In Marie Claire ’s monthly series Role Models , we ask women we admire to share the details of their careers, from the pivots and setbacks to the life lessons that shaped their path.

Alana Mayo knows better than anyone that championing diverse, genre-defying filmmaking can be an uphill battle. Six years ago, when Mayo was named president of Orion Pictures , at a time when many American industries were making promises of inclusion that they ultimately wouldn’t keep , she saw it as her purpose. Two Oscar wins and several acclaimed films later—from Women Talking and Bottoms to Is God Is and Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother —the 42-year-old is seeing the fruits of her labor.

Mayo, a lifelong cinephile, came of age when Orion was known as a Hollywood heavyweight, making blockbusters that ranged from awards powerhouses to box-office phenomena.…