Biographies - National Health Leadership Conference

Health leaders coaches' corner: Biographies
Monday, June 6, 2016
Morning Coaches: 11:00 - 12:00
Linda Davis
President and CEO
Northumberland Hills Hospital
Linda is currently the President and Chief Executive Officer of Northumberland Hills Hospital, a 137 bed
community hospital approximately 100 kilometers east of Toronto. A senior executive with over 30
years of experience in the Canadian health-care sector, she has held leadership positions in a number of
large and medium sized hospitals. Prior to joining Northumberland Hills two years ago, she was the
President and CEO of the Collingwood General & Marine Hospital, a role she held for nine years.
A Registered Nurse, she trained at the University of Alberta Hospital in Edmonton. Her career has taken
her from that province to Vancouver, British Columbia and Montreal, Quebec, where she obtained a
Bachelor of Science degree in nursing and a Master’s of Science, both from McGill University, before
moving in 1990 to Ontario.
Throughout her career, Linda has held senior leadership positions in a number of hospitals. She has also
worked within the private sector as a health care consultant.
Linda is passionate about engaging staff and physicians with the focus of continually improving the
quality and safety of patient care. She currently serves as an Accreditation Surveyor for Accreditation
Canada and has conducted national and international surveys. She has been a member of the Canadian
College of Health Leaders for the past twenty-five years and an active member of the CCHL national
mentorship program for the past two years.
Sarah Downey
President and CEO
Michael Garron (Toronto East General) Hospital
On April 1, 2015 Sarah Downey became President and CEO of the Michael Garron Hospital (formerly the
Toronto East General Hospital), a large community teaching hospital in the east end of Toronto. Her
healthcare experience spans two decades of professional engagement in both academic health-science
centres and in complex multi-institutional organizations in Toronto and Ottawa.
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Prior to this role, she worked at the Centre of Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) as Executive Vice
President, Clinical Programs and held senior leadership positions at the University Health Network’s
Princess Margaret Hospital.
Sarah has a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of New Brunswick and a Master of Health
Administration from the University of Ottawa. She holds a Certified Health Executive designation from
the Canadian College of Health Leaders, has spoken at many health-care conferences, and is a mentor to
many in the field.
Sarah is a proud resident of the east end of Toronto, is a mother of two young children, and is fluently
bilingual.
Le 1er avril 2015, Sarah Downey est devenue présidente-directrice générale de l’Hôpital Michael Garron
(anciennement connu sous le nom d’Hôpital général de Toronto Est), un important hôpital
d’enseignement communautaire de l’extrémité est de Toronto. Son expérience des soins de santé couvre
deux décennies d’engagement professionnel dans des centres universitaires des sciences de la santé et
dans des organisations multi-institutionnelles complexes à Toronto et à Ottawa.
Avant d’occuper ce poste, elle a travaillé au Centre de toxicomanie et de santé mentale à titre de
première vice-présidente des programmes cliniques et elle a occupé des postes de cadre supérieure à
l’hôpital Princess Margaret du Réseau universitaire de santé.
Mme Downey est titulaire d’un baccalauréat en science (biologie), de l’Université du Nouveau-Brunswick
et d’une maîtrise en administration de la santé de l’Université d’Ottawa. Elle porte le titre de Certified
Health Executive du Collège canadien des leaders en santé. Elle a prononcé de nombreuses allocutions
lors de congrès sur les soins de santé et elle agit comme mentor auprès de plusieurs dans le domaine.
Sarah Downey est fière d’habiter dans l’est de Toronto. Elle la mère de deux jeunes enfants et elle est
parfaitement bilingue.
François Drolet
Director, Business Development
Roche Diagnostics
After 4 years leading Roche Diagnostics’ Canadian Sales Team and close to 2 more years as the Director
of Business Development, François Drolet has been recently appointed to the new role of Director,
Public Affairs. In his new role, François is responsible for all initiatives around health policy, market
access, reimbursement, government relations as well as stakeholder engagement.
Prior to joining Roche Diagnostics, François spent over 20 years with Covidien (now part of Medtronic) in
various Sales and Marketing positions and serving his last 8 years with the company as the Canadian
Vice-President of Sales & Marketing.
