If you consume content from CTV or CTV News, through any medium other than TV or radio, you’re seeing the handiwork of Stephanie Wilson Chapin and her team. In essence, that’s any CTV-owned media experienced via computer or mobile device. “Audiences expect to have a conversation, often in real time, about the news and their favourite shows,” says Wilson Chapin, and in an industry that is ever evolving, staying abreast while encouraging user engagement in the Canadian landscape is no small feat. “The real trick,” she says, “is figuring out which shows and stories will trigger that big response before the conversation has started.”
On how different generations consume digital media: “Younger Canadians don’t think in a linear way. When it comes to news and entertainment, schedules are meaningless and the concept of organizing an evening around a newscast or a television show is completely foreign. The expectation is that media is available all of the time, on any device, 24/7. If we expect our audience to work hard to find our content or organize their time in order to watch it, we’re doomed.”
On cultivating excellence: “To drive excellence, you have to define what it is. My team and I set very clear objectives and we engage in conversations that go beyond the numbers— leadership and our agility as a company are important discussions for us. The drive to be amazing needs to come from everyone. It’s not something a leader can dictate. If everyone owns the idea of what it means to be excellent, we’re all more likely to live up to it.”
On living The Good Life: “That’s dead simple: what matters most is that my family and I are happy and healthy. I’m passionate about my career, happy to go into work (most days) and excited about what the future holds.”
On feeling fulfilled: “I relish in the moment when someone on my team realizes they’ve achieved a goal they thought was unachievable.”
Photography by Kourosh Keshiri, hair and makeup by Jodi Urichuk (Plutino), styling by Hazel Ong (Plutino).