TORONTO, April 21, 2021—The Canadian Media Producers Association today announced the promotion of Sean Porter to the position of Lead Negotiator and Senior Director, National Industrial Relations and Counsel for the organization. In this role, Mr. Porter will oversee national industrial relations for the CMPA and will lead upcoming negotiations in a busy bargaining year. The promotion follows an announcement from Warren Ross that he will be leaving the CMPA in May to pursue a new opportunity.

“Since joining the CMPA, Sean has been great asset to the organization,” said CMPA President and CEO, Reynolds Mastin. “His ability to see the big strategic picture and collaborative approach to addressing complex industrial relations issues will serve our members extremely well. I would also like to thank Warren Ross for his tireless dedication and outstanding contributions to the CMPA over the past decade. I know I speak on behalf of the board and staff when I say that we will miss him and wish him nothing but the very best in the future.”

Sari Friedland and Kyle Irving, co-chairs of the CMPA’s Industrial Relations Committee, added: “Having worked closely with Sean over the past three years, we’ve been consistently impressed by his deep understanding of the issues of importance to our members, his strong relationships with the key players across the sector, and his ability to stay on top of the ever-evolving environment in which we work. We have every confidence in Sean’s success in this role.”

Warren Ross joined the CMPA in 2011, and worked in a number of progressively senior roles during his tenure with the organization.

“As I move on to an exciting new chapter, I feel great pride at having worked alongside such tremendous colleagues and producers over the past ten years,” said Mr. Ross. “I am thrilled that Sean will be taking the reins and know that the CMPA and its members will be well-served as he steps into this role.”

Sean Porter joined the CMPA in 2018. Prior to that, he was an Associate in the labour and employment group at McCarthy Tétrault LLP, where he advised and represented employers on a broad range of labour, employment and human rights matters. He also worked as an Associate at Hicks Morley Hamilton Stewart Storie LLP, a labour and employment law firm. He received his Juris Doctor from Queen’s University.

The CMPA will be hiring for a new role in the organization’s national industrial relations department. A job description for the position will be posted on the CMPA website 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