Minister St-Onge announces the appointment of Sylvain Lafrance as Chairperson of Telefilm Canada

Sylvain Lafrance, a communications and media management expert, becomes Telefilm Canada's Chairperson for a five-year term

GATINEAU, QC, May 8, 2024 /CNW/ - Today, the Honourable Pascale St-Onge, Minister of Canadian Heritage, announced the appointment of Sylvain Lafrance as Chairperson of Telefilm Canada. His five-year term will begin on May 9, 2024. This appointment is the result of a rigorous, open, transparent and merit-based selection process.

With a career spanning more than three decades at CBC/Radio-Canada, Sylvain Lafrance has made his mark as an expert in the fields of media management and communications. Before leaving the organization in 2011, he held the position of Executive Vice-President, French Services, where he led the integration of the Crown corporation's radio, television and Internet services. Under his leadership, CBC/Radio-Canada launched innovative projects such as the TOU.TV platform, marking the beginning of the digital era for the broadcaster.

Sylvain Lafrance later joined HEC Montréal as Adjunct Professor and Director of the Media Management Hub, where he continues to influence the media landscape with his expertise. He is also the Director of the journal Gestion, a quarterly publication on major trends in the management world.

At the international level, he currently chairs the board of directors of TV5 Numérique. He will step down from this role once a replacement is appointed. In the past, Mr. Lafrance chaired the Communauté des radios francophones publiques and was a member of TV5Monde's board of directors. He has also been a key player in the development of media strategies in Canada and the internationalization of French-language content.

Mr. Lafrance has received a number of prestigious awards. He is a member of the Order of Canada, a Knight of the Ordre de la Pléiade, a Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters and a Knight of the French Legion of Honour.

Quotes

"Telefilm Canada plays a vital role in ensuring the success of Canada's audiovisual industry. With his expertise in media management and his significant contribution to digital innovation, Sylvain Lafrance is perfectly positioned to boost Telefilm Canada's efforts to promote and develop the Canadian audiovisual sector. I wish him every success with his new responsibilities. I would like to take this opportunity to thank outgoing Chairperson Robert Spickler for his service to the organization over the past five years. Under his leadership, Telefilm Canada rose to the many challenges presented by the pandemic, for which we are grateful."

—The Honourable Pascale St-Onge, Minister of Canadian Heritage

Quick Facts

• Telefilm Canada is a Crown corporation in the Canadian Heritage Portfolio.
• As the federal cultural agency devoted to developing and promoting the Canadian audiovisual industry, Telefilm Canada's aim is to produce and celebrate original, high-quality productions that reflect Canada's linguistic duality and cultural diversity.
• Under the Telefilm Canada Act, the chairperson is appointed by the Governor in Council.
• This Governor in Council appointment is the result of a rigorous, open, transparent and merit-based selection process.
• All appointment opportunities for the 16 organizations in the Canadian Heritage Portfolio are posted as they become available on the Governor in Council Appointments website. Those interested can apply online.

Associated Links

• Telefilm Canada

SOURCE Canadian Heritage

(media only), please contact: Ariane Joazard-Bélizaire, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage, [email protected]; Media Relations, Canadian Heritage, 1-819-994-9101, 1-866-569-6155, [email protected]