Always in keeping with a patient centric approach, his 27 years spent within the healthcare industry and
more specifically in the Operating Room, ICU, Medical Imaging, Nuclear Medicine, Anesthesiology,
Nursing in general, and now Laboratory Medicine have provided him with great insight into our
healthcare ecosystem and prepared him for his new role with Roche Diagnostics.
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François earned a bachelor’s degree in Commerce and Administration from Laval University in Quebec
City and he is a member of the Canadian College of Health Leaders while acting as a Roche
representative in many industry forums.
François is fluently bilingual.
Après 4 années passes à la tête de l’équipe de ventes canadienne de Roche Diagnostics et un peu moins
de 2 à titre de Directeur du développement des affaires, François Drolet occupe depuis le début 2016, le
rôle de Directeur, Affaires publiques. Dans son nouveau rôle, François est responsable des initiatives en
matière de politiques de santé, d’accès au marché et de remboursement, des relations
gouvernementales ainsi que des différents partenariats de l’entreprise auprès des nombreux organismes
gravitant autour des systèmes de santé canadiens.
Avant de joindre Roche Diagnostics, François a passé plus de 20 ans au sein de Covidien, cumulant
plusieurs postes de ventes et marketing dont celui de Vice-président, Ventes et Marketing canadien au
cours de ses 8 dernières années avec l’organisation.
Ayant toujours en tête une approche centrée sur le patient, ses 27 années d’expérience au sein de
l’industrie des soins de santé, plus particulièrement dans les secteurs du bloc opératoire, des soins
intensifs, de l’imagerie médicale, de la médecine nucléaire, de l’anesthésie, des soins infirmiers en
général et maintenant de la médecine de laboratoire, lui ont procuré une large compréhension de
l’écosystème entourant les soins de santé au Canada et l’ont bien préparé pour ce nouveau rôle au sein
de Roche Diagnostics.
François est détenteur d’un baccalauréat en administration des affaires de l’Université Laval à Québec, il
est membre du Collège Canadien des Leaders en Santé et est le représentant de Roche auprès de
nombreux regroupements de l’industrie.
Dr. Chris Eagle
Past President and CEO
Alberta Health Services
Dr. Chris Eagle is a retired Professor at the University of Calgary (maintaining an adjunct appointment in
the Department of Community Health Sciences), and holds adjunct appointments at the Universities of
Alberta and Victoria. He is an acknowledged leader in the field of health care administration.
Dr. Eagle twice graduated from the University of Calgary (BScHons 1973, MD 1977) and holds an MBA
from the University of Western Ontario. He specialized in cardiac anesthesiology. In 1991, he was
appointed Professor and Head of the Department of Anesthesia at the University of Calgary. He has
published more than 70 articles and has made many addresses to various professional societies, many in
the area of health care quality and safety. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons
of Canada (1981), Diplomate of the American Board of Anesthesiologists (1982), and Fellow of the
Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthesia (1995).
Dr. Eagle has had a long career in health care administration. Most recently, he was President and Chief
Executive Officer of Alberta Health Services, an organization with a C$13Bn operating budget and
100,000 employees. He has served as President and Chief Operating Officer of the Calgary Health
Region, Executive VP and Chief Clinical Officer, VP and CIO of the Calgary Health Region, Associate Chief
Medical Officer, Executive Director of the Foothills Hospital (Calgary), and Head of the Department of
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Anesthesia. He has also worked as Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Medical Education at the Faculty of
Medicine, University of Calgary. He has is past-Chair of the Specialty Committee of Anesthesia, former
Chief Examiner in Anesthesia, and past-Examiner in Anesthesia for the Royal College of Physicians and
Surgeons.
Sherry Kennedy
Chief Operating Officer
Southeast LIHN
Sherry Kennedy is the Chief Operating Officer for the Southeast LIHN. has been with the SE LHIN since
January, 2006 as one of the inaugural employees. Being in on the ground level of LHINs has provided
her with the opportunity to inform and influence the development of the LHIN model in Ontario. Sherry
has participated in the design of the accountability agreements for all health service providers at the
provincial level and has led the development of health care provider planning submission processes and
tools. She has also been a keen contributor to the development and evolution of new funding models
and the revision of government policies and procedures to enable LHINs to better deliver on their
integrated health system design mandate.
