The Schulich School of Business at York University announced Friday that Douglas Barrett, one of Canada’s foremost entertainment industry executives, has been appointed to the CTV Professorship in Broadcast Management.
Since 2004, Barrett has served as chair of the Canadian Television Fund (Fonds canadien de television), a major national organization that supports the creation and distribution of Canadian television programming. He is currently president and CEO of PS Production Services Ltd., one of Canada’s leading suppliers of professional production equipment to the film and television industries.
Barrett brings a wealth of experience in the Canadian television and film industries to his role as a visiting scholar at the Schulich School of Business. He has served on the boards of numerous organizations, including the Banff Television Foundation, the Feature Film Project of the Canadian Film Centre and the Canadian Film & Television Production Association. In addition, he served as a senior partner in the law firm of McMillan Binch Mendelsohn LLP, where he developed a leading media and entertainment law practice. He has been named by Lexpert as one Canada’s top entertainment lawyers, and was appointed as a lifetime honorary director of the Banff Television Festival and Foundation.
"We are extremely pleased to add a businessperson of Douglas Barrett’s calibre to our faculty," said Schulich Dean Dezsö J. Horváth. "He is a leading figure in the media and entertainment industry in Canada. He will bring vital real-world experience to the position and in-depth knowledge of the industry."
"Our unique MBA Program in Arts & Media provides leaders with solid business skills in the management of the arts and the creative industries," said program director Joyce Zemans. "Douglas Barrett’s multifaceted career and exemplary background in law, business and media will enhance the program and provide continuing links with the industry."
Barrett succeeds inaugural CTV Professor Trina McQueen, a respected senior private- and public-sector broadcast executive. Among McQueen’s contributions to the Arts & Media Program is Schulich’s new Broadcast Management course with its strong links to industry professionals and its emphasis on the change management vital to media executives. McQueen will remain at Schulich as an adjunct professor in the Arts & Media Program.
Schulich offers Canada’s only MBA with a specialization in arts and media administration. The Schulich MBA in Arts & Media attracts students with backgrounds in arts, media and entertainment, including broadcasting, film, new media, dance, music, theatre and the visual arts. Graduates of the program build careers in the private, public and nonprofit sectors. Their work includes all aspects of management in the arts and cultural industries, the management of cultural activities within a corporate environment, the formation of government policy with respect to culture and communications and the pursuit of entrepreneurial cultural initiatives.