People

Robin Mirsky
Executive Director

Robin Mirsky has led the Rogers Group of Funds since 1989. Under her leadership, the fund expanded to include feature films as well as television programming, plus support for Canada’s film and television festivals and related events. In 1996, she launched the Rogers Documentary Fund to foster the growth and creation of Canadian documentaries. In 2000, she created the Rogers Cable Network Fund to help develop specialized and original programming. The Rogers Group of Funds has now provided more than $577,000,000 in support to more than 2,000 film and television projects.

Robin is also active in the community, including serving as a director on the Boards of the Canadian Film Centre and the Banff World Media Festival, co-chair of the Hot Docs Documentary Festival Board of Directors, and (previously) as vice-chair of the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television. She is a member of the Canadian Academy of Cinema and Television and the International Emmy Awards.

RogersGroupofFunds@rci.rogers.com

Marilyn Blanchette
Assistant to Robin Mirsky

Elissa McBride
Manager of Business Affairs

Sergio Enriquez
Accountant

Jan Innes, CHAIR

Jan is a Board Director and Public Affairs specialist. She was appointed to the Board of Directors of Rogers Communication in 2021 and chairs the pension committee. For 9 years, she was a Board member of Ports Toronto (Billy Bishop Airport and the Toronto Harbour). She completed the Directors Education Program at the Rotman School of Management receiving the ICD.D designation.

Ms. Innes worked for 25 years at Rogers Communications handling corporate communications, public affairs and government relations.

With a long time interest in film and television, Ms. Innes sat on the board of the Toronto International Film Festival for 15 years and is active today with Hot Docs, co chairing a campaign committee.

Wayne Clarkson

Over the course of his career, Wayne has headed up some of Canada’s most respected film and television institutions, including the National Film Theatre, the Ontario Film Development Corporation (now Ontario Creates), Toronto’s Festival of Festivals (now the Toronto International Film Festival), the Canadian Film Centre and Telefilm Canada (as Executive Director). Mr. Clarkson has received numerous industry awards, including the Clyde Gilmour Lifetime Achievement Award from the Toronto Film Critics Association and the Toronto Arts Award for contribution to Canadian cinema. He also has served on numerous boards and advisory groups, including the Toronto International Film Festival and the Federal Task Force for Feature Film Policy.

Alison Clayton

Alison is a senior broadcasting executive with many years of experience in the production, distribution, programming and financing of Canadian television.

As an award-winning producer with Crawley Films, Ms. Clayton oversaw the production of more than 100 children’s television programs, including two Gemini Award winners. During this time, Ms. Clayton was President of the Canadian Film and Television Association (now the Canadian Media Producers Association).

Her broadcasting experience includes the launch and management of The Biography Channel, G4 Tech TV and MSNBC Canada, as well as senior programming positions with The Family Channel, The Movie Network and MOVIEPIX.

Ms. Clayton is a director of the Canada Media Fund and a former member of the board of Outdoor Life Network and the Canadian Television Fund. Ms. Clayton is the board member responsible for Official Language Minority Communities (OLMCs) and their consideration in all funding decisions.

Rosemary Sadlier

Rosemary Sadlier O.Ont. (Order of Ontario) is a social justice advocate, researcher, writer, consultant, and international speaker on Black History, anti-racism, and women’s issues. She led the Ontario Black History Society for 22 years and was the driving force of the commemoration of February as Black History Month at all levels of government. She secured August 1^st as Emancipation Day municipally in 1995, provincially in 2008, and nationally in 2021. She also saw to the creation of the national day for the Hon. Lincoln Alexander.

Ms. Sadlier has given deputations to the UN Rapporteur on Race Relations, and has provided consultation to governments, museums, broadcasters, and heritage conferences. She was on the board of Obsidian Theatre, is on the board of Roseneath Theatre, and has served as historical/cultural consultant on film projects. Ms. Sadlier has written 7 books on African Canadian history, and has contributed to curricula, national exhibits, and publications. She was appointed Equality Lead for the Americas and the Caribbean with the Royal Commonwealth Society. Ms. Sadlier is dedicated to social justice and seeks to educate and empower others using the frame of Black History.

Karen Tanaka

Karen Tanaka is a business development advisor with many years of experience in technology, media, and partnerships. She has designed systems for growth and lasting impact and applied her insights across multiple sectors. Most recently, Ms. Tanaka leveraged her passion for community building as the Chief Operating Officer of the Vancouver Chinatown Foundation. During her tenure, the Chinatown Foundation launched numerous initiatives including the award-winning Chinatown Storytelling Centre, a community hub focused on the cultural revitalization of Vancouver’s historic Chinatown through the power of storytelling.

Prior to joining the Chinatown Foundation, Ms. Tanaka held senior leadership roles at Immersive Media, Xerox, and Centrinity. She completed the Directors Education Program at the Rotman School of Management.

Ms. Tanaka is the vice-chair of the Alzheimer Society of British Columbia and chair of the governance and human resources committee. Ms. Tanaka serves on the 58 West Hastings Committee, a social housing project launched by the Vancouver Chinatown Foundation in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.

Susan Wheeler

Susan Wheeler is Vice-President, Regulatory and Distribution for Rogers’ Media division and has worked in Canadian broadcasting for over 20 years. Susan’s experience and expertise in broadcast regulation combined with her strong legal and business background ensures an informed perspective on issues of cultural policy and content financing across both the audio and audio-visual sectors.

Susan has held a number of Director and Executive Board member positions in the cultural sector including the Director and Chair of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters, the Canadian Broadcasters Rights Agency (CBRA) a copyright collective for private broadcasters, and music funding agency the Foundation to Assist Canadian Talent on Recordings (FACTOR).