Catherine Tait

Notable work and positions

CBC/Radio-Canada - President and CEO (2018-2025), first woman to hold the role
Duopoly Inc. - Co-founder and President (2002-2018)
Salter Street Films - President and COO (1997-2001)

Biography

Catherine Tait is a Canadian media executive who served as president and CEO of CBC/Radio-Canada from July 2018 until her term ended in January 2025, the first woman to hold the role. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in literature and philosophy from the University of Toronto, a Master of Science in public communications from Boston University, and a graduate degree in communications theory from the University of Paris II Panthéon-Assas. She began her career at Telefilm Canada in the 1980s as manager of policy and planning, then served as Canada's cultural attaché to France from 1989 to 1991. She was president and chief operating officer of Salter Street Films from 1997 to 2001, producing shows including the CBC comedy This Hour Has 22 Minutes, before co-founding the New York-based independent film, television and digital content company Duopoly Inc. with producer Liz Manne in 2002, serving as its president until 2018; she also co-founded digital content provider iThentic in 2006. As CBC/Radio-Canada's president and CEO, she launched the streaming service CBC Gem in 2018, unveiled the strategic plan Your Stories, Taken to Heart in 2019, and founded and chaired the Global Task Force for Public Media beginning in 2019. Her tenure included budget shortfalls and layoffs announced in late 2023, along with controversy over executive performance pay amid the cuts. She was succeeded as president and CEO by Marie-Philippe Bouchard, effective January 3, 2025.