NOTE: The Annual General Meeting will take place on Wednesday, October 22, 2025!

CIMA is pleased to announce the following Board of Directors nominees for the 2025-2028 term.

Incumbency and committee participation within the last three years will be noted for each candidate. Nominees were asked to provide a short mission statement answering: “Why do you wish to sit on CIMA’s Board of Directors?”.

Voting will take place prior to our Annual General Meeting which will be held virtually on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, at 3 PM (ET).  Register Here!

CIMA voting level members (Class A, B & C) are eligible to vote.

Ballots have been sent directly to the main contact email address of all voting class members; if your company hasn’t received your ballot OR you would like the ballot to be sent to a different staff member, please contact the Administrative Coordinator, Siddhant Shah (sid@cimamusic.ca).



Jordan Howard
Division Eleven Music – President

Mission Statement: I want to join the CIMA board because I care deeply about building opportunities for Canadian music to thrive at home and abroad. Having spent over 10 years as the Creative Director at CCS Rights Management and Daytripper Music Publishing and also managing a diverse roster of artists, I have seen firsthand the challenges and opportunities our industry faces. I’ve been fortunate to share my perspective on panels worldwide and to celebrate milestones like JUNOs, SOCAN Awards, and CCMAs and now I want to help shape policies, foster connections, and support the next generation.


Matt Maw
Red Music Rising – President
Committee Participation: Equity Committee

Mission Statement: I wish to join CIMA’s Board of Directors to help build a more equitable and diverse Canadian independent music sector. As President of Red Music Rising and an MMF Canada Board member, I understand the challenges and opportunities facing our industry, especially for Indigenous and underrepresented communities. By collaborating with fellow leaders, I hope to advance CIMA’s work in advocacy, industry sustainability, and career development. My experience across grassroots and mainstream organizations has shown me the value of inclusive leadership, and I am committed to bringing this perspective to CIMA’s board for meaningful, industry-wide impact.


Jill Snell
Jayward Artist Group – Co-Founder & VP, Marketing

Mission Statement: I appreciate what CIMA does for independent music and I would love the opportunity to contribute from my 30+ years in the label business. I’m an MMF board member, past CCMA Board member and Juno committee chair. My label is both black-owned and female run releasing in multiple genres. While I am focused on expanding our business internationally, sourcing new creative contributors and leaning into new genre communities to better serve my clients, I feel I could be also advocating for CIMA simultaneously in those same circles. I am dependable, connected and will dig in if I am accepted! 


Stephen Franke
Blue Heron Music – CEO

Mission Statement: For the past twenty years I have been working on building the careers of our company’s artists and have been a vocal advocate for independent music companies. Blue Heron Music releases their artists music as a label and manages their global careers. I would like to sit on CIMA’s board as I feel that I could be a very positive contributor in helping guide CIMA in building export opportunities and continuing to advocate for and develop a strong independent music sector.


Meagan Davidson (Incumbent)
Tiny Kingdom Music – Co-Founder 
Committee Participation: Membership Affairs Committee

Mission Statement:I wish to continue serving on CIMA’s Board to further support and advocate for the independent sector. Having served as Chair of the Membership Committee, I’ve had the privilege of working closely with members to strengthen engagement, amplify diverse voices, and advise on how programs reflect the needs of the sector. I have also relocated to Nova Scotia, where I serve on the Music Nova Scotia Board and aim to bring the voice of the east to table. I hope my involvement with CIMA will continue, and we can keep working to create and sustain a thriving, inclusive, and collaborative community for the Canadian music community and all those who work within it.


 Audrey Sylvestre
Cult Nation – Music Operations Director

Mission Statement: I’m running for CIMA’s Board because our artists deserve a stronger voice in shaping the future of Canada’s music industry. As Music Operations Director at Cult Nation, I’m on the frontlines of balancing creative vision with business realities, from global touring and releases to the day-to-day struggles of sustaining careers. I know first-hand how policy, funding, and industry practices impact artists’ lives. I want to bring that lived perspective to CIMA: to fight for equity, sustainability, and opportunities that let Canadian artists compete on the world stage.


Amanda Rheaume (Incumbent)
Ishkode Records – Co-Founder
Committee Participation: Equity Committee

Mission Statement: I wish to represent the interests and worldviews of the Indigenous music community as best as I can on this board. I wish to make positive change to including more Indigenous music industry folks in CIMA activities. 


Fannie Crepin
House of Supercool – Founder
Committee Participation: Governance Committee, Equity Committee

Mission Statement: After a year serving as an appointee on the board of CIMA, I’m eager to secure a longer term and dig deeper into the important projects we’ve started. One year definitely wasn’t enough! I’m looking forward to addressing big-picture issues in the music industry, such as Canadian interests and supporting the representation of women on the music scene. As the co-founder of House of Supercool, a label service company specializing in marketing, social media, digital presence, and management, I bring hands-on experience and a fresh perspective to conversations. My work gives me direct insight into the challenges the industry faces, and I’m passionate about finding useful and creative solutions to the opportunities CIMA is tackling. If given the chance, I’ll continue pushing for meaningful industry change, while keeping things engaging, open-minded, and, hopefully, a little bit supercool.


Susan de Cartier (Incumbent)
Starfish Entertainment – CEO & Founder
Committee Participation: Governance Committee, Membership Affairs Committee

Mission Statement: CIMA is a vital voice for our independent music community, and I am honoured to serve on its Board of Directors. As an artist manager, I’ve spent decades helping artists build sustainable careers while navigating the ups and downs of our industry. I know the challenges we face, but I also see the opportunities that emerge when we support one another – through education, networking, or export missions – and advocate with a united voice. If re-elected, I will continue to bring my experience, relationships, and passion to help create a thriving, resilient music sector, both at home and around the world.


Michelle Allaman-Esdaille
The HOOK & Company – CEO & Founder
Committee Participation: Membership Affairs Committee, Equity Committee

Mission Statement: Serving on the CIMA Board has been a deeply meaningful way for me to advocate for independent artists and music professionals. My journey in this industry has always been about breaking barriers, creating access, and building equity driven opportunities. Through my work on the Equity and Membership Committees, I’ve seen the power of what we can accomplish together. I want to continue bringing vision, strategy, and action that uplifts underrepresented voices, strengthens our community, and drives sustainable growth for the independent music sector. Renewing my role allows me to keep advancing this mission with purpose and impact.


Jesse Northey
Victory Pool – Co-Founder, A&R and Artist Manager
Committee Participation: Membership Affairs Committee

Mission Statement: I’m fortunate to have held and continue to hold many roles within the music industry, including artist, producer, record label owner, manager, and grant writer, in addition to all the other hats we wear on a daily basis. I’m very passionate about advocating on behalf of all of these roles in order to help our sector grow and to provide sustainable careers within our music community. My experience working at Alberta Music as a program manager, Six Shooter Records as artist management for July Talk and William Prince, and running the record label Victory Pool for the last 5 years has given me a unique perspective on artists, independent music companies, and government.