CKUA Radio Foundation is pleased to announce that Tyson Erno has joined the team as Chief Operating Officer of CKUA. An experienced leader with a strong background in management and technical production, Erno will oversee the organization’s internal day-to-day operations.
When asked how he sees the role taking shape, Erno says that he will work closely with CEO Adam Mitchell.
“The CEO sets the vision, and the COO puts that vision into practice and brings the team along to deliver it. In a practical sense, that means that Adam is the face of the organization with a focus on the long-term and overall strategy. My role will be more internal. I will work with the staff leadership at CKUA, ensuring the department directors are on the same page, and developing systems and processes for the long-term sustainability of the organization.”
Erno, who grew up in Grande Prairie, says his involvement in theatre and production started when he was young. “I was a theatre kid early, but always on the technical side. I wasn’t a performer. I was a gear head. I liked to play with the toys.”
After high school, Erno completed the Theatre Production program at University of Alberta, freelanced as a stagehand, and then became the head of audio for the Department of Drama at the U of A.
Over the years, freelance audio production work, plus positions with Maclab Centre for the Performing Arts in Leduc, Freewill Shakespeare, and other Alberta festivals and events, prepared Erno well to work in places where audio production (technical) and arts performance (creative) meet.
More leadership experience came when Erno joined one of Western Canada’s largest audio companies and became General Manager within five years. “As the company grew, I grew with it.”
Erno was appointed Chief Operating Officer as the company expanded its reach and hired more people. His wide breadth of experience has created a pragmatic leader who values authenticity, solid systems, well-built teams, new ideas, and innovation.
Now the growth and change at CKUA invite Erno to step into a new set of challenges, working with the leadership team to deliver on the vision that CEO Adam Mitchell and the Board of Directors have set.
A world traveler in his free time, Erno says, “I love to see different parts of the world. I like to see how other people live. Travel often gives us a perspective on how good we have it at home. It’s nice to travel, and then it’s nice to come back to Alberta.”
That pride will see Erno focused on continuing CKUA’s community connections, across Alberta and beyond. Erno says, “CKUA is more than a broadcaster. The focus on independent and Albertan and Canadian artists makes it a booster. We have so many avenues available to us to promote the arts. I love to see CKUA out in the community that we serve. The focus is always going to be music, but music is a component in all performing arts. In dance, theatre, film, and visual art, music is an interconnecting force in the arts.”
CEO Adam Mitchell says, “Tyson brings a wealth of experience in operations, technology, business leadership, and the music industry. He also brings a leadership style rooted in trust, collaboration, and supporting people to do their best work. I have seen firsthand the positive impact Tyson can have on a team and an organization, and I’m genuinely excited to welcome him to CKUA.”
When asked for a musical selection, Erno chooses “Courage, My Love” by Erin Propp and Larry Roy.