Sherry is a Chartered Accountant with twenty years’ experience in health care. She has extensive
hospital experience in both northern and southern Ontario including community, tertiary care and
multi-site hospitals. Sherry has also worked as an independent healthcare consultant. Her projects
ranged from analysis of hospital business integration opportunities, development of a tool to support
business case analysis of alternatives to hospitalization of alternate level of care patients and
negotiation of hospital accountability agreements. Sherry has participated in numerous provincial
committees and initiatives with the Joint Policy and Planning Council, the Ontario Hospital Association
and the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care for Ontario. Prior to beginning her career in health care,
Sherry practiced with KPMG Chartered Accountants. In addition to her CA designation, Sherry holds an
Honours Bachelor of Commerce and a Masters Degree in Business Administration.
Feisal Keshavjee
CEO
KWC Consulting
Feisal Keshavjee started his career in health administration in Calgary in the early nineties with
progressive leadership positions at the Foothills and Calgary General Hospitals. After being directly
involved in numerous regionalization-related projects in Calgary, such as decommissioning the Calgary
General Hospital, he joined Ernst & Young's health consulting practice in New Zealand for several years
where he was involved in a number of strategic transformation initiatives in New Zealand, Australia and
Malaysia.
Soon after returning to Canada, Feisal held positions with the Calgary Health Region and the medical
school in the areas of commercialization and business development. Feisal then became the General
Manager (West) for GE Healthcare, a $17B business of the General Electric Company - a position he held
from January 2007 to 2011. From 2011 to 2014, Feisal was CEO of RCA Diagnostics, a multi-clinic imaging
business operating in 5 provinces with almost 500 staff. He is currently involved in a health IT
interoperability start-up venture. Feisal holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Calgary, a
Master of Health Administration from the University of Ottawa, a CPA, CMA accounting designation and
a Certified Health Executive designation from the Canadian College of Health Leaders (CCHL).
Feisal has served as Director for Alberta on the CCHL board since 2014.
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Andrew Neuner
Chief Executive Officer
Health Quality Council of Alberta
Andrew Neuner is the Chief Executive Officer of the Health Quality Council of Alberta, a non-profit
organization with a legislated mandate to promote and improve patient safety and health service quality
on a province-wide basis.
Andrew is an accomplished and visionary executive with more than 30 years of healthcare leadership
experience. Prior to joining the Health Quality Council of Alberta (HQCA) in September 2014 as Chief
Executive Officer, Andrew was Vice President, Community Integration with Interior Health in British
Columbia, one of the largest health regions in Canada.
In addition to his focus on quality and safety improvement, Andrew is dedicated to developing
meaningful relationships with stakeholders and communities in Alberta. In his role at Interior Health, he
led the integration of all health services across multiple communities, implemented region-wide
community engagement strategies, and developed new leadership philosophies.
Andrew holds a Bachelor of Health Services Administration from the Canadian School of Management
and University of King’s College, a Master of Business Administration from the Canadian School of
Management and Hawthorne University, and a Master of Arts in Leadership & Training from Royal
Roads University.
Chris Power
CEO
Canadian Patient Safety Institute
What began as a desire to help those in need 30 years ago has evolved into a mission to improve the
quality of healthcare for all Canadians. Chris Power's journey in healthcare began at the bedside as a
front-line nurse. Since then, she has grown into one of the preeminent healthcare executives in Canada.
Her experiences, her success, and her values have led her to the position of CEO of the Canadian Patient
Safety Institute.
Previously, Chris served for eight years as president and CEO of Capital Health, Nova Scotia, with an
annual operating budget of approximately $900 million, and 12,000 staff. Under Chris’s leadership
Capital Health achieved Accreditation with Exemplary Status in 2014 with recognition for 10 Leading
Practices.
Chris holds significant governance roles including Chair of the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer,
member of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Governing Council, and Board Member of the
Canadian Association for Health Services and Policy Research. She is past Co-Chair of HealthCareCAN.
Most recently Chris participated as a member of the federal advisory panel on healthcare innovation
and through this role has gained even greater insight into the many pan-Canadian organizations that will
be beneficial in forming partnerships, leveraging expertise and advancing the goals of CPSI.
