Novak who is currently general director of The Swedish Media Council, will be joining the SFI April 4, 2022.

Novak replaces Anna Serner who resigned from her position in April, after 10 years as CEO of the SFI.

A trained journalist, Anette Novak has served since 2018 as head of the Swedish Media Council, a government body responsible for film classification, children and youth protection from media use and exposure.

Earlier on, she was CEO of RISE Interactive, a Swedish state-owned IT and research institute.

According to the SFI press statement, she has “a solid experience of leading complex change processes, digitization, business development and innovation. She has also led management training, strategic research and development projects and coached leaders both in Sweden and internationally.”

While announcing Novak’s appointment on Friday at a major SFI meeting, the Institute’s Chairman of the Board Claes Ånstrand said: “Film plays a pivotal role in our society. The Swedish Film Institute has a broad and complex remit: to protect our film heritage, to strengthen the role of moving pictures in education, and to stimulate the continued development, production and distribution of Swedish film. As CEO, Ms. Novak will be the unifying force that SFI needs, both internally and externally. With her far-reaching background, she and the management team will work concertedly to fulfil this task."

Novak said she is “looking forward to taking on the exciting task of leading the Film Institute into the future”, and accepted her new job “with great humility”, considering the challenges ahead. “Having said that", she added, "I also feel sure that I, alongside my expert colleagues and other experienced people in the Swedish film industry, will be able to help consolidate the position of Swedish film both here at home and internationally."

The SFI’s Head of Archives Mathias Rosengren has been serving as acting CEO since September.​