As HARBOR’s global expansion continues to grow, founder and CEO, Zak Tucker, announced the hiring of Olivia Burke in the position of talent operations director. Burke spent a decade with The Mill and has built a reputation for herself as a skilled, creative talent acquisitions specialist, growing teams in the VFX, design, animation, live-action, editorial, and virtual production spaces.
In this newly created role within HARBOR, Olivia will scout, recruit, mentor, and manage talent at all levels, as well as oversee hiring and onboarding in partnership with key internal stakeholders. She will also implement initiatives centred on enhancing company culture and driving creative and career opportunities throughout the organization.
Her focus on creative recruitment was born out of her own passion for filmmaking and design following her graduation with a degree in architecture from USC and time spent studying in Italy, before joining The Mill in Los Angeles. She returned to the East Coast in 2014 to take up a photography residency at The School of Visual Arts, where she completed a project on The Highline entitled Urban Oasis. Most recently, Olivia was US Talent Acquisitions Lead for Technicolor’s recruitment team, The Focus, where she represented The Mill and Moving Picture Company.
Through her extensive mentorship work, she has provided training workshops for students and developed internship programs. Her drive for diversity, equality, and inclusion in the screen-based creative industries has prompted her support for organizations such as Access VFX, The Animation Project, .movtogether, and Exceptional Minds.
Commenting on her new role with HARBOR, Olivia said: “I’m thrilled to join HARBOR and am excited to start this new chapter as the company continues to push the boundaries of creative storytelling. My hybrid background in recruitment, architecture and photography gives me a creative eye which allows me to connect with artists on a unique level, and working closely with senior leadership, I can help elevate their most valuable asset – the creators behind the scenes.”
Commenting on this new appointment, Nick Hippensteel, HARBOR’s COO, stated: “We are delighted to add Olivia to the HARBOR team at this pivotal moment. The expertise and perspective she brings with her fit perfectly within our strategic and cultural goals for the company. We look forward to partnering closely with Olivia in driving our ever-sharpening focus on talent and in furthering growth opportunities for everyone in our community.”
