Guest Industry Expert — All Access 2020:
JOSETTE NORMANDEAU
President and Producer at Ideacom International Inc.
Entrepreneur, accomplished producer, world traveler, sought-after speaker and martial arts specialist, Josette D. Normandeau has always followed her keen sense of curiosity.
Her sense of leadership and her active involvement in the audiovisual and digital media industry as resulted in the following nominations: elected President of the board of Directors of the AQPM (Québec independent producers association), re-appointed on the board of Directors for 2019-2021 term of the CMPA (Canadian Media Producers Association), and named co-Chair of the board of the University of Sherbrooke.
At INIS, a professional audiovisual training center, she was (is) a founding member of the educational committee for the documentary program and headed the producer training program from 2007 to 2012.
She was decorated Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (France), named Ambassador in 2015 (Literature and Social Sciences) by the University of Sherbrooke, and was Finalist (2015) for the International Business Entrepreneur – Femmes d’affaires du Québec Prize and will receive in November 2019 from the Women in Film, Television and Digital the “International Outreach” award
A quick flash back: Josette began her career as a host and radio journalist, and then spent eight years in the emerging digital world as Director of New England Audio, Multimedia Division in Boston. By the early 1990s, she launched and managed both the European Union Chambers of Commerce in Canada and Inforum – WTC Montreal. Josette joined Ideacom International, in 1994. Her innovative strategies led to the production company becoming a pioneer in TV/Web convergence. President since 2000, she manages its business development and international positioning through partnerships and co-productions. In 2010, she established Zenith ABC, a digital offshoot that has become the heart of digital development for the group. In 2017, Ideacom entered into a strategic partnership with Cineflix Media Inc. to facilitate and accelerate the production of high-end documentary and drama series for the global market.
Josette holds a BA in English Literature from the University of Sherbrooke.