WARNER MEDIA INTRODUCES GLOBAL DIVERSE TALENT EFFORTS TO CANADA

WarnerMedia has announced the creation of a fresh Canadian talent development team that will prioritize increasing diversity in front and behind the scenes. Canadian industry experts Deanna Cadette, Executive Director, and Melanie Nepinak Hadley, Program Director, will lead the efforts under the Global Access Programs initiative. “More than ever, representation matters,” said Christy Haubegger, WarnerMedia’s Chief Enterprise Inclusion Officer and Head of Global Marketing & Communications. “We look forward to bringing the amazing Canadian stories from both seasoned and emerging storytellers to the Canadian and global market.”

The decision serves as part of the company’s ongoing efforts to construct a more inclusive industry and stem more meaningful connections with its audiences worldwide. This past May, Haubegger announced the WarnerMedia Enterprise Inclusion Leadership team that focuses on developing a comprehensive strategy to address all aspects of diversity and inclusion for the company across workforce, programs, content, suppliers, and community. Supporting her efforts are James Anderson, Karen Horne, Samata Narra, and MyKhanh Shelton. The programs for both above- and below-the-line roles in film, television, and gaming include a key partnership with the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television which will be announced in the coming weeks.

The new talent development team will focus on building relationships with and opportunities for creators of all genders, abilities, and identities from Canada’s underrepresented communities, including members of Indigenous, Black, and other racialized groups, creators with disabilities, and members of the LGBTQ2+ and Francophone communities. 

As Director of the former Writers Guild of Canada/Bell Media Diverse Screenwriters Program, Cadette led the operations, finances, and content-development of the initiative which significantly increased the hiring of talent from underrepresented communities on TV writers’ rooms and provided a network for creators and industry decision-makers. In her most recent role, she led engagement and inclusion initiatives at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). “Melanie and I know that there’s an abundance of talent in Canada,” said Cadette. “So we’re thrilled to join WarnerMedia to forge lasting and impactful relationships with both seasoned and emerging creators who can tell those stories,” said Cadette.

Hadley also joins WarnerMedia from the CBC where she was the Executive in Charge of Production and oversaw the development and production of projects such as Trickster, Heartland, and Frankie Drake Mysteries. As the first and only Indigenous production executive at the public broadcaster, Melanie was an advocate for inclusion and integral in developing meaningful relationships with a diversity of Canadian talent. “As we lean into the future, our global audiences are hungry for a diversity of stories told authentically,” said Hadley.