Ivan Fecan is transitioning out of his role as the Executive Chair of the Board of Thunderbird Entertainment Group Inc. to focus on producing for the company.
Fecan has been in the leadership role for the last six years, in addition to serving as the producer and an executive producer of Thunderbird-produced CBC sitcom Kim’s Convenience.
Brian Paes-Braga will take over as Chair of Thunderbird’s Board of Directors, effective immediately. A large shareholder of the company, Paes-Braga has served on the Board of Directors since Oct. 2018. The entrepreneur and philanthropist is currently Principal, Head of Merchant Banking at Vancouver-based SAF Group.
“I wish to personally thank Ivan Fecan for his dedication and leadership as we built Thunderbird’s business together over the past six years. I have known him since my Lionsgate days and have always regarded Ivan as a national treasure. His experience and wisdom was invaluable when it was needed most, and we are looking forward to our continued collaboration in Ivan’s ongoing role as the producer of our worldwide hit series Kim’s Convenience,” said Frank Giustra, Lead Director on Thunderbird’s Board of Directors and founder of Lionsgate Entertainment, in a release. “I am also looking forward to working with Brian Paes-Braga in his new role as Chair. Having worked with Brian on a number of ventures, I know how his talents will benefit all of our shareholders. This is an exciting time for Thunderbird Entertainment, and Brian will bring his energy, people skills and leadership to the table, as he works with Jennifer Twiner McCarron and the rest of our management team to take Thunderbird to new levels.”
Fecan has been an established media executive for nearly four decades, serving as vice-president, Creative Affairs at NBC in the mid-1980s, before returning to Canada to become director of television programming for CBC. Shows like Degrassi High, Road to Avonlea, This Hour Has 22 Minutes, and Kids in the Hall came to life during his tenure. Fecan left the public broadcaster in 1994 to become president and CEO of Baton Broadcasting and later CTVglobemedia. He was CEO of the CTV Television Network from 1996 to 2011.
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