Minister Joly Announces New Appointments to CBC/Radio-Canada
News release
OTTAWA, April 3, 2018
Today, the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage, announced the appointment of Catherine Tait to the position of President/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of CBC/Radio-Canada. Minister Joly also announced the appointment of a new chairperson and three new directors to CBC/Radio-Canada’s Board of Directors. All appointments have a five-year mandate.
Catherine Tait has been appointed to the position of President/CEO of CBC/Radio-Canada for a term of five years. A graduate of the University of Toronto, Boston University and the University of Paris, Ms. Tait has extensive leadership experience in film, television and digital-content business in Canada and abroad. She has worked in the independent film and television business for over 25 years as an entrepreneur, advisor and champion for Canadian content. She has worked alongside many leading Canadian cultural organizations and some of Canada’s largest media and broadcasting companies, including Telefilm, the Canada Media Fund, CHUM, eONE, and DHX Media. She is a founding partner of Hollywood Suite, which has become the largest licensee of Canadian feature films in the country. Ms. Tait most recently served as President of Duopoly, an independent film, television and digital content company. In 2006, she founded iThentic, an award-winning digital content production and distribution company. She is also recognized for her experience as President and Chief Operating Officer of Salter Street Films.
Michael Goldbloom of Montréal has been appointed to the position of Chair of the Board of Directors. Mr. Goldbloom was the Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Bishop’s University in Sherbrooke, Quebec, since 2008, and has significant media experience. He began his career as a journalist at The Gazette in Montréal. After working as a lawyer in private practice and then as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Montréal YMCA, he returned to The Montreal Gazette as its publisher, from 1994 to 2001. He also served as publisher of the Toronto Star from 2004 to 2006. Mr. Goldbloom has extensive governance experience. He is currently the Co‑Chair of the Board of the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada. He has served as Chair of the Ville Marie Social Services Centre, the Fondation du YMCA du Grand Montréal and Selwyn House School.
Suzanne Guèvremont, also of Montréal, will be appointed to the position of Director. Ms. Guèvremont has worked in the field of digital media, culture and education for over 20 years. She has worked at Montréal’s NAD École des arts numériques, de l’animation et du design for over 23 years; she began there as Director of Business Development, leading to her current position as the school’s Director General.
Guillaume Aniorté has been appointed to the position of Director. An entrepreneur and a professional in the field of digital and media content, Mr. Aniorté has held numerous management and director positions in companies with an international focus. He previously held the position of Vice-President for Corporate and Strategic Development at Frima Studios in Montréal. Before that, he helped found Tribal Nova (now Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Company), a market leader in content, services and technology solutions related to the field of education. He resides in Montréal.
Sandra B. Singh of Vancouver, British-Columbia, has been appointed to the position of Director. Ms. Singh was recently appointed General Manager of Arts, Culture and Community Services with the City of Vancouver. She has a background in library and information leadership and worked as Chief Librarian at the Vancouver Public Library. In this position, Ms. Singh oversaw the implementation of significant changes in the field of digital transformation, creative technologies and public engagement.
These appointments were subject to the Government of Canada’s open, transparent and merit-based selection process, which resulted in the identification of high-quality candidates who reflect Canada’s diversity. These selections were guided by an Independent Advisory Committee chaired by Tom Clark. The Committee was a non‑partisan body consisting of nine regionally diverse members representing various disciplines and reflecting Canada’s diversity. Its mandate was to conduct selection processes to identify Canadians who could make a significant contribution to the work of the Board of Directors of CBC/Radio-Canada, thereby ensuring high-quality independent appointments made by the Governor in Council.
CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada’s national public broadcaster and one of the country’s largest cultural institutions. CBC/Radio-Canada’s mandate is to inform, enlighten and entertain; to contribute to the sharing of national consciousness and identity; to reflect Canada’s regional and cultural diversity; to provide local, national and international information and analysis from a Canadian perspective; and to contribute to the development of talent and culture in Canada. To carry out this mandate, CBC/Radio-Canada produces, acquires and distributes Canadian programming in English, French and eight Indigenous languages, and distributes a selection of programs around the world.
