A leader in B.C.’s cultural sector is moving on after more than a decade at the helm of Creative BC. In a post on Linkedin, Prem Gill wrote that she decided to step down as CEO at the end of June.
“Leading this organization has been one of the greatest privileges of my career,” Gill stated. “Over the past 10+ years, I’ve had the opportunity to work alongside an extraordinary team and community to help grow and champion B.C.’s creative industries, across film and television, music, digital media, publishing, and more.”
In a news release, Creative BC said that during her tenure, “creative industries have consistently demonstrated robust growth”. It noted that the motion picture industry was responsible for approximately $3 billion in production volume annually and supported a workforce of more than 170,000.
“Prem’s relentless advocacy and strategic acumen have been instrumental in elevating B.C.’s creative sector on both national and international stages, guiding us through significant change and opportunity,” Creative BC chair Bill Tam said in the news release. “As we look to the future, we also recognize the exciting opportunity that new leadership brings to further build upon this strong foundation and propel B.C.’s creative economy into its next chapter of innovation and global influence.”
Under her leadership, Creative BC embraced diversity and equality. In pursuit of that goal, it released a Creative Equity Roadmap to promote greater inclusion in the creative sector.
Creative BC also launched the Creative Pathways website in 2021 to show those without networks how to break into the motion picture industry.
“It’s about demystifying how you get into the industry, how you advance, how you become a member of a union, and really working with productions,” Gill told Pancouver in 2023.
Prior to moving into the top job at Creative BC, Gill was director of content at TELUS Communications. She also has extensive broadcasting experience.
In 2025, the Hollywood Reporter included Gill on its list of the most powerful women in the Canadian entertainment.
“A standout career moment came early on when she produced a documentary series about Sikh women in British Columbia — a personal milestone,” the U.S. publication stated. “This year, she cheered as locally filmed shows like Shogun earned tons of awards.”
The B.C. government supports Creative BC, which is an independent nonprofit society. Creative BC, in turn, flows funds to the book and magazine publishers, motion picture and interactive digital media producers, and the music and sound recording industry, often to support the export of B.C. culture internationally.
In addition, Creative BC administers motion picture tax credits and includes the BC Film Commission.
Creative BC’s board of directors plans to name an interim CEO by the end of May. Once this is done, the organization will conduct a national search for a permanent CEO.
Follow Pancouver on Instagram @PancouverMedia, on X @PancouverMedia, and on Bluesky @pancouver.bsky.social.