Bruce Swan
Professional Certified Coach
Bruce brings over thirty years of progressive Healthcare Leadership experience working at various levels
of leadership in Community Health Organizations, Hospitals and Regional Health Authorities. His
professional expertise is in health system integration and most recently his experience is working with
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service providers offering Mental Health, Addictions, Brain Injury, Community Health Centres and
Aboriginal Health Services.
A Professional Certified Coach with the International Coach Federation and holds an undergraduate
degree in Commerce, a Graduate Diploma in Hospital Administration and Graduate Diploma in Executive
Coaching. He is in private practice offering consulting services for organizational renewal, strategic
planning, coaching and leadership enhancement. He has over twenty years surveyor and educator
experience with Accreditation Canada and has seen many varieties of health care systems both large
and small meeting the national standards.
He is a coach and facilitator of the LEADS in a Caring Environment Capabilities Framework. He works
with organizations on implementing the Coach Approach to LEADS as well as debrief the LEADS 360. He
is a trained facilitator of Strength Deployment Inventory (SDI) a relationship awareness theory, which
helps leaders identify their personal strengths in relating to others and to understand themselves when
they experience conflict.
He teaches the Coach Approach to Leadership which is accredited by the International Coach
Federation.
An Associate of Essential Impact Coaching www.essentialimpact.com and Affiliate of Advantage
Management Consulting www.advantagemanagement.ca
David Thompson
Vice President, Seniors Care & Chief Quality, Safety and Performance Improvement Officer
Providence Health Care
David Thompson joined Providence Health Care in 2008. He is responsible for the Elder Care Program
and Palliative Services as well as PHC’s strategies for Seniors Care, Chronic Disease Management and
Telehealth. David is also responsible for Quality, Safety and Performance Improvement at PHC. He is
the Senior Leadership Team liaison for the Tapestry Foundation for Health Care, St. Michael’s Centre and
Little Mountain Society.
David has held leadership roles in the BC Health Care system for over 20 years. He is a Certified Health
Executive (CHE) of the Canadian College of Health Leaders (CCHL) and CCHL Board representative for
British Columbia. He is a Surveyor with Accreditation Canada and serves on the Board of Accreditation
Canada. He has completed his Executive Training in Research Application (EXTRA) Fellowship through
the Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement. He has served on many provincial committees
throughout his career in the areas of seniors care, residential services, information management and
quality and utilization improvement.
“Leadership is practiced not so much in words as in attitude and in actions.” – Harold S. Geneen
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Afternoon Coaches: 1345-1515:
Joanne Bezzubetz
Vice President Patient Care Services
Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre
Joanne’s passions have led her to challenges in many Canadian locations and health services contexts.
Combined with her studies in change management, these have helped her grow in professional
leadership, business strategy, quality improvement, and change management.
Joanne’s career began in Northern Ontario as a Detox Director for a large district, where her challenge
was adapting services to improve access. The result? Canada’s first mobile withdrawal management
service.
Next, Joanne immersed herself in aboriginal health and social issues, leading health service development
in Nunavut and Northern Quebec.
Then, moving first to Northern BC, Joanne was recruited by Vancouver Coastal Health as a Director of
Mental Health and Addictions until she was promoted in 2011 as Executive Director, Community
Services and tasked to lead the integration of Vancouver Acute and Vancouver Community services. One
significant accomplishment she and her team achieved was the renewal of Downtown Eastside services.
In addition to balancing the budget each year, Joanne oversaw a reduction in residential care
registrations of 14 per cent and the lowest sustained Alternate Level of Care rates that Vancouver has
known (4.5 per cent).
Since 2013, Joanne has been the Vice President of Patient Care Services at the Royal Ottawa Mental
Health Center in Ottawa and is working on a mandate to improve access to services.
While working fulltime, Joanne pursued her academic advancement and obtained a Graduate Diploma
in Management, a Master of Business Administration, and a PhD in Applied Management and Decision
Sciences. Joanne is a Certified Health Executive and has been a member of the Canadian College of
Health Service Executives since 2008.
Bernie Blais
Past CEO
Bruyere Continuing Care
Bernie Blais is an Associate Certified Coach with over 30 years of senior executive experience. He
implemented the LEADS Framework in two major organizations, and specializes in executive coaching
and development of leadership programs.
