TORONTO — Corus Entertainment announced today the appointment of Charmaine Crooks (above, left) and Margaret O’Brien (right) as new independent members of its board of directors, effective March 7.
These appointments bring Corus’s total board membership to 12.
“We are thrilled to welcome these two talented individuals to our Board of Directors,” said Heather Shaw, executive chair of the board, Corus Entertainment, in a press release. “Both women bring a wealth of knowledge and experience which complement our future growth objectives and further reflect our increased commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion at Corus.”
“These two new board members join an experienced and skilled Board whose support and contributions have been critical to Corus in the establishment and disciplined execution of our strategic plan and its priorities,” said Doug Murphy, Corus president and CEO. “These appointments bring unique skills, expertise and new external perspectives as we build for Corus’ future growth.”
Crooks is a five-time Olympian (athletics), entrepreneur and community leader “with over 20 years of governance experience as a corporate director serving on several national and international non-profit and public Boards,” reads the press release.
“Crooks is skilled in areas of marketing, promotions, events and strategy with experience ‘in front of and behind the camera’ in the media industry.”
Based in Vancouver, Crooks is the founder of NGU Consultants Inc., “a global consultancy and management firm with more than 25 years of experience providing strategic cross-functional advisory services including digital initiatives to a broad range of corporate and mission-driven organizations around the world.”
She is a Member of the Order of Canada (CM) and was recognized in 2018 as one of Canada’s Most Powerful Top 100 by the Women’s Executive Network (WXN).
O’Brien is an entertainment industry veteran with more than 20 years’ experience as a senior executive in both corporate and operating roles.
“O’Brien has orchestrated a series of major growth initiatives, including $6 billion in successful corporate acquisitions and strategic investments, buy and sell side, across television, family and brands, film, digital and music, in Canada, the US and the UK,” the release says.
Previously, O’Brien held several progressive positions at Entertainment One (eOne), most recently as chief corporate development and administration officer. She currently offers consulting services to the entertainment industry, specializing in corporate development, operations, and mergers and acquisitions.
“O’Brien has been recognized for her work in the film and television industry and was awarded the 2015 Crystal Award for Outstanding Achievement in Business from WIFT-T, as well as The Globe and Mail’s ‘Women who matter in English Canada as film and TV content creators and decision makers’ 2013 Power List.”
She is a chartered professional accountant and has a Bachelor of Science from the University of Western Ontario.
Photos borrowed from Corus’s website.
