TORONTO, September 11, 2019—The Canadian Media Producers Association today announced the promotion of Liz Shorten to the newly created position of Chief Operating Officer (COO). In this role, Ms. Shorten will lead staff and oversee organizational operations across the association’s offices in Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver, and work to implement the CMPA’s corporate strategic plan.

“For many years, Liz has been an extremely effective leader for the CMPA in BC, and has gone above and beyond to execute the mandate of the CMPA’s BC Producers Branch,” said CMPA Chair and Shaftesbury SVP, Scott Garvie. “She cares deeply about the success of independent producers, as well as the vitality of the industry right across Canada; we are thrilled to have her in this role.”

“Over the past decade, Liz has taken on progressively senior positions within our organization, working tirelessly to advocate on behalf of producers in BC and across Canada,” said Reynolds Mastin, President and CEO, CMPA. “I look forward to working closely with Liz in her role as COO, to implement a strategic vision that will help grow independent production, resulting in more great stories told on screen for audiences in Canada and around the world.”

“I’m energized by this opportunity to work closely with my talented colleagues across our three offices to implement Reynolds’ vision and that of our board,” noted Shorten. “The dynamics in our industry continue to shift and evolve, and there is much work to be done to ensure our members, and Canada’s entire production sector, are positioned for success; I can’t wait to get started.”

For over 25 years, Ms. Shorten has worked to build capacity in the film, television and digital media sectors, and has previously held senior positions at the Ontario Film Development Corporation (now Ontario Creates), British Columbia Film (now Creative BC), and CBC Television. She currently sits on the Board of Directors of REEL CANADA, and is Chair of the Story Money Impact Society, Secretary/Treasurer of the Pacific Screenwriting Program and active in the Motion Picture Production Industry Association of BC as Vice-Chair. She was recently named “Woman of the Year” by Women in Film and Television Vancouver and “Industry Champion” by the Whistler Film Festival.

Most recently, Ms. Shorten held the position of Senior Vice-President, Operations and Member Services, at the CMPA’s BC Producers Branch. The association plans to hire a replacement for that vacant position in the coming weeks.

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ABOUT THE CMPA
The Canadian Media Producers Association is the national advocacy organization for independent producers, representing hundreds of companies engaged in the development, production, and distribution of English-language content made for television, cinema, and digital media channels. We work to promote the continued success of the Canadian production sector and to ensure a bright future for the diverse content made by our members for both domestic and international audiences.  cmpa.ca

For more information:

Kyle O’Byrne
Manager, Media Relations & Communications, CMPA
kyle.obyrne@cmpa.ca