Who We Are

David’s broadcast career spans more than 30 years. He joined AMI in 2009 and has been instrumental in leading significant change, pivoting from a company focused on the mechanics of accessibility to an organization dedicated to establishing and supporting a voice for Canadians with disabilities, representing their interests, concerns and values through accessible media, reflection and portrayal. 

John Melville is an accomplished television and radio professional with over 35 years’ experience in programming, production and broadcast operations. Prior to joining AMI in 2011, John worked for the Blue Jays Radio network, Headline Media Group and XM Satellite Radio Canada, overseeing the build of their Canadian studios.

Line joined AMI in March of 2010 as Director of Finance and now leads the Finance and Technology teams. A Chartered Professional Accountant and a Chartered Accountant, Line provides executive leadership in finance, strategy, technology services and enterprise risk. Prior to working at AMI, Line held head of finance positions with organizations responsible for the management and operations of airport facilities and one of the oldest charities in the greater Toronto area.

Brenda is a Human Resources professional with more than 30 years’ experience. She has worked in a variety of industries including consulting, financial, academia and, since 2013, broadcast media. She is a member of the Human Resources Professional Association of Ontario.

Isabella was instrumental in launching AMI-télé in 2014. She boasts more than 30 years’ experience in the broadcast industry having previously worked for Canwest Global and CH Montreal. In 2012, she was awarded the Medal of Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee for her involvement and work in the media to sensitize the population to conjugal violence against immigrant women.

François Beauregard is very active in the blind and partially sighted community. For 30 years, he chaired the Foundation for the Blind of Quebec and was vice-president of the INCA Quebec. A financial manager, he has worked in securities since 1983 and is the author of a book on financial planning. He hosts a weekly radio show on accessibility and was a member of the Canadian National Audio Hockey Team from 2018 to 2023.

Joe Tedesco has over 25 years of experience in the media industry. Currently, he is an independent business owner in real estate services and financing. He also serves on the Board of Halton Adapt an organization that provides addiction and mental health counseling in the region of Halton. Before entering the media sector, he held senior finance and business development positions in automotive manufacturing and packaged goods.

Betty Nobel is a retired teacher of students who are blind or partially sighted. After spending years as an adult educator at Vancouver Community College, she retired but rejoined the workforce and taught in three school districts until the end of June 2019. She is the Past President of Braille Literacy Canada and a current member of the Vision Loss Rehabilitation Canada national board. Currently, she chairs the Way-Finding and Signage Technical Committee for Accessible Standards Canada.

Brian Mackie serves as CFO for Baycrest Seniors Care, providing financial leadership to a world-leading academic health sciences centre in the field of aging and brain health, and operational oversight to Baycrest’s worldwide commercial ventures. He has held senior financial management positions for a 25+ year career in the Ontario health system. A chartered accountant, he trained and worked with Price Waterhouse in both the UK and Canada.

Lauren A. Nickel has had a successful career as a senior executive and director in both the business and public sectors. In addition to serving as a director for numerous commercial companies, Lauren has served on non-profit and charitable boards including the Calgary Region Arts Foundation, the Calgary Heritage Advisory Board, the LEAF Endowment, and most recently, IMPACT BC. Lauren also currently sits on the Board of FrontFundr.

Retired Senior Partner, Audit & Accounting, Chair of the Board BDO Canada LLP, Glenn Agro provided auditing, accounting and advisory services to privately held companies with a focus on the construction, manufacturing, retail trade, and food services industry sectors. He was awarded Fellow Chartered Accountant designation in recognition of his career achievements and leadership contributions to the community and the profession.

Alain Strati is Senior Vice-President, Industry and Policy, at the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA). He leads the policy and government relations departments, advocating to federal and provincial governments on policies impacting the industry. An executive member, he provides strategic and legal advice to CMPA leadership on all policy and business aspects of the independent production industry.

Over his 35-year career with the Nova Scotia Public Service, Charlie Macdonald led several initiatives to support the inclusion of citizens with disabilities. Most recently, Charlie was the Coordinator for the Nova Scotia Persons with Disabilities Employability Table, which presented a “Blueprint for Action for the Equitable Employment of Persons with Disabilities in Nova Scotia” to the Minister of Labour and Advanced Education.

Johanne Saint-Laurent has more than 25 years of experience in broadcasting, more specifically in television. She enjoyed a successful career at Astral Media where she held various senior management positions. She was a founding member of Québec Cinéma and sits on the Board of Directors of the Bell Fund.

Anne MacRae brings over 30 years of experience in the disability sector. She has worked at both the national and provincial levels, for both non-profits and government. She has over a decade of experience working for the federal government at various levels in Halifax, Vancouver, and at the Office for Disability Issues in Ottawa.

Anu Pala is a passionate entrepreneur whose philosophy is to embrace life with enthusiasm and positivity. The majority of her career has been spent in the non-profit sector, dedicated to serving underrepresented groups and promoting equity, accessibility and inclusion. As someone with firsthand experience of vision loss, she has played a key role in reshaping perceptions of disability inclusion and accessibility through a creative approach.

Marilyn Brophy is a retired senior investment executive with more than 30 years of experience in capital markets and investment management. Prior to retirement, she was Managing Director, Head of Equity Research at CIBC Asset Management. She is a current Independent Board Member of Park Lawn Corporation and current External Committee Member for Queen’s University’s Investment Committee. She obtained her MBA and B.A.Honours degrees from Queen’s University and an M.A. degree from McMaster University.