John Brunton President & CEO, Executive Producer

John Brunton thinks TV. All the time. As the Globe and Mail writes, he "has airwaves between his ears."

A natural-born storyteller, Brunton is now celebrating his twenty-ninth anniversary at the helm of Insight Production Company Ltd. As president and CEO, Brunton's entrepreneurial ingenuity, creative vision and passion for television have enabled him to position Insight as an industry leader in the development, financing and production of world class television programs.

As the Executive Producer of compelling dramas and documentaries, ground-breaking award shows, record-breaking comedy and variety series, sports, music and other programs, Brunton has worked with some of the most talented personalities in the world, from Shania Twain and Celine Dion to Scott Hamilton and Torvill and Dean.

Barbara Bowlby Executive Vice President, Executive Producer

Barbara joined Insight in 1984 and her partnership with Brunton has lead to the development and production of thousands of hours of programming. Her keen business sense is a vital component of Insight's ability to bring the company's creative initiatives to the international marketplace. She has the dual function of overseeing all the operations of the production company and serves as Executive Producer on Insight's extensive roster of productions. Bowlby plays a leading role in strategic planning and the continued expansion of the company. She encourages excellence in a creative and entrepreneurial environment and builds partnerships worldwide with broadcasters and distributors.

Lindsay Cox Vice President of Production, Supervising Producer

Lindsay has a passion for producing television and has had the opportunity to travel the continent producing Live Television, Comedy, Variety Specials, Sports series and hit Game Shows. As part of the Insight family for close to 20 years, Lindsay has embraced the challenges of working in big arenas, on set in picturesque fishing villages and on studio lots in LA producing award winning television for all of the major networks. Lindsay also acts as Insight's VP of Productions and plays an integral role in the development and production of several of Insight's shows.

Among the many shows that Lindsay has produced, some of the highlights include her role as Supervising Producer on Canada's national music Awards show “The Juno Awards” which each year honours the amazing Artists in Canada's music scene. She was very fortunate to be involved in several live specials that have raised funds for the people of Afghanistan and South East Asia and she was one of the Producers of K'NAAN's “Wavin' Flag” video which supported the humanitarian relief efforts in Haiti. Lindsay was also a Producer of the hugely popular “Deal or No Deal Canada” when it came North for 5 special episodes and following that was Show-Runner of “Are You Smarter Than a Canadian 5th Grader?”. Added to her list of great Canadian moments is producing “Canada's Walk of Fame” which annually honours Canada's best in the world of Music, Dance and the Arts. In the comedy world, Lindsay also enjoyed the unique experience of working with some of Canada’s greatest comedians on critically acclaimed series such as “Hatching, Matching and Dispatching” and “The Jon Dore Television Show”. She recently wrapped production on the Canadian version of the highly successful format Top Chef and Insight's original new format “Canada Sings”.

Lindsay has been privileged to produce some of the highest rated television shows in Canada and has been honoured to have the opportunity to be a part of shaping the landscape of Canadian television. Her diverse background in the entertainment world allows her to take on many challenges and she is looking forward to joining the producing team of Insight's top rated series “Battle of the Blades” as it enters its' third season.

Brian Katz Vice President of Finance

A Chartered Accountant with more than 16 years of operational and financial management experience, Brian has been instrumental in managing the growth of a number of private and public companies, holding senior management positions at Telefilm Canada, Infopreneur Inc., Mackerel Multimedia, Immersion Studios and Rhombus Media, expanding their presence internationally and in new distribution verticals.

Brian has been invited to speak at numerous industry events in North America and Europe on issues regarding the dynamic nature of media and convergence, most recently involved in The EMMA Foundation, a European based organization that built an international networking community for the digital media industry.

Merina Crowe Manager of Business Affairs

Merina joined Insight in 2011 as the Manager of Business Affairs. She is involved in all aspects of Insight’s productions through development, production, postproduction and distribution, while also tending to the big picture issues within the company. Prior to joining Insight, Merina was the Manger of Business and Legal Affairs at another Toronto-based production company and prior to that, in private practice in Toronto.

