TORONTO – The Writers Guild of Canada announced Tuesday that Victoria Shen will become the association’s executive director starting February 27, the first person of colour to assume the role.
“Shen is an accomplished labour and human-rights lawyer, and a respected advocate for change in the entertainment industry,” said a press release. “Notably, she was the Director of National Industrial Relations and Counsel at the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA).
“A skilled negotiator and a thoughtful and collaborative leader, Shen has worked with unions and guilds, producers and studios, government and industry organizations across Canada,” the release added.
Shen was the special advisor at the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA) and she launched a national helpline and engaged industry stakeholders to “establish codes of conduct, safety guidelines, and best practices to address workplace harassment,” it added.
She has been a faculty instructor at Osgoode Hall Law School’s certificate in entertainment law and a board member of the Reelworld Film Institute and the Reel Asian International Film Festival.
The guild represents 2,500 professional English-language screenwriters across Canada.
