Heather Conway will be the new executive vice-president of CBC‘s English-language services.
While Conway arrives at CBC from the Art Gallery of Ontario, where she was chief business officer, she has extensive experience in the marketing and PR industry. Formerly the CEO of Edleman Canada, she was also EVP of corporate and public affairs at TD Bank Financial Group and EVP, marketing and communications at Alliance Atlantis.
“At a time when we have great momentum, Heather with her exceptionally broad experience and proven expertise and success in the business, government and cultural sectors will be a great addition” said Hubert T. Lacroix, president and CEO of CBC/Radio-Canada, in a statement. “Her business-focus to decision making and strategic thinking will be particularly useful as we carve out the path for CBC and ensure its continued progress.”
Muriel Solomon worked with Conway when the latter was executive vice-president of marketing and communications at the former Alliance Atlantis, where she worked from 2001-2007. Solomon briefly reported to Conway in her role as director of marketing for Alliance Atlantis’ dramatic channels.
Solomon called Conway a “smart and strategic thinker with very strong business acumen,” and noted that she is particularly adept at identifying employees’ strengths and weaknesses. Appropriately, given her new role, Conway had a regular meeting with Alliance Atlantis staff that was known internally as “Coach’s Corner.”
“She understands people well and knows how to interact with them and make them better,” said Solomon, who recently left Shaw Media after 13 years in TV marketing. “She always showed a keen interest in empowering and mentoring people.”
Solomon also described Conway as a “strong, assertive woman” who communicated her opinions with conviction. She called Conway a “great fit” for the CBC role because of her background in broadcasting as well as her senior roles with TD Bank Financial Group, Edelman and the AGO. Like the CBC, the latter role involved public policies, public funding and interactions with multiple stakeholders, .
“I believe the CBC is a valued and essential institution,” said Conway, in a release. “Canadians have such high expectations as to the role the public broadcaster plays in their daily lives and in the telling of their stories. The idea of being part of that is thrilling, particularly at this stage of CBC’s evolution, and I can’t wait to get started,.”
Conway fills the role left vacant by Kirstine Stewart, who left the public broadcaster in April to lead Twitter Canada.
