Adam Ostry, CEO of the Ontario Media Development Corporation and self-described ‘policy wonk,’ has decided not to renew his three-year term with the agency that ends May 17.

‘I’ve accomplished what I set out to achieve and it’s time to move on,’ he says. ‘When I competed for the job originally, I explored with the ministry [Citizenship, Culture and Recreation] whether there was a political appetite to make the industry as relevant in the next decade as it was in the mid-1980s, and to my surprise they were willing to listen to a business and public policy case to keep the agency alive and change it.’

Over the following three years, few could deny Ostry was key in rejuvenating the relevance and direction of the agency, which included its relaunch last year and inclusion of new media, publishing and music in its mandate.

Now that the policy and resources are in place – $30 million of funding over the next four years – Ostry says his job is done.

‘The next challenge for the agency is to build on the convergence opportunities…the challenge relates to process and administration, getting greater resources, which doesn’t grab me,’ says Ostry.

As for his next challenge, Ostry says ‘the sky’s the limit.’

Prior to joining the OMDC, he was director general, strategy and plans, in the Intergovernmental Affair Secretariat of the Privy Council Office in Ottawa. From 1990 to 1994, he served as director of arts policy and planning and director general of cultural industries policy in the federal Department of Communications. He was also director general of Sport Canada in the Department of Canadian Heritage.

The search process to find a replacement for Ostry is underway.

-www.omdc.on.ca