Senior Management
The Canada Council’s senior management is responsible for day-to-day operations and for establishing and implementing the organization’s overall strategic direction, as well as for fulfilling governance decisions made by the Board.
Led by the Director and CEO, it includes senior decision-makers from the organization’s main divisions and offices: the Chief Financial, Administration and Security Officer; the Chief Information Officer; the Director General, Strategy and Public Affairs; the Director General, Communications and Arts Engagement; the Director General, Arts Granting Programs; and the Secretary-General, CCUNESCO.
They work together to advance priorities across the Council.
Michelle Chawla has led the Canada Council for the Arts as Director and CEO since June 2023.
Under Michelle’s leadership, the organization ensures that almost 90% of its annual government funding goes directly to the arts sector. This includes support for over 3,500 artists and over 1,900 arts organizations in more than 2,000 communities across the country, whose work strengthens the economy, fosters unity and a sense of belonging and inspires new perspectives.
With nearly 30 years in the field of public arts and culture funding, Michelle has extensive leadership expertise in public policy, intergovernmental relations, governance, corporate communications, international engagement and major transformation initiatives.
Prior to her appointment, she was the Director General of Strategy, Public Affairs and Arts Engagement, and she had previously served as the Secretary-General for the Canadian Commission for UNESCO.
In May 2025, Michelle was appointed to the Board of the International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies (IFACCA), providing an avenue to further Canada’s leadership in the arts on a global level.
Michelle is fluently bilingual and comes from a Québécois and Punjabi background.
She is deeply committed to making sure the arts are a vibrant part of Canadians’ lives in communities big and small, rural and remote, urban and suburban, from coast to coast to coast. Michelle champions the role of the arts as a unifying force that reflects and strengthens Canadian identity, a powerful driver of jobs and economic growth and a catalyst for creativity and new ideas. She believes the arts helps communities adapt to change, grow local economies, promote Canada on the world stage,and bring people together while strengthening Canadian culture and identity.
Lise Ann Johnson oversees the Council’s granting programs and strategic initiatives, which seek to foster the creation, distribution and promotion of Canadian art in Canada and abroad. She also provides strategic and business transformation support.
Lise Ann joined the Canada Council in 2012. As director of Strategic Granting Initiatives, she oversaw the Digital Strategy Fund and the Strategic Innovation Fund. Before joining the Council, Lise Ann worked in theatre for over 20 years, occupying roles such as artistic director and later as associate director of the Great Canadian Theatre Company, artistic associate and literary manager of the National Arts Centre (NAC) English Theatre and associate dramaturg of Playwrights’ Workshop Montréal. From 1997 to 2005, she produced On the Verge, the NAC’s national play development festival.
Lise Ann’s training includes a Master of Arts in Drama at the University of Alberta, the Directing Program at the National Theatre School of Canada and internships and residencies at the Shaw Festival, the Mark Taper Forum and the Royal Court Theatre.
Joanne Larocque-Poirier
Contact Joanne Larocque-Poirier
Joanne Larocque-Poirier is the Director General, Communications and Arts Engagement at the Canada Council for the Arts. In this role, Joanne ensures the integrity of the Council’s brand, reputation and arts community engagement framework. Joanne also oversees the Council’s Public Lending Right program, the Art Bank and the recognition and celebration of outstanding contributions through the Council’s many distinctions, awards and prizes. As the Council’s Official Languages Champion, Joanne ensures the Council’s continued leadership as a bilingual organization that values and uses both official languages. Joanne also serves as the Council’s accessibility steward and advocate.
Joanne was previously the Chief of Staff and Corporate Secretary of the Canada Council. Before that she was Head of Prizes at the Council, responsible for a national program of prizes and fellowships. Prior to joining the Council, she held curatorial and exhibitions management positions at the National Gallery of Canada.
Joanne served as a board member for the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards Foundation from 2009 to 2014. In October 2019, she was appointed to the Board of the Association of Professional Executives of the Public Service of Canada (APEX) for a three-year term. APEX supports and develops a strong community of practice among public service executives, a mission that aligns with the Council’s objective to strengthen its leadership team.
Yves-Gérard Méhou-Loko
Contact Yves-Gérard Méhou-Loko
Yves-Gérard Méhou-Loko is the Secretary-General of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO (CCUNESCO), which has operated under the aegis of the Canada Council for the Arts since 1957. The CCUNESCO is one of 200 national commissions around the world working to advance the mandate of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). As Secretary-General, Yves-Gérard leads the CCUNESCO in its efforts to engage, support and amplify the work of Canadian civil society organizations and knowledge holders in the fields of education, sciences, culture, communication and information.
A global citizen with a passion for education, equity and diversity, and human rights journalism, Yves-Gérard has lived and worked on three continents. He studied political science at Université Laval and the Université du Québec à Montréal and completed a master’s in Public Administration at the École nationale d’administration publique. Previous roles include host and producer for Radio-Canada, senior investigator with the Office of the French Language Services Commissioner of Ontario, manager of the Ontario Ombudsman’s French Language Services Unit and Equity and Human Rights Commissioner for the Conseil des écoles publiques de l’Est de l’Ontario.
Born in France with Beninese origins, Yves-Gérard has been the vice-president of the Fédération des communautés francophones et acadiennes du Canada since June 2021 and is very active in defending minority groups.
Eric Sauvé is the Chief Information Officer at the Canada Council for the Arts. In this role, he leads the delivery of a comprehensive digital shift mandate to better support and enable the Council’s programs and activities.
Eric, who is fully bilingual, brings over 20 years of senior digital leadership experience in both the public and private sectors. He has led the development of digital and security strategies, as well as the delivery of major transformational initiatives. He is trained in cyber security, enterprise architecture, product management, agile process and business administration.
Eric has a passion for outdoor adventures, which he shares with his partner of 20 years and his three daughters. He is an avid musician and banjo player.
Photos: Christian Lalonde