The National Gallery of Canada announced late last week that it is adding two members to its senior management team as it works on what its director and CEO Sasha Suda called “the final touches of our first-ever Strategic Plan”. Angela Cassie is the new vice-president of strategic transformation and inclusion, while Tania Lafrenière is the new senior vice-president of people, culture and belonging.
“Both women have extensive experience in Strategic Planning Implementation and HR Management and are well-known national leaders with experience working with cultural organisations,” Suda says. Both are also fluently bilingual in French and English. “We are fortunate they are joining the NGC team at this critical time.”
Cassie spent a decade with the Department of Canadian Heritage followed by another ten-year stint with the Winnipeg-based Museum of Human Rights. She is also VP of the Board of the Société de la Francophonie manitobaine. “My role will be to align all aspects of our programmes, policies and practices with the strategic plan and identify and remove barriers to broader participation with the Gallery,” she says.
Lafrenière has more than 20 years of experience in human resources management, notably with the CBC-Radio Canada, and also with Groupe Nordik, the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) and the Canadian Red Cross. “My mandate is to implement a new people-centred approach to HR Management and to create a true sense of belonging at all levels of the organisation,” she says.