Upon first meeting Phyllis Yaffe in 1994, Laura Michalchyshyn says she was very impressed by her ‘clear vision’ and ‘great strategy.’ Watching Yaffe lobby the independent production and distribution community, Michalchyshyn thought, ‘When I grow up, I want to work for a woman as smart, dynamic and straight-forward thinking.

‘I was impressed with her knowledge and understanding of the industry,’ says Michalchyshyn. ‘She has an astute knowledge and understanding of the issues and is able to get involved in a number of the issues. She thinks on a multitude of planes.’

Michalchyshyn’s dream came true when, in 1997, Yaffe plucked her from another channel. ‘She took a huge risk with me,’ recalls Michalchyshyn. ‘I think she has a keen sense of choosing people and surrounding herself with very competent overachievers. One skill of hers is being able to choose talent, whether established or up-and-coming, and giving them opportunities. She has a real ability to choose people who are driven, who are capable of delivering.

‘She’s a no-frills type of boss who appreciates hard work, appreciates getting things done properly. Working with Phyllis has been a huge learning experience because she imparts her knowledge freely, has an open-door policy, but is a no-nonsense type of president. So it is always very clear what the task is at hand. There is no confusion with Phyllis and I really appreciate that. There are no smoke and mirrors when you work with Phyllis. It’s wonderful and refreshing.’

Yaffe’s background as a librarian appears to come in handy on a daily basis, even as the scope of her portfolio grows. ‘She is meticulous,’ says Michalchyshyn. ‘She’s involved in some of the biggest negotiations, with a multitude of channels, with crtc regulatory issues, and speaking to the independent production community and networking with our senior level upstairs. She’s multitasking.

‘But then she’ll call and say she didn’t like the phrasing of that press release on that movie theme last week. I’ll just smile and think, ‘She’s got her hand in everything.’ Which is great because she doesn’t lose touch with what is important. And once in a while, I think just for her own personal satisfaction, she’ll dive into what seems like a minutia item just because she likes to be a part of every aspect of the business. It is becoming more and more difficult as she runs four channels.’

As crowded as her working life becomes, Yaffe still makes herself accessible to those around her. ‘She has a great sense of humor. She’s a great information source – even in the midst of meltdowns, of which there are about 50 a day in this industry – she will still make time and call back to answer questions and make comments.

‘Though her tasks have increased, she hasn’t become more difficult to get a hold of – you just need to book appointments now. Once in a while, especially on a Friday afternoon, she’ll come into my office, sit on my desk and ask me what great movies I’ve bought for Showcase and say let’s talk about it. She is still very interested and active, participates when she can.

‘Because of her background in drama she has a great understanding of dramatic scripts and stories and the development process. This is her background, so we find that we give Phyllis a script or screen one of the more high-profile movies or a series we’re about to acquire and she always has a great insight and understanding of whether or not this program will work. She is a fantastic resource.’ MMS