Patti-Anne Tarlton, Chairwoman, Ticketmaster Canada

– Patti-Anne Tarlton

Patti-Anne Tarlton

Chairwoman, Ticketmaster Canada

Patti-Anne Tarlton literally grew up in the live business. Her uncle, Donald Tarlton, was for decades one of the leading concert promoters in the country. 

But she’s worn just about every hat there is to wear in the business, and now leads Ticketmaster across Canada. And she’s done it all on her own terms. 

She was the first female executive to be inducted into the Canadian Music & Broadcasting Hall of Fame and has provided leadership through everything from rioting over a canceled Guns N’ Roses show in Toronto to rapid changes in the ticketing industry. 

Her resume includes just about every job there is in the live business, from stints with Perryscope Productions, Donald K. Donald, House of Blues and Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment. 

“To be part of that very wonderful group of women, not to mention being on the business side and never set foot on the front of the stage, what’s really wonderful about our Canadian industry is how we do look at our talent and partners,” Tarlton told Pollstar for a 2018 cover story about being inducted to the Canadian hall of fame with Jann Arden, Margo Timmins and Alanis Morrisette. “It’s nice to see those that support the music onstage be recognized.” 

In addition to running Ticketmaster Canada as chairwoman, she’s executive vice president of venues and promoters across North America for the company, and has been named to yet another board of directors, this time for House of Blues’ Music Forward Foundation. She’s no stranger to the boardroom, either. 

“I would say that I never walk into a boardroom and see gender,” Tarlton said. “Sure, the industry itself was pretty male-dominated coming up through the rock ‘n’ roll business. But, as time passes, you get tapped on the shoulder and asked, ‘Can you be on this board, can you be on this committee, or can you participate in this?’”