After nine months with the CBC, EVP Barb Williams is making her mark on the public broadcaster with a wide-ranging new strategy that she says will see it “shift from a siloed traditional media operation to a truly audience-centric, content company.”

The new, three-pronged structure, unveiled at CBC’s annual town hall last week, aims to promote greater collaboration between the CBC’s various divisions with a view to creating efficiencies and improving the audience experience.

“As you know, currently, CBC is built on a traditional/platform-based model and while we do have an innovative spirit, it is sometimes encumbered by silos. We need to move to a more audience-centric approach where we are ultimately working together as one CBC. We’ve seen this shift in other traditional media companies,” said a memo sent from Williams to CBC staffers.

Under the new vision, CBC will implement a new structure based on three pillars: content, audience and business.

The first pillar will see CBC’s content teams split into two areas: entertainment content and journalistic content.

Under the new structure, CBC has created two new leadership positions for two of its senior executives, Sally Catto and Susan Marjetti.

Catto, who previously served as general manager of programming, has been named general manager of entertainment, factual and sports. Susan Marjetti, the former executive director of CBC radio and audio, has been named general manager of news, current affairs and local.

Chris Wilson, who has been executive director of sports since July, will join Catto’s division.

The second pillar will see CBC refocus its mandate to serve Canadian audiences. “It means scheduling the content so that it is best available where audiences expect it. And then talking to that audience to help them discover the best of what we have to offer,” read the memo.

Within the audience pillar, Richard Kanee will head up a new digital strategy and products group, while scheduling will now be brought under the remit of marketing and communications head Bonnie Brownlee.

The business pillar will be headed up by finance, strategy and administration head Shannon Carvell, and will include the business and rights team, led by Lisa Clarkson. Donald Lizotte will continue to have oversight of CBC’s revenue streams leading the media solutions division.

Cristina Tonner is moving to the entertainment division as Catto’s chief of staff, while the public affairs portfolio will be folded into Williams office, with public affairs head Chuck Thompson serving as Williams’ chief of staff.

The pubcaster also announced a pair of high-profile departures with the exits of Jennifer McGuire, editor in chief and general manager of CBC News since 2009, and Fred Mattocks, general manager of media operations for CBC’s English services.

“This is a lot to take in, I know. With that in mind, over the next few days and into next week, your leaders will be holding meetings and sharing their own notes to help you better understand how today’s news specifically affects you, your show, or your unit,” added Williams.

The structural changes come at the beginning of what will be a busy year for the pubcaster, as it prepares for its licence renewal hearing with the CRTC in late May. There may be other changes to contend with as well, after the Broadcasting and Telecommunications Legislative Review (BTLR) panel recommended that the CBC shifts to an ad-free model over the next five years.