Jean La Rose and APTN, the network he’s helmed as CEO for the last 17 years, will part ways at the end of the year when his contract expires.
A release says La Rose will leave the network on Dec. 31 to pursue new challenges.
“Jean and the board met last fall to discuss the timing of his departure,” said Jocelyn Formsma, APTN chairperson. “His contract ends in 2019 and we wanted to ensure we had enough time to prepare for the transition, especially since he has been at the helm of the network for over 17 years. On behalf of the Board, we are very grateful to have worked with Jean over the years. We continue to maintain our full trust and confidence in him as we discuss engaging his services going forward. He has provided inspiring leadership to APTN and we have watched the network grow under his vision.”
La Rose, who hails from the Abenakis First Nation of Odanak in Québec, was raised in Ottawa where he studied Journalism at Algonquin College and obtained his Bachelor of Arts in Social Communication at the University of Ottawa/Université Saint-Paul.
La Rose joined APTN as CEO in 2002, just four years after it was granted a national broadcast licence. La Rose helped the organization develop into an IP-based, multi-platform broadcaster and established APTN service in eastern, western and northern communities. He’s also a founding member of the World Indigenous Television Broadcasters Network (WITBN), which as a consortium partner in the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, led coverage in eight different Indigenous languages, 14 hours per day.
Additionally, he helped drive the establishment of arms-length enterprises Animiki See Digital Productions and Animiki See Distribution, in addition to the licencing and launch of urban Indigenous radio stations ELMNT FM Ottawa and ELMNT FM Toronto in 2018.
“I am proud of the team of people at APTN that made all of this possible,” said La Rose. “APTN has many reasons to be proud of its growth and success over the last 20 years. Our employees are second to none, and credit for our achievements goes to them.”
The board will launch a formal search to identify its next CEO in the coming weeks. APTN aims to have La Rose’s successor chosen by late October to allow for a smooth transition.
Jean La Rose was a guest on Broadcast Dialogue – The Podcast ahead of the launch of First People’s Radio last October. Listen here:
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