Michèle Maheux is a Canadian film industry executive, who served as the executive director and chief operating officer of the Toronto International Film Festival from 1998 to 2019.Brent Lang, "Michele Maheux Retires as Toronto Film Festival Executive Director". Variety, August 10, 2018.
Formerly associated with the Canadian Film Institute,"Film Institute fires five". The Globe and Mail, October 27, 1981. she worked a publicist for Cineplex Entertainment before joining TIFF in 1989 as a publicist and communications director; she was then promoted to managing director of TIFF in 1998."Maheux promoted". The Globe and Mail, January 7, 1998. Her most noted achievements with the organization included the launch of the Cinematheque Ontario program of year-round film screenings, and the creation of the TIFF Bell Lightbox.Jenn Sherman, "TIFF executive director, COO Michele Maheux to retire in summer 2019". Screen Daily, August 10, 2018.
She announced her retirement from TIFF in summer 2018, and was succeeded the following year by Joana Vicente."Joana Vicente appointed co-head of TIFF, alongside Cameron Bailey". Canadian Press, August 28, 2018.
In 2019 she was named the winner of the Toronto Film Critics Association's annual Clyde Gilmour Award for lifetime achievement."Former TIFF boss Michele Maheux gets award from Toronto film critics". Canadian Press, November 13, 2019. She selected filmmaker Lina Rodriguez as the recipient of the award's "pay-it-forward" grant to an emerging filmmaker.Nolan Bryant, "Party of the week: Toronto Film Critics Association awards gala, Toronto". The Globe and Mail, January 20, 2020.
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