Media veteran David Lazzarato has been appointed to Vancouver-headquartered Thunderbird Entertainment Group’s board of directors as an independent member.

The appointment was effective as of Monday (Feb. 5), with Lazzarato also named chair of the company’s strategic advisory committee, according to a new release.

Lazzarato currently serves on Dublin-based Flutter Entertainment’s board and as chair of its risk and sustainability committee, and on Canopy Growth’s board and as its chair of the audit committee. His career also includes senior executive positions with Alliance Atlantis Communications, Allstream, Bell Canada and CAE.

The appointment is meant to enhance the company’s financial and operational expertise, said the release, with a “proven track record of success in leading growth, significant transformational changes and financial restructurings in the media, broadcast and telecommunications industries.”

Current board members include Asha Daniere, Lisa Coulman, Taylor Henderson, Azim Jamal, Jérôme Levy, and Thunderbird CEO and board chair Jennifer Twiner McCarron.

McCarron said in a statement that Lazzarato’s “knowledge of the business of entertainment and content production, and his deep director-level experience, focusing on strategy, governance and finance, makes him an incredible addition to our board as we move forward at Thunderbird.”

Thunderbird is the parent company of unscripted division Great Pacific Media and the kids and family-focused animation studio Atomic Cartoons, which announced last week that it had earned B Corp certification. The status is awarded by non-profit B Lab, and is given to companies that have achieved a high standard of social and environmental performance, verified through third-party assessment.

Achieving B Corp certification involved implementing a new paid volunteer policy, as well as sustainability policies and emissions tracking and targets through a partnership with the company Watershed, according to Thunderbird.

Image courtesy of Thunderbird Entertainment Group