Encore Group, the media company behind long-running Montreal prodco Encore Télévision, is under new ownership.

Effective March 29, founder François Rozon, executive director Dominique Simard and EVP Vincent Gagné sold their remaining shares of the company to its employees. President Julie Provençal (pictured left) and VP, head of content production Patrick Lowe (pictured right) are now the majority shareholders of Group Encore, with an additional 12 employees holding the remaining shares.

The change in ownership was made possible through a share purchase program set up approximately three years ago with the support of SODEC, according to a news release.

Rozon tells Playback Daily that he first began selling his shares in the company approximately 15 years ago as an incentive for employees to fully invest in Encore and share in its success, starting with Simard and Gagné. He expanded it to additional employees a few years ago as a means of retaining talent.

“This is a great team,” says Rozon.”I wanted to keep these people with me, you know?”

He says the share purchase program launched three years ago was made possible through a loan from SODEC’s cultural investment bank, which will be paid back over the next several years through the share dividends. Shares were also purchased through personal investment from employees and a grant from the Quebecor Fund to help women become shareholders.

Within Encore Group’s current 14 shareholders, more than 47% identify as women, and more than 41% identify as having a diverse background, read the release.

The shareholders include Louis Bolduc, head, television production — fiction; Zita Lawson, head, television production — documentary and variety; Chrystine Girard, head, international distribution; director of finance Patrick Gérard; director of operations Catherine Desgagnés; producers Jaime Alberto Tobon, Frédérique Traversy, Isabelle Thiffault, and Emmanuel Reichenbach; analysts Nathalie Granger and Siham Boutaleb; and agent Patrick Leduc.

Rozon, Simard and Gagné will remain active in the company moving forward as Provençal and Lowe lead the company’s management and content strategy, respectively. Rozen will work in content development, as well as some talent management; Simard will stay involved in international distribution and business partnerships; and Gagné will serve as a producer.

Provençal says the share program has been a “great model” for the company, despite it “going against the trend of producers selling to broadcasters.”

“Employees are super engaged and they all have the same goal,” she says. “It’s really motivating.”

Encore Télévision works across scripted, unscripted and variety programming, while Encore Group also operates in content distribution, talent management, and live shows.

Provençal says the company will continue to build on its diverse content slate, including a talk show with comedian Martin Matte, set to launch on TVA in the fall, and a second season of its Séries Plus drama Bête noire. She says they’re also focused on attracting emerging talent in Quebec through its management business, with the possibility of leading into new productions on the stage or screen.

On the distribution side, the company has more than 35 titles in its international sales catalogue from both its own content slate and from other production companies. Provençal says they’ll be attending both MIPTV and Canneseries this month.

Image courtesy of Encore Group