
TORONTO – Veteran producer and broadcaster Nancy Chapelle has been selected as the new executive director of the Bell Fund.
Chapelle, pictured, served for 11 years as TVO’s managing director, content & programming, and played a senior strategic role in TVO’s transformation from a single TV channel to a relevant and agile multiplatform media organization. Prior to this, she was the co-founder of Toronto-based production and distribution company Catalyst Entertainment.
Reporting to the independent Board of Directors, Chapelle will assume her new post on January 5, 2015 and will work from the Bell Fund’s Toronto office. She will oversee the Fund’s nation-wide grant programs and provide leadership to the team, including the Montreal office run by longstanding associate director Claire Dion.
“Following a very competitive executive search, we selected Nancy for her successful track-record at the intersection of broadcast and digital media, her management strengths, as well as her vision for industry collaborations,” said Bell Fund board chair Paul Hoffert, in the announcement.
“I have spent my career helping content creators tell their stories”, added Chapelle. “The Bell Fund has been investing in cutting-edge innovative storytelling. The fit between us is terrific. Going forward, the Fund must continue being bold in our collaborations, experimentation and knowledge-sharing.”
The Bell Fund provides grants to Canadian independent producers who develop and produce television content complemented and enhanced by excellent digital content designed for various platforms. Since its inception in 1997, the Bell Fund has provided $150M in grants to 1500 digital media projects associated with television.