TORONTO (AUGUST 14, 2023) – THE BELL FUND announced today that industry veteran Nancy Chapelle will be retiring and stepping down as the organization’s Executive Director after nine years of leading the offices in both Montreal and Toronto. Her last day in the role will be December 31st, 2023, whereupon she will serve in a part-time consulting capacity for three months.

Nancy Chapelle’s retirement marks a prominent and distinguished career of over 40 years in Canadian media in both the private and not-for-profit sectors. After many years as both an independent producer as well as a media executive, Chapelle co-founded Catalyst Entertainment in 1990, where, in addition to her executive duties that included overseeing its animation and film studios in Malta, she oversaw content development and production across both animated and live action, including family series, MOW’s, and feature film. In 2003 she moved into the public sector joining TVO as Managing Director of Content and Programming, where she oversaw the public broadcaster’s shift into digital, while also growing its traditional broadcast offerings.

Chapelle is the recipient of two Rockies and a Gemini award, as well as being recognized in 2011 as one of WXN’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women (Arts and Communication). She has served on various Boards and Advisory committees, including The RTA School of Media’s Advisory Committee, The Toronto Film Board, The Peer Project- Youth Assisting Youth, and as a mentor with the WXN Wisdom and Broadcast Management Studies, Schulich School of Business mentoring programs.

Chapelle assumed the role of Executive Director of The Bell Fund in January of 2015. Chapelle’s tenure with The Bell Fund enabled a transformational period of the not-for-profit, modernizing and adapting its activities to better suit the evolving needs of Canada’s content production industry and platforms. These included the design and launch of all the organization’s current funding programs which consist of Short Form Digital Series, Slate Development, the TV Selective and the performance envelope MPF TV Program.

“The industry is going through an extraordinary time. Looking back, I’m not sure I could imagine my journey and these same opportunities being available to me if I was starting out today. However, I know that my journey from production assistant to Executive Director of the Bell Fund was a worthy ambition,” said Nancy Chapelle. “Over the last nine years I’ve had the pleasure of working with an extraordinary group of hard working and dedicated teams in Toronto and Montreal, as well as the most engaged and supportive Board of Directors I’ve ever had the pleasure to serve. I’m just so proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish in my tenure. Today’s programs were built purposefully to overcome barriers and provide maximum flexibility for independent producers, moving away from exclusively delivering programs that rely on Canadian broadcasters as the trigger. I’m leaving feeling grateful and knowing that I’ll never find a more rewarding opportunity than serving this Industry”.

“The Bell Fund will forever be indebted to Nancy for her incredible leadership,” said Naveen Prasad, Chair of The Bell Fund Board. “The dedication and wisdom she brought to the role propelled great change in our organization, allowing it to best serve Canada’s production community, all the while ensuring an environment built on thoughtfulness, kindness, and inclusiveness. I can undoubtedly speak on behalf of the entire team and Board of Directors that Nancy’s presence will soon be fondly missed, and we wish her and her family only the very best for the future. We’re also thankful that Nancy has agreed to work with the Board and her team until the end of this year as we conduct a comprehensive search for the right person to continue the remarkable work she has done and to ensure a smooth transition.”

The Bell Fund’s Board of Directors have retained the services of a recruitment firm to help lead the process in finding Chapelle’s replacement. Details will be posted on The Bell Fund’s website in the coming weeks at www.bellfund.ca.

About The Bell Fund

Established in 1997, the Bell Fund is an independently governed, not-for-profit, private Canadian fund. Certified by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission as an independent production fund eligible to receive and administer contributions from broadcast distribution undertakings, the Bell Fund supports Canadian Independent Producers in the development and production of great Canadian content. Its mission is to support Canadian media content makers in creating for and connecting with audiences here and everywhere.

Website: https://bellfund.ca/

For more information or interviews, please contact:
Abigail Borja, info@bellfund.ca