ESRB Names Netflix and MPA Veteran Orit Michiel as New President

A New Leader for Video Game Ratings

The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) has announced that Orit Michiel will take over as its next president. Michiel is slated to step into the role on November 2, 2026. She will succeed Patricia Vance, who is retiring after leading the video game industry's self-regulatory age and content rating organization for more than two decades.

Michiel brings an extensive background in entertainment classification and content policy to the position. Before joining the ESRB, she spent eight years at Netflix, concluding her tenure in November 2025 as director of content policy. In that role, she managed the company's worldwide content policy team and spearheaded the development of a global classification and maturity-rating framework.

Prior to her time at Netflix, Michiel spent 13 years at the Motion Picture Association (MPA). Her work there included serving as vice president of legal affairs and chairing the MPA's Classification and Rating Appeals Board, where she led a comprehensive overhaul of the movie industry's U.S. rating and advertising guidelines. Her career began in legal practice as an attorney at Loeb & Loeb LLP, following her education at the UCLA School of Law, where she earned her JD, and UCLA, where she received her bachelor of arts in political science.

Responsibilities and Governance

As the incoming president of the ESRB, Michiel will oversee several key operational areas. These include the organization's core age and content rating system for video games and mobile apps, the enforcement of industry-adopted advertising and marketing guidelines, and the Privacy Certified program, which assists companies in maintaining responsible data privacy practices.

Additionally, Michiel will hold a seat on the board of directors for the International Age Rating Coalition (IARC), an organization that provides standardized global age ratings for digitally delivered games and applications.

Leadership figures within the industry welcomed the appointment. Strauss Zelnick, chairman and CEO of Take-Two Interactive Software and chair of the board of directors for both the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) and the ESRB, highlighted Michiel's background in a statement, emphasizing her understanding of classification systems and the importance of providing reliable information to families.

In her own statement, Michiel underscored the significance of empowering parents with clear information to help them choose appropriate interactive entertainment experiences for their children as the medium continues to evolve.

Practical Implications and Verification

For consumers, developers, and industry stakeholders, the leadership transition marks a shift in oversight for the self-regulatory body that has shaped game packaging and digital store labels for decades. Because Michiel's transition officially takes effect in November 2026, daily operations and existing rating processes remain under the purview of outgoing president Patricia Vance until that time.

Readers seeking to verify these details or read the announcement in full can consult the original reporting published by Variety at their official website: [Variety Report](https://variety.com/2026/gaming/news/esrb-orit-michiel-president-netflix-mpa-1236933508/).