Bell Appoints New President & CEO, Reshapes Exec Team

Bell Canada has named Mirko Bibic to the role of president and chief executive officer and restructured its executive team, including a new role for current executive Blaik Kirby.

Bibic has also been appointed to the boards of Bell Canada Enterprises (BCE) and Bell Canada. Bibic assumes the chief executive role following George Cope’s retirement yesterday (January 5). Kirby, formerly president of Bell Mobility, is moving into the role of group president for mobility, residential and small business.

Previously Bell’s chief operating officer, Bibic assumed the role of president and CEO today. He has also served as Bell’s executive VP of corporate development and as chief legal and regulatory officer. He joined Bell in 2004 as senior VP of regulatory affairs.

Claire Gillies, meanwhile, has been promoted to president of Bell Mobility. Previously senior VP of retail, Gillies joined Bell in 2000 and has served in progressively senior roles in marketing, sales and channel management, including as president of the Bell subsidiary The Source.

Karine Moses has been promoted to vice chair for Québec. Also continuing in her role as president of Bell Media Québec, Moses joined Bell in 1997 and has held senior leadership positions across Bell’s network, field services and media groups. Moses succeeds retiring vice chair for Québec, Martine Turcotte.

John Watson becomes group president of customer experience, continuing to lead all customer service and support operations in the execution of Bell’s Champion Customer Experience imperative. Previously executive VP of customer operations, Watson joined Bell in 2010 as senior VP of operations.

“I’m proud to welcome Claire Gillies and Karine Moses to the Bell executive team and announce new roles for current executives Blaik Kirby and John Watson,” Bibic said. “These seasoned leaders will all bring their dedication, proven skills and deep experience across multiple Bell business units to leading the execution of our growth strategy.”

“We welcome Mirko Bibic as our new chief executive as he leads Bell in delivering all the benefits of the digital communications future to Canadians,” said Gordon Nixon, chair of the Board for BCE and Bell Canada. “A key leader in every part of Bell’s transformation into Canada’s driver of communications innovation, Mirko has the vision, skills and experience to build on Bell’s strengths as the country’s leading communications company and deliver value for all our stakeholders.”

“It is an honor to lead the Bell team into our 140th year of service to Canadians since our founding here in Montréal in 1880, and we thank George Cope for his leadership in laying such a strong foundation for continued success,” added Bibic. “We look forward to bringing all the opportunities of the new era of integrated digital communications to our customers, communities, investors and employees.”

He continued: “Bell’s goal is to advance how Canadians connect with each other and the world. Our strategic imperatives frame our longstanding strengths in networks, service innovation and content creation, and position the Bell team for continued growth and innovation leadership in a fast-changing communications marketplace. The near-instant connections of fiber and upcoming 5G service, and the opportunities represented by IoT, AI and new content platforms, will create unprecedented opportunities for consumers, businesses and communities. The Bell team’s role is to champion customer experience in a new world of communication possibilities.”

Additionally, Suzane Landry has been tapped for the position of VP of French-language content development and programming at Bell Media. Reporting to Moses, Landry is responsible for the leadership, strategy and execution of all programming planning, original production and acquisitions for Bell Media’s French-language non-sports content.

Landry started her career nearly 30 years ago as a reporter. She transitioned into production where she developed and produced content for various broadcasters. In addition to having extensive experience in content creation, brand management and production, Landry spent 13 years in programming, including the last six years, responsible for Québecor’s portfolio of specialty entertainment channels.

“Suzane brings a breadth of industry knowledge that will expand our leadership in French-language content production, while accelerating digital innovation and evolving our approach to strategic, multiplatform delivery,” said Moses.

“I’m looking forward to working with a team known for its dedication to content creators and its commitment to investing in original French-language content,” added Landry. “Together with this team of great talent and local producers, we will develop exceptional and compelling content for all platforms that stands out and, above all, engages Québecers.”