As a visionary leader, he has demonstrated transformational performance excellence during periods of
intense change and uncertainty. He takes to heart the importance to be real, to be courageous and to be
revolutionary in order to influence the changes necessary to be successful. The development of high
performance teams represents one of the hallmarks of his career.
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Bernie recognizes that leaders are measured by the legacy they leave behind… future leaders. “As a
strong values leader you have to become the change you want to see in yourself and with those you are
engaged.”
Growing future leaders continues to be his lifelong legacy. He holds a Certificate in Executive Coaching
from Royal Roads University with the purpose of expanding his passion for stimulating and advancing
the development of aspiring leaders to their optimal potential
Bernie has extensive experience with government and healthcare organizations, having been in high
level management positions.
Bernie’s credentials include a Master of Public Administration, University of Manitoba;Certified
Executive Coach, Royal Roads University, BC; Certified Health Executive, Canadian College of Health
Leaders; and Emergency Medical Assistant (Paramedic), Affiliated Hospitals of Queen’s University,
Kingston.
Bernie Blais est un Accompagnateur agréé associé (AAA) avec plus de trente ans d’expérience dans le
milieu exécutif. Il a mis en place deux projets majeurs de LEADS dans des organisations de santé et se
spécialise dans le coaching et le développement de programme de leadership.
En tant que Chef de file et visionnaire, il a démontré l’excellence des performances de transformation
pendant les périodes d’intenses changements et d’incertitude. Il tient à cœur l'importance d’être
authentique, courageux et révolutionnaire afin d'influer sur les changements nécessaires vers la réussite.
La création d'équipes hautement performantes représente un des signes distinctifs de sa carrière.
Bernie reconnait que les dirigeants sont évalués par l'héritage qu'ils laissent derrière eux : des futurs
dirigeants. « En tant que chef de file aux valeurs inébranlables, les leaders doivent devenir le changement
qu'ils veulent voir en eux-mêmes et dans l'organisation. »
Le développement de futurs dirigeants continue d’être l’héritage de toute sa vie. Il détient un certificat
d'études supérieures en entraînement exécutif (PCC), de l'Université Royal Roads. Son but est d’accroître
sa passion de stimuler et d’accélérer le développement d'aspirants dirigeants dans l’atteinte de leur
potentiel optimal.
Deb Gordon
Vice President and Chief Operations Office, Northern Alberta
Alberta Health Services
Deb Gordon works as the Vice President and Chief Health Operations Officer for Northern Alberta,
Alberta Health Services. In collaboration with her physician dyad partner and the Edmonton and North
Zone senior leadership teams, she is responsible and accountable for health services delivery in
Northern Alberta through a team of almost 42,000 individuals and with resources totaling $3.3 billion.
The geographic area of Northern Alberta encompasses 460,300 square kilometres with 48 hospitals
supported by 28 Health Foundations and Trusts. She also currently holds provincial operational
accountability for the delivery of emergency medical services as the Interim Senior Lead for EMS.
Deb is a senior leader with experience and expertise in urban and rural health service delivery, acute
tertiary and quaternary care, academic health centres, professional and collaborative practice including
nursing and health professions, clinical workforce planning and leadership.
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Deb is a Registered Nurse who earned Certified Health Executive (CHE) designation from the Canadian
College of Health Leaders in 2003, a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Alberta in
2000, and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of British Columbia.
She is dedicated to safe, quality patient care. She has an equally strong commitment to supporting staff
and physicians. Deb is a dynamic and enthusiastic health services executive.
When she is not at work Deb loves spending time with family and friends. She also loves travelling,
curling, and shopping in her spare time.
Jim Hornell
President and CEO
Brant Community Healthcare System
Jim Hornell is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Brant Community Healthcare System in
Brantford, Ontario. He is also the Chairman of the Board of Mohawk Shared Services which serves
hospitals in southern and northern Ontario.
Prior to this, Jim served as Chief Executive Officer of Cypress Health Region, based in Swift Current,
Saskatchewan. His career in health leadership began at Central Health Newfoundland, where he held
the position of Chief Operating Officer and Vice-President of Corporate Development.
