Chair’s message

More than five years ago, we set out on a journey to become more responsive to the needs of customers and service providers in Canada by improving the CCTS’ processes and information technology. Today, we are witnessing the benefits of this transformation.

As we reflect on our 16th year, I am filled with pride and gratitude for the remarkable journey we have undertaken. Our team’s commitment to providing fair, independent, and accessible dispute resolution services has been the cornerstone of our success. It is these priorities that will lead the Commission for Complaints for Telecom-television Services (CCTS) into the next chapter with new strategic priorities.

From a governance perspective, the CCTS tackled a challenging list of deliverables this year. These were all successfully managed through the collaborative efforts of the Board and Management. Our key achievement was the strategic oversight of the new process and technology changes. These changes were designed to improve the efficiency and transparency of our complaint-handling work. We also increased our efforts to grow public awareness of the CCTS and are continually working to enhance value for stakeholders.

Over eight years, I have been fortunate to lead the Board in spearheading several milestone accomplishments, including the following:

• overseeing the most significant modernization project in the organization’s history
• guiding the organization’s resilience and strategic adaptation during the COVID-19 pandemic
• ensuring the successful implementation of changes to the CCTS’ mandate and operations following the Canadian Radio-television & Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) mandate review in 2016
• ensuring effective and cohesive operation of a Board composed of representatives of diverse stakeholder groups
• providing insights from our complaints data to inform key stakeholders, enhancing the broader telecom and TV landscape.

To the members of the CCTS’ Board, your visionary leadership and unwavering support have been instrumental in steering the CCTS towards success as the consumer agency envisioned by the Government of Canada. It has been a remarkable eight years I’ve shared with this organization. Together, we have established a robust foundation and a compelling strategic direction for the CCTS. As I retire from the Board, I am confident that this collaborative work will continue to guide the CCTS towards continued success under the new Chair of the Board, Patricia A. Kiley, CPA, C.A., ICD.D.

In addition to the new Chair, this year included other changes to the Board. In October 2023, Dean Shaikh, LL.B, LL.M, retired from the Board. He was succeeded by newly elected director, Leonard Eichel, BASc, MFA, representing the cable companies. In October 2024, Geoff White, JD, MBA, BCL, ICD.D, retired from the Board, and Todd Hofley, MA, MFA, assumed his position as the newly elected director representing the Other Participants group. In October 2024, Michel Tremblay, MBA, C.Dir., joined the Board as an Independent Director. We extend our sincere thanks to Dean and Geoff for their years of dedicated service, and to Leonard, Todd, and Michel for agreeing to serve.

As the CCTS moves forward with a new strategic plan that charts a course for success for the organization, we continue to deliver exceptional complaint-resolution services for customers and service providers. The five-year plan offers a renewed sense of purpose and a clear vision for enhancing our service excellence. Under this plan we will continue to deliver timely and effective dispute resolution. We will strengthen our organizational capacity and resilience. And we will foster collaborative relationships with our stakeholders:

• service providers
• the industry regulator
• the government
• consumers and consumer groups, including accessibility groups

More than five years ago, we set out on a journey to become more responsive to the needs of customers and service providers in Canada by improving the CCTS’ processes and information technology. Today, we are witnessing the benefits of this transformation. This success was largely due to the collaborative efforts of the Board, Management and staff to ensure the CCTS provides the best possible complaint-handling service. I wish the CCTS great success as it continues along this road.

Sincerely,

Catherine Aczel Boivie
Chair of the Board, CCTS