Seth Oster has been hired as executive vice president for communications at the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA).

Commencing Jan 15, Oster will oversee operations in North America, Europe, Asia and Latin America. He will serve as a member of the MPAA's senior management group, reporting directly to MPAA chairman and chief executive officer Dan Glickman.

Oster most recently served as partner in consultancy firm Entertainment Strategies Group, and before that was chief communications officer and principal spokesman of the Screen Actors Guild.

'Seth's unique combination of expertise in the worlds of entertainment, politics and technology will make him a critical lieutenant in our worldwide efforts to spur the growth of our industry in the new digital environment,' Glickman said.

Glickman is expanding senior executive John Feehery's remit from government relations in the US to include worldwide legislative affairs as executive vice president of worldwide government affairs.