Following up on her B.H.K and Psychology Minor from the University of British Columbia and McGill, Merina was called to the Ontario Bar in 2008. Before moving out to Ontario, Merina worked in all things media and entertainment, as a magazine editor and writer in Vancouver B.C., and in the high-tech and media industries in New York City. She’s also been actively involved as an executive board member of the Ontario Bar Association’s Entertainment, Media and Communications Section since 2007.

Shannon Farr Producer

Shannon Farr is a producer at Insight Productions in Toronto. She co-created and produced the one-hour primetime drama series Falcon Beach for CanWest Global in Canada and ABC Family in the US. The series has been sold to over 110 countries around the world. In 2007, Shannon was nominated for a Gemini Award for Best Cross Platform Project for Falcon Beach and its associated website. Shannon was also supervising producer on the one-hour drama pilot Sabbatical for CTV. Recently she was supervising producer on the half-hour comedy series The Jon Dore Television Show for the Comedy Network in Canada and the Independent Film Channel in the US.

From 1999 to 2004, Shannon was co-director of drama development and business affairs at Insight. During that time, she worked on numerous projects, including Canadian Idol, The Juno Awards and The Sean Cullen Show.

Shannon studied film at Ryerson University in Toronto, where she produced and directed her first film, Walden: The Struggle For Preservation. The documentary earned her the Harvey Hart Director's Award, the University's highest honour for achievement in directing, and won a gold plaque at the Chicago International Film Festival. After graduating, Shannon produced several award-winning short films, including the black comedy A Man's Life which took the Best Comedy Award at the Yorkton Film Festival and the Kodak Emerging Filmmaker Award at Sarasota.

John Murray Producer

John Murray has worked with Insight Productions for many years as an independent writer and producer before joining the company full time in 2000 as Director Of Development. When he joined the company, it was to work with John Brunton to develop dramatic programming as a follow-up to Insight's successful tween series Ready Or Not (CanWest Global). Along with development partner Shannon Farr, he co-created and wrote the bible for the television series Falcon Beach.

Murray's television career began in the 1980s when he worked as an assistant to the writers on The Tommy Hunter Show (CBC). Since then he has worked on numerous music and variety programs including The Juno Awards (CBC), Scott Hamilton: Upside Down (CBS), That's Skating (CBC), and Tara Lipinski: From This Moment (CBS). He also did a tour in the first wave of reality shows, including Top Cops (CBS) and Heart of Courage (CanWest Global/Discovery Network). His work at Insight includes the half-hour comedy pilot Shark Talk starring Greg Thomey of This Hour Has 22 Minutes, which he co-created and produced.

Sue Brophey Producer

This Gemini Award-winning producer is renowned for her work on high-profile productions with multiple major Canadian networks. For starters she worked on six seasons of ratings juggernaut Canadian Idol, three of which were nominated for Gemini Awards. Her talents have been procured for some of Canada's most popular variety series, comedy shows, and specials including: The Juno Awards; CBC's Canada Day Specials; Instant Star Backstage Pass; The Sean Cullen Show; figure skating specials Elvis Stojko Tour of Champions, Kurt Browning: Your Must Remember This, and Scott Hamilton Upside Down; and Karen Kain: Dance Me to the End of Love. Television is all Sue Brophey has ever done!

Erin Brock Producer

For the past 10 years, Brock has worked with Insight Productions, developing and producing such hit television series as Canadian Idol, Star Racer, Battle of The Blades and the new original series Canada Sings. Working with Insight has allowed Brock to hone her craft and travel across North America working with the best in the business.

Among the many specials and live variety shows that Brock has produced are The Juno Awards, Canada's Walk of Fame, Canadian Idol, Jamie & David: A Golden Homecoming, Stars on Ice, Music Without Boarders, The Sean Cullen Show etc. Brock also brings a keen ability to book and produce major celebrity profiles, including Mariah Carey, Jon Bon Jovi, Rihanna, Tony Bennett, Kelly Clarkson, Lionel Richie, Enrique Iglesias, Maroon 5, Nelly Furtado, Martina McBride and the legendary rock band Queen.

