Canadian Heritage has announced the appointment of Sylvain Lafrance as chairperson of Telefilm Canada. In addition, Deborah MacPherson and Claude Doucet have been appointed as members of Telefilm’s board of directors.
The five-year terms of all three appointees began May 9.
An expert in the fields of media management and communications, Lafrance worked at CBC/Radio-Canada for more than three decades. Before leaving the national public broadcaster in 2011, he held the position of executive vice president of French services, where he led the integration of the Crown corporation’s radio, TV and Internet services. Under his leadership, CBC/Radio-Canada launched innovative projects such as the TOU.TV platform, marking the start of the digital era for the broadcaster.
Later in 2011, Lafrance joined HEC Montréal as associate professor and director of the media management hub Media Pole, positions in which he continues to serve today. In addition, Lafrance currently chairs the board of directors of TV5 Numérique, but he will step down from this role once a replacement is appointed, according to a Canadian Heritage press release announcing his appointment as Telefilm’s chairperson.
Based in Calgary, MacPherson has more than 30 years of experience in professional services firm operations and strategy, business and digital transformation, corporate services, and human resource management, according to her LinkedIn profile. She previously worked for KPMG for over 25 years, and is currently the board chair of Special Olympics Alberta, the treasurer and a board member of the Alberta 2030 Commonwealth Games, and a board member of ApartmentLove Inc. in Calgary.
Doucet is the former secretary general of the CRTC, a position he retired from in November 2023. His public service career spanned almost 31 years, with various stints at Revenue Canada, Canadian Heritage and the CRTC, where he worked early in his career as a senior corporate analyst, executive assistant to the executive director of broadcasting, director of distribution and competitive policy, and director of broadcasting analysis, according to LinkedIn. Doucet has previously been a board member of not-for-profit organization MediaSmarts, and is currently chair of the board of governors of The Ottawa Hospital.
Photos of (l-r) Sylvain Lafrance, Deborah MacPherson and Claude Doucet courtesy of Telefilm Canada and Canadian Heritage
