Former Sen. Christopher J. Dodd, chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America, has given Diane Strahan the role of chief operating officer, the group announced Friday.

Strahan had been a senior vice president at Neustar, an Internet and communications company. As the MPAA’s COO, Strahan will oversee staff and operations.

“Diane’s leadership talent will be a major asset for the MPAA and the studios we represent,” Dodd said in a statement. “While the challenges are great, I am excited about our industry’s future and the significant contributions the MPAA will make with Diane’s guidance and management skills complementing our current leadership team.”

Strahan also has served on the global and North American boards of the Mobile Marketing Association. The MPAA’s members include Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, Paramount Pictures Corp., Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc., Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp., Universal City Studios, and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.