New York, October 28, 2026 / PRNewswire / -- The Entertainment Software Rating Board ( ESRB ) announced today that Orit Michiel will assume the role of President of the organization, effective November 2, 2026. Michiel will lead the video game industry in implementing age and content ratings, family-oriented resources, industry advertising standards, and the ESRB Privacy Certified program to help parents make informed decisions regarding video games and applications. Michiel will also serve as a member of the board of directors for the International Age Rating Coalition ( IARC ). IARC provides global age ratings for digitally distributed games and applications.
Michiel has extensive experience in the development and enhancement of age rating systems in the entertainment industry. During her tenure at Netflix, she served as the Director of Content Policy, leading the global content policy team and developing a comprehensive global classification and maturity rating system. Before joining Netflix, Michiel worked at the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) for 13 years, where she held the position of Vice President of Legal Affairs and also served as the Chair of the Classification and Rating Appeals Committee. She led a comprehensive reform of the American film rating and advertising guidelines and collaborated with industry partners, regulatory agencies, and international rating organizations to advance content classification and child protection efforts.
Take - Two Interactive Software, Inc. The Chairman and CEO, as well as the President of the Board of Directors of the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) and ESRB, Strauss Zelnick stated: "I understand the responsibility of providing reliable age ratings, as well as the many positive impacts that interactive entertainment has on our society and culture. Her experience across the entire entertainment industry and her deep understanding of the classification system make her an outstanding candidate to lead ESRB into the future. She will continue ESRB's long-standing commitment to providing parents with clear and reliable information to help them determine what is most suitable for their families, and to ensure that our self-regulating industry continues to adhere to strict guidelines and practices."
Michiel represents: "Interactive entertainment stimulates imagination, promotes learning, and brings families closer together. Parents deserve clear and practical information to help them choose the right gaming experiences for their children." ESRB has won the trust of parents and empowers them with this information, giving them a say in their choices. I am honored to lead this team and to continue working on their foundation to help families make confident decisions as video games and the way people play them evolve."
In her early years, she engaged in legal work. She holds a Doctor of Laws degree from the Law School of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), as well as a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the same institution.
About ESRB
ESRB is a non-profit, self-regulatory organization that independently assigns age and content ratings to video games and mobile applications, helping parents make informed choices. The organization also enforces advertising guidelines adopted by the video game industry and helps companies implement responsible online, mobile, and connected device privacy practices through its Privacy Certified project. For more information, please visit www.esrb.org.
