Valerie Creighton, outgoing CEO of SaskFilm, is the new president of the Canadian Television Fund ­- filling the void left by Sandra Macdonald just as the fund prepares to join together with Telefilm as a one-board, one-administration organization for Canadian TV projects.

According to Douglas Barrett, CTF chair, Creighton was chosen from a pool of 477 possible names compiled by recruitment firm Kinley & Connelly, and her past in managing transition had a lot to do with her getting the job.

Barrett says the search committee – made up of CTF executives and Jean-Pierre Blais, the assistant deputy minister of culture at the Department of Canadian Heritage – was also looking for someone with proven leadership qualities and exemplary interpersonal skills. Barrett admits this sounds like Management 101, but in the case of the CTF presidency, these qualities are extremely important, especially now.

‘We have a very big and important relationship with the people at Telefilm, and we therefore feel our senior executive has to be naturally inclined at building strong relationships,’ says Barrett.

Creighton sees herself as a good fit. ‘I am good at working with change and organizations in transition, building a strong environment relevant to the investors in that sector and the clients that it serves,’ she says. ‘This seemed to me to be a wonderful opportunity to use those skills.’

In 1999, Creighton returned to SaskFilm – an agency she founded in the early 1990s – at a time when the organization was in ‘extreme crisis,’ taking on the role of acting GM. She stayed on as CEO and is credited with turning SaskFilm around. She has also overseen SaskFilm through the recent Saskatchewan shooting boom, which includes production of CTV’s ongoing hit comedy Corner Gas and Terry Gilliam’s feature Tideland last year.

Barrett says that it was the intention of the selection committee to take one name only to the CTF board, feeling if they brought a short list there was a danger of getting into ‘all sorts of politicking.’

‘We got a unanimous board resolution to accept the recommendation almost without discussion,’ says Barrett. ‘We’re thrilled to get [Creighton] and think she will be a tremendous addition to the fund.’

Creigthon officially starts her new job in Toronto in January. News of her appointment came within days of a report by Auditor General Sheila Fraser that warns the CTF board is prone to conflicts of interest, as its members are among the CTF’s regular funding applicants and recipients.

‘My understanding is that the CTF has very strident conflict-of-interest guidelines which they do follow in their operation, but I’m not inside enough yet to comment on the complexities,’ says Creighton. ‘I need to get in there and have a look.’

A second report from Heritage also recently complained that CTF-backed shows are failing to attract audiences.

Creighton says there is never a good time to leave an organization you care about, but feels SaskFilm will flourish without her, as the province’s profile has risen with its recent slate of productions. SaskFilm is also offering a new base tax credit of 45%, with a 5% ‘key position’ bonus available as well, beginning in the new year.

‘I think I’ve made a contribution here, and yes, it is hard to leave, but SaskFilm and the Saskatchewan industry are in good shape,’ says Creighton.

www.canadiantelevisionfund.ca