, so focus on what you can control, yourself and the here and now.  

Be curious and open to new ideas and opportunities - you never know what will bring you joy, success, and inspiration, and the more diverse topics and skills you have, the better.  

Be visible and intentional - you are in control of yourself and your performance and actions are what people will remember about you.  If you want to be seen as a potential leader, you need to learn and build those skills. And, the learning does not stop once you are in leadership.   Volunteering in industry groups like the HPA provides a safe space to learn and practice leadership while giving of yourself to help the community.  I am grateful and proud to have served on the board and as President of the HPA, and I hope that other women will follow in my footsteps.

The only consistent thing in this industry and the world is change. Make the choice to embrace change instead of rallying against it. That’s where opportunities come from.

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Given the incredible women making waves across our industry, do you believe there's more our industry could do to support their advancement?

I wish I could say that all efforts so far have made this question obsolete, but that is unfortunately not the case. Instead of competing against each other, women need to support, celebrate, and lift each other up.  We need to encourage women to participate in organizations that provide support like HPA Women in Post.   We need men and women to make space for all women to have opportunities to learn public speaking and be leaders. For example, when you are invited to speak at an event, look to see if there is a qualified woman who could be suggested in your place.

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What does International Women’s Day mean to you personally?

International Women’s Day reminds me of the amazing strides we have made up to this point in celebrating and supporting women.  Based on the foundation created by women before us, our generation has created the space for women to be seen as equals and leaders, but there is more work to do.    In today’s climate, it also reminds me that we cannot be complacent. If we do not continue to advocate for women and all under-represented groups, some of our hard-fought gains could be taken away.