Linda Duncombe, a longtime banking executive and independent film producer, died on Sunday. She was 55.
The SAG-AFTRA Foundation, where Duncombe served on the board of directors, announced her death on Monday. She reportedly died of complications from a stroke shortly after being diagnosed with stage 2 lung cancer.
“We are devastated by the sudden loss of our dear friend and fellow Board member, Linda Duncombe,” Courtney B. Vance, president and chair of the SAG-AFTRA Foundation Board, wrote in a statement. “Linda was an extraordinary leader who brought a wealth of experience, influence and relationships to our Board, but what made her truly special was how generously she shared all of it.
“She believed wholeheartedly in the mission of this Foundation and in the importance of supporting the performers who bring stories to life,” Vance continued. “Linda had a remarkable ability to bring people together, open doors and turn her passion for this community into meaningful support for our work. She brought such warmth, wit and enthusiasm to everything she did. She will be deeply missed by our Board and staff, and by the many people whose lives she touched.”
Born on Feb. 10, 1971, in Australia, Duncombe later graduated from Western Sydney University and Harvard Business School. She then spent more than 35 years in banking, including at Citibank in Australia and later at the company’s subsidiary, Citi Fintech, in New York.
Duncombe moved to Los Angeles in 2019 to serve as the chief marketing, data and digital officer at City National Bank. There, she helped establish business, sponsorship and community relations with organizations such as SAG-AFTRA Foundation, the Recording Academy, the Motion Picture Television Fund and Tribeca Film Festival. She also led City National Bank’s efforts to deliver more than $1.8 billion in PPP loans to support the entertainment industry.
In 2022, she joined the SAG-AFTRA Foundation’s board of directors, where she “regularly attended Board meetings and educational programs, engaged with staff and fellow Board members, and drew upon her extensive relationships throughout the entertainment and business communities to raise awareness and critical support for the Foundation’s mission,” according to the organization.
Duncombe also joined the board of directors for EnCorps in 2025, a nonprofit organization founded by Sherry Lansing that focused on connecting STEM professionals with under-resourced public school students. She specifically worked on the EnCorps STEM Teachers Program.
As for her work as a producer, she worked on the films The Queen’s Jewels, Killing Time and Best Pancakes in the County.