Communications and TV veteran Suzanne Laverdière has joined CBC as director of its new $10-million cross-cultural fund, putting her in charge of collaborative French/English productions at the network and its Quebecoise sister SRC.

Laverdière, who will be based in Ottawa, will report to Yvan Asselin, CBC’s GM of integration. The appointment was announced in an e-mail to staff by Richard Stursberg, EVP of English services, and Sylvain Lafrance, who heads up French services.

‘It’s great to have Suzanne back at CBC/Radio-Canada. We look forward to seeing the top-notch cross-cultural projects that will result from this collaboration between our networks,’ they wrote.

Laverdière returns to the pubcaster after a stint as assistant director general of programs for Paris-based TV5 Monde. Formerly she worked at Radio-Canada as GM of corporate affairs and strategic planning.

The money will be used to produce TV programs in the same vein as sitcoms including Ciao Bella, miniseries such as The Last Chapter and 10-part series Hockey: A People’s History.