SHAHRZAD RAFATI

FOUNDER AND CEO BROADBANDTV CORP.

has become an internationally recognized expert in hospitality, tourism and marketing. Since being appointed to her current role with the Canadian Tourism Commission in 2004, she has helped it evolve into a respected and competitive brand marketing organization. Under her leadership, the CTCearned the Marketer of the Year title from Marketing in 2009 and contributed to Canada’s No. 1 position on FutureBrand’s Country Brand Index. The recipient of several awards for management excellence, McKenzie recently accepted the 2013 Leading Management Change Award from Canadian Government Executive. Before joining the CTC, McKenzie was Nova Scotia’s deputy minister of Tourism, Culture and Heritage. She holds a designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors and an Shahrzad Rafati is credited for pioneering both the technology and business model that has propelled BroadbandTV to become the first profitable network on YouTube with more than one billion monthly viewers. This year, she closed a strategic partnership with Europe’s largest media conglomerate, RTL Group, and has driven successful former deals with major media companies, professional sports leagues and Google. Shahrzad was recognized by Fast Company as one of the 100 Most Creative People in Business. She is also the founder of VISO Give, the first online channel that lets viewers donate to charities by simply watching YouTube videos about them. Throughout it all, she maintains her tranquility as co-founder of the world’s first Chopra Yoga practice in partnership with holistic health guru Deepak Chopra. to joining Mount Sinai, she was fiscal advisory director at the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, and also held several senior financial positions in the hotel industry. Sproul is a chartered accountant and has a bachelor’s degree in commerce from the University of Toronto.