Recently, she directed and produced Battle of the Blades: Game On which will kick off the third season of this smash-hit show and she looks forward to continuing to tell the stories of this show’s hockey players and figure skaters throughout the third season.

Mark Lysakowski Producer

A fan and student of television for his entire life, Mark Lysakowski has been actively engaged in the blood, sweat and tears of the business for over fifteen years. Working with Insight on and off for the past decade, Mark has contributed to countless productions in a variety of capacities. In his role as Supervising Producer for Canadian Idol (CTV), Mark was on the front lines touching every part of the series from the first audition to the final note. He was instrumental in the adaptation of the worldwide Idol franchise for the Canadian marketplace. Beyond this internationally acclaimed adaptation, Mark has played a key role on number of other productions in and out of the Insight dream factory. From casting the models on Deal or No Deal Canada (Canwest Global), to producing a backstage sneak peek special for the smash hit teen series Instant Star (Noggin), to launching a new tween sketch comedy series That's So Weird (YTV) and most recently producing Battle of the Blades (CBC), he has left his inimitable creative stamp on Canada's biggest television series. From live studio broadcasts to intimate location shoots, Mark is an architect at the art of making great TV.

While creating entertaining series and specials over the years, Mark has also become an industry leader in developing original and insightful brand integrations with Insight's key partners. Working with such internationally recognized brands as Procter & Gamble, L'Oreal Paris, Kraft, General Mills, Kellogg's, Telus, TD Canada Trust, Subway, Canada Post and McDonald's, he has developed targeted marketing strategies that are dynamic, integrated and on-brand. Mark has the unique ability to find a way to harmonize the priorities of the series narrative while showcasing each sponsor's unique brand essence.

Jane Rimer International Creative and Business Development

Jane Rimer is founder of independent Media Consultancy, NYLON LIFE LLC, based in New York. Her consultancy focuses on the areas of strategic business planning, brand development in the television and multimedia platform space, and executive production and distribution with active clients in the US, Canada and the UK.

Prior to launching her consulting business Jane was Senior Vice President, Development and Programming at FremantleMedia North America – one of the leaders in television production and distribution and part of a large network of production companies worldwide. Jane was responsible for the development and acquisition of non-scripted television shows for the North American market as well as their multi-media brand extension and international distribution. She has worked the US and Canadian markets since moving to New York from London in 1996 when she opened a drama and non-fiction development and distribution office for Pearson Television International. Major credits include Canadian Idol 1, 2 & 3, ranked No. 1 most watched TV series ever in Canadian television history, World Idol, Oliver's Twist starring Jamie Oliver, Sidney Lumet's 100 Centre Street and The Nero Wolfe Mysteries for A&E all three series now sold in over 40 international markets each, Date Patrol for TLC (Discovery) based on the hit UK format Would Like To Meet, and the primetime Court TV hit criminal profiling franchise: Body of Evidence – from the Case Files of Dayle Hinman, for which she co-created and executive produced the Series premier Special.

Jane's career began in the UK in fashion brand marketing for Italian haute couture labels Mimina and Spazio. She moved into television in the early 1990s working in international distribution with Reiner Moritz Associates, The TV Sales Company and SelecTV International.

Tanya Low Manager of Development

Tanya joined the Insight team in 2005. After graduating from The University of London in England it is Insight that gave Tanya her master's degree in all things TV. With her experience as an actor at The Stratford Shakespeare Festival, Tanya was able to find a home for both her creative intuition and hone her skills at the business of production. Starting as an Office Coordinator Tanya had the opportunity to learn from the range of specialties required to produce successful Television; whether in office, on set, in the editing room or supporting in Business Affairs she quickly found her passion lay in Development. Responsible for managing all Development at Insight from scripted, unscripted, comedy and variety, Tanya is excited to expand and further enrich on the already exceptional programming Insight offers.