Jim possesses a background in the operation of regional referral centres, long term care facilities, and
the full continuum of health and community services. He was responsible, at the corporate level, for
Health Information Management, Corporate Improvement, Professional Development, and
Communications. His experience in strategic and operational planning is extensive. He has surveyed
across Canada and internationally. Currently Jim is leading his organization through transformative
change involving Interprofessional Collaborative Care models and Performance Excellence initiatives
utilizing Lean tools and methodologies.
Brenda Huband
Vice President and Chief Operations Office, Central and Southern Alberta
Alberta Health Services
Brenda Huband is currently the Alberta Health Services Vice President and Chief Health Operations
Officer, Central and Southern Alberta which includes accountability for health services delivery to 2.3
million people in Central and Southern Alberta through a staff complement of 38,880 FTE (approx.
54,700 employees) and an operating budget of approximately $4.3 billion. The geographic area
encompasses 199,800 square kilometres with 58 hospitals supported by 38 Health Foundations and
Trusts. She also holds Provincial operational accountability for the delivery of health services in the 10
Provincial Correctional Facilities and Population, Public and Aboriginal Health.
Most recently Brenda served as the Interim President and Chief Executive Officer, Zone and Health
Operations, from November 2013 to May 2014. Reporting to the Official Administrator she was
accountable for Provincial Zone Operations, Quality and Medical Affairs, Collaborative Practice, Nursing
and Health Professions and Human Resources.
She is a proven progressive leader with extensive experience in the Alberta health system including
rural, regional and urban health settings, focusing on acute care, continuing care, aboriginal health,
seniors’ health, public health and administration.
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Born and raised in Alberta, Ms. Huband graduated from the Royal Alexandra Hospital School of Nursing,
subsequently earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (with distinction) at the University of Alberta and
a Master of Science in Administration (Health Services) at the Central Michigan University. Ms. Huband
also holds the designation of Certified Health Executive (CHE) with the Canadian College of Health
Leaders.
Kathryn (Kathy) MacNeil
Executive Vice-President of Quality, Safety and Experience
Island Health
Kathy MacNeil is the Executive Vice-President of Quality, Safety and Experience at Island Health, serving
the residents of Vancouver Island, BC. Under Kathy’s leadership, the Quality, Safety and Experience
portfolio at Island Health collaborates across the corporate functions of Quality & Safety, Occupational
Health, People and Organizational Development, Professional Practice and Patient Experience to engage
patients and families alongside volunteers, employees and physicians to achieve the organizational goal
of excellence in health and care.
Kathy began her healthcare career as a physiotherapist more than 30 years ago. She has experienced
and led many change initiatives over her career in health leadership. She has served as an executive
leader for the past 10 years; first as Vice President, People for the former Capital District Health
Authority in Halifax Nova Scotia and, more recently, in her current role at Island Health.
Kathy has background and experience in the areas of leadership and organizational development,
systems design, human resources and change management. Her belief in people and commitment to
service fuels her passion for engagement, quality and improvement.
Kathy holds a Masters of Arts in Leadership (Health Specialization) from Royal Roads University, and a
Bachelor of Science in Physiotherapy from Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS. She is a Certified Health
Executive with the Canadian College of Health Leaders.
Harry also chaired a provincial strategy report on mental health for the BC Ministry of Health, which was
fully endorsed by the Premier. (http://www.anxietybc.com/sites/default/files/anxietystrategy.pdf)
Dr. Gabriela Prada
Director of Health Innovation, Policy and Evaluation
The Conference Board of Canada
Dr. Gabriela Prada is the Director of Health Innovation, Policy and Evaluation at The Conference Board of
Canada. She has 20 years of experience as a physician, management consultant, policy researcher, and
administrator.
She has published several health care policy reports and has led projects in primary care, health system
benchmarking, and health innovation that have guided policies at provincial and federal levels. Her
recent work in advancing innovation procurement has caught the attention of governments in Canada,
as well as several European countries and the Inter-American Development Bank.
She is active in several boards, including the Canadian Network for Environmental Scanning in Health,
and is currently the Chair of the Eastern Ontario Chapter of the Canadian College of Health Leaders. In
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addition, she is a reviewer for various policy journals and a mentor. She has a master’s degree in health
administration from the University of Ottawa and is a Certified Health Executive.