Quotes
“I am honoured to announce this significant milestone for our national broadcaster. With the appointment of Ms. Tait as President/CEO, we benefit from her depth of experience as an entrepreneur, business leader and lifelong champion for Canadian content. She is without question the right person for the job. I am excited for the energy, vision and leadership she will bring while she is at the helm of CBC/Radio-Canada.”
—The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage
“These new directors and chairperson bring with them the varied experience necessary to ensure that CBC/Radio-Canada’s Board of Directors can provide the highest quality advice and leadership for our national broadcaster. Thanks to the invaluable advice provided on the appointment of these candidates by the Independent Advisory Committee, I am confident that CBC/Radio-Canada is in good hands.”
—The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage
“As the chairperson, I am very proud of the work of our independent and non-partisan committee. Our mandate—to conduct an independent selection process to find highly-qualified candidates to recommend to the Minister for the CEO position—has allowed us to meet some extraordinary Canadians who truly believe in CBC/Radio-Canada. We are at a critical juncture in the future of the national public broadcaster. This new CEO, Chair and Board will, in my opinion, be the most consequential in the history of CBC/Radio Canada, as they will not only carry on the task of modernizing for the digital age but will also be called on to reimagine the role of the national broadcaster in a rapidly changing communication landscape. I would like to thank the Minister for the opportunity provided to us to serve as members of the Independent Advisory Committee and all the members for their time and dedication.”
—Tom Clark, Chair of the Independent Advisory Committee for Appointments to the CBC/Radio-Canada Board of Directors
Quick facts
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Catherine Tait is the first woman in the history of CBC/Radio‑Canada to assume the role of President/CEO
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In December 2017, Minister Joly announced the appointment of five Directors to the CBC/Radio-Canada Board of Directors, each for a mandate of five years. These Directors were Harley Finkelstein (Ontario), René Légère (New Brunswick), Jennifer Moore Rattray (Manitoba), François R. Roy (Quebec) and Marie Wilson (Northwest Territories).
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Under the Broadcasting Act, CBC/Radio‑Canada’s Board of Directors is composed of 12 directors, including a Chairperson and a President/Chief Executive Officer appointed by the Governor in Council to hold office for a term not exceeding five years. The Independent Advisory Committee is composed of nine interdisciplinary and regionally diverse members, including the Chair. They are Chair Tom Clark (Ontario), Prem Gill (British Columbia), Carolyn Warren (Alberta), Janelle Wookey (Manitoba), Colm Feore (Ontario), Marc Beaudet (Quebec), Monique Savoie (Quebec), Alanis Obomsawin (Quebec) and Éric Larocque (New Brunswick).
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In 2016, the Government of Canada adopted a new approach to Governor-in-Council appointments. This approach respects the principle of diversity and is based on an open, transparent and merit-based selection process. It results in the recommendation of competent candidates who reflect Canadian diversity.
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The Independent Advisory Committee on Appointments to the CBC/Radio-Canada Board of Directors is an independent, non-partisan body. It conducts selection processes for Governor-in-Council appointments to the CBC/Radio-Canada Board of Directors in order to recommend qualified candidates to the Minister of Canadian Heritage for these appointments.
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The Advisory Committee used published merit criteria to identify Canadians who would make a significant contribution to the work of CBC/Radio-Canada’s Board of Directors.
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As they become available, all appointment opportunities within the 18 organizations in the Canadian Heritage Portfolio are posted on the Governor-in-Council Appointments website. Interested parties can apply online
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As a Crown corporation in the Canadian Heritage Portfolio, CBC/Radio‑Canada is an independent government agency and is responsible for its own day-to-day operations.
Associated links
Contacts
For more information (media only), please contact:
Simon Ross
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage
819-997-7788
Media Relations
Canadian Heritage
819-994-9101
1-866-569-6155
pch.media-media.pch@canada.ca
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