TORONTO – Former Bell Media exec Rick Brace has been named as the new president of Rogers’ media business unit.
Brace, pictured, succeeds Keith Pelley who has served as president of Rogers Media since 2010, and who announced in April that he was leaving the company to head up the European golf tour.
With more than 35 years of experience in the sports and media industries, Brace started his career at CBC in 1975 before going on to play a founding role at TSN when it launched in 1984, and eventually assumed the role of president from 1998 through 2000. After joining CTV in 2000, he held a number of executive positions including president of specialty channels and CTV production, and president of CTV, before retiring at the end of 2013.
Effective August 10th, Brace will take on the responsibility for leading Rogers' $1.8 billion media business, which includes its broadcast business, publishing brands, The Shopping Channel, Sportsnet, and sports investments including the Toronto Blue Jays, the NHL, and MLSE.
"Rick is a seasoned business leader with strong operational experience and a passion for the media industry that's second to none," said Rogers president and CEO Guy Laurence, in Tuesday’s announcement. "He's highly skilled at developing strong teams who perform, so he was the natural choice to tackle the challenges facing the media industry. Rick and Keith will work together with the senior team to ensure a smooth transition."
"This is an opportunity I just couldn't pass up," added Brace. "When you look at the mix of assets, the Rogers 3.0 plan and the digital disruption that's transforming the media industry, this is a tremendous opportunity. Keith has done a terrific job repositioning the media business so now it's my job to use the assets we have and work with the senior team to bring Canadians the content they want, where they want."