La Dre Gabriela Prada est directrice, Santé, innovation, politique et évaluation au Conference Board du
Canada. Elle compte 20 ans d’expérience en tant que médecin, consultante en gestion, chercheure en
politiques et administratrice.
Elle a publié plusieurs rapports sur les politiques en soins de santé et elle a dirigé des projets en soins
primaires, en analyse comparative des systèmes de santé et en innovation en santé qui ont orienté des
politiques aux niveaux provincial et fédéral. Ses récents travaux sur la promotion de l’approvisionnement
de l’innovation ont attiré l’attention des gouvernements du Canada et de plusieurs pays d’Europe ainsi
que de la Banque interaméricaine de développement.
La Dre Prada est membre de plusieurs conseils d’administration, dont celui du Réseau canadien pour
l’analyse de l’environnement en santé, et elle est actuellement présidente de la section de l’est de
l’Ontario du Collège canadien des leaders en santé. De plus, elle est réviseure pour diverses publications
sur des politiques et elle agit comme mentor. Elle est titulaire d’une maîtrise en administration de la
santé de l’Université d’Ottawa et elle porte le titre de Certified Health Executive.
Leslee Thompson
President and Chief Executive Officer
Accreditation Canada
Leslee Thompson joined Accreditation Canada as President and Chief Executive Officer on February 1,
2016.
Leslee is an experienced senior executive who has led multiple public and private sector organizations
through major change, including Kingston General Hospital where she served as President & CEO for
seven years.
She has been appointed to many system leadership roles over the years and most recently these
include: former Chair of the Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement, former Chair of Council
of Academic Hospitals of Ontario, and member of the Ontario Health Innovation Council.
Leslee is internationally recognized for her pioneering work on co-creating the future of health and
health care with patients and families. Leslee has received multiple awards over the years for her
leadership, including being named one of Canada’s top 100 most powerful women.
Gavin Webb
Vice President Finance and Information Management
Guelph General Hospital
Gavin Webb is the Vice President Finance and Information Management at Guelph General Hospital in
Guelph Ontario. Gavin came to GGH in June 2000 following a 10-year career in the financial services
industry in Toronto.
As the Chief Financial Officer at Guelph General he has a strategic understanding of Ontario’s new
funding model, and has initiated several strategies that have resulted in an 11% reduction in the
hospital’s cost per weighted case. As a strong advocate for Lean quality improvement Gavin believes
that financial strength comes from high quality and less waste, which is achieved through continuous
improvement and not through a once a year budget process.
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As the Chief Information Officer, Gavin’s “release the data” vision for enhanced business intelligence,
led to the creation of an internal data analytics team and the development of a data warehouse and
analytics tool branded as Daisy. With Daisy Guelph General’s management and staff have access to realtime results, strategic indicators, and clinical and financial performance.
Gavin has recently assumed executive responsibility for the deployment of Guelph General’s new
strategic plan. The deployment includes weekly leadership huddles to monitor corporate indicators that
flow down to daily departmental huddles that monitor operational results linked to strategic objectives.
Gavin is a CPA-CMA and has a Master’s degree in Health Administration from the University of Toronto.
Ian Wombwell
Director of Strategic Account Management
Hoffmann-La Roche Limited
Ian Wombwell is the Director of Strategic Account Management at Hoffmann-La Roche Limited. Roche is
a global pioneer in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics focused on advancing science to improve people’s
lives.
Ian has nearly 25 years of experience at Roche in roles of increasing leadership responsibility,
concentrated on the Sales and Account Management functions. A significant portion of his career has
been focused on the institutional sector of healthcare. He has worked with various health system
partners including senior leadership, pharmacy, nursing, and physicians, and across numerous
therapeutic areas including, but not limited to, cardiology, emergency medicine, infectious diseases,
respirology, neurology, anesthesia, intensive care, rheumatology, women’s health, and laboratory
medicine.
In 2010-2011 Ian was the project lead on the development of a comprehensive public-private
mentorship system with the Canadian College of Health Leaders. This program created mentorship
opportunities, and developed leadership capability, between Canadian healthcare institutions and
Roche Canada.
Ian graduated with distinction from The University of Guelph with an Honours degree in Biological
Science, is a member of the CCHL, and currently sits on the CCHL Corporate Advisory Council.
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