VANCOUVER / August 13, 2020 – Thunderbird Entertainment Group Inc. (TSXV:TBRD) (“Thunderbird” or the “Company”), a global multiplatform entertainment company, is pleased to announce the appointments of David Way to the role of President and Wendy McKernan to the role of Chief Operating Officer at Thunderbird’s factual division, Great Pacific Media.
In his new role, Way, who previously served as Senior Vice President, will oversee IP development, new original content production, and develop and manage strategic relations with external partners as a key leader of the senior management group of Great Pacific’s growing portfolio. In her new role, McKernan will oversee all production at Great Pacific, including lifestyle and factual programming. McKernan is also a senior member of a team that is developing fact-based events into scripted projects. Both McKernan and Way report to the division’s CEO Mark Miller.
“I am thrilled to work with Wendy and David – two exceptional leaders with deep roots as creative producers and innovative entrepreneurs,” says Mark Miller, President of Thunderbird Entertainment, and Chief Executive Officer of its factual division.
Way first joined Great Pacific in 2015 as Creative Director and led the development of multiple series, including Heavy Rescue: 401, (Discovery Canada), $ave My Reno and Worst To First (both HGTV), Queen of the Oil Patch (APTN), High Arctic Haulers (CBC) and the upcoming Mud Mountain (Discovery Canada). Since 2016, Way has also executive produced five of the division’s newly commissioned, long-running series, in addition to the upcoming expedition documentary The Teenager and the Lost Maya City (CBC). With more than 30 international awards in his career, Way has created 300+ hours of unscripted production as producer-director-writer, and has led the development and production of 500+ hours of content as a network executive.
McKernan joined Great Pacific in 2013, and has played a key role in developing the company’s talent recruitment system, business affairs and a unique production management system that ensures Thunderbird productions stand out as rating hits. With a background as a producer on more than 25 productions, including the Discovery Canada series Highway Thru Hell, Heavy Rescue: 401 and Airshow, McKernan is known as one of Canada’s most respected factual producers. Before joining Thunderbird, McKernan worked in both scripted and factual television with many of the industry’s leading studios and broadcasters.
About Thunderbird’s Factual Division
Thunderbird Entertainment’s factual division, Great Pacific Media, is a global leader in television. Started by TV veterans Blair Reekie and Mark Miller, Great Pacific’s programs are seen in more than 170 countries. The division specializes in financing and the development, production, co-production, of factual, documentary, game show and reality television. Thunderbird’s Factual Division currently produces the highly rated Discovery Canada series Highway Thru Hell and Heavy Rescue: 401, both of which also stream globally on Netflix. Other series include Save My Reno and Worst to First, which air on HGTV, and Queen of the Oil Patch, which is in production for APTN. For more information, visit: www.greatpacifictv.com