Resilient Institutions: Event Program

Helen Angus is the CEO of AMS Healthcare, bringing her leadership to the organization’s role as a catalyst for change and innovation in health care. Previously she was Ontario’s deputy minister of health, where she helmed Ontario’s initial response to the COVID-19 pandemic. She was also co-chair of the Council of Deputy Ministers of Health and played a critical leadership role in the groundbreaking work of Cancer Care Ontario. Helen is a distinguished fellow at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy.

Stephen Lucas was appointed deputy minister of health at Health Canada in September 2019. Under his leadership, the department launched a comprehensive response to the COVID-19 pandemic in collaboration with the Public Health Agency of Canada, federal, provincial and territorial partners and leading scientific experts, and contributed to the greatest immunization program in Canada’s history. Previously he served as deputy minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada, and deputy secretary to the Cabinet for Plans and Consultations and Intergovernmental Affairs at the Privy Council Office.

Dr. Shannon McDonald is proudly Métis/Anishinaabe with deep roots in the Red River Valley of Manitoba. She lives as a guest on Tsawout First Nation, just north of Victoria. Trained as physician, she has had broad experience at multiple levels of health care service delivery and health administration in challenging environments. For over 25 years her work has focused on Indigenous health. She is an experienced manager within the federal and provincial governments. She joined the First Nations Health Authority in September 2015 as the senior medical officer for Vancouver Island and retired from the position of chief medical officer in January 2023.

A specialist in internal medicine who earned her MDCM as well as a Master’s degree in Epidemiology and Biostatistics from McGill University, Dr. Lucie Opatrny also holds a Master’s degree in Health Care Management and a Diploma in Advanced Negotiation from Harvard University. Appointed President and Executive Director of the McGill University Health Centre on December 14, 2022, she assumed her functions on January 30, 2023. Prior to this appointment, Dr. Opatrny served as Assistant Deputy Minister at the Québec Ministry of Health and Social Services, where she managed the Academic, Medical, Nursing and Pharmaceutical Affairs Directorate since 2018. Previously, she was Director of Professional Services at St Mary’s Hospital Center and the Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux de Laval. Her fields of interest are, in particular, access to health services and the quality of care.

Fahad Razak is an internist and epidemiologist whose research focuses on improving the care of hospitalized patients through the application of advanced analytic methods to hospital big data. He co-founded GEMINI, the largest hospital research network in Canada. He was the scientific director of the Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table that informed Ontario’s response to the pandemic, and he co-authored over 40 science and policy briefs that shaped the policy, public health and clinical response to the COVID-19 crisis.

David McLaughlin has over thirty years of governance experience at senior levels in both federal and provincial levels of government including most recently as Clerk of the Executive Council, Cabinet Secretary, and Head of the Public Service in the Government of Manitoba.

In the past, David has served as President and CEO of the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy and as a Deputy Minister within the governments of New Brunswick and Manitoba. This includes Deputy Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs in both provinces, Deputy Minister of Policy and Planning and Secretary to the Cabinet Committee on Policy and Priorities in New Brunswick, Deputy Minister to the N.B.Commission on Legislative Democracy, and Deputy Minister for the Climate and Green Plan Implementation Office in Manitoba. He also served as Executive Director, Council of the Federation’s Panel on Fiscal Imbalance.

He has served as Chief of Staff to both the federal Minister of Finance and the Prime Minister of Canada.

David has a BA (Honours) from Mount Allison University, an MA in International Affairs from Carleton University, and an MBA from the University of Bath, UK.

Marcia Anderson is Cree-Anishinaabe and grew up in the North End of Winnipeg. Her family roots go back to the Peguis First Nation and Norway House Cree Nation in Manitoba. She is the vice dean of Indigenous health, social justice and anti-racism and the executive director of Indigenous Academic Affairs in the Ongomiizwin-Indigenous Institute of Health and Healing at the University of Manitoba. She serves as the chair of the Indigenous Health Committee of the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada and the chair of the National Consortium for Indigenous Medical Education. She is the recipient of a National Aboriginal Achievement Award, the Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration and was named one of the 100 most powerful women in Canada by the Women’s Executive Network.

Anil Arora is the chief statistician of Canada. He has led significant transformational initiatives throughout his career, with experience and partnerships spanning all three levels of government, the private sector and international organizations, including the UN and the OECD. He has led projects on high-profile policy issues, legislative and regulatory reform, and overseen large national programs. He was named one of the top 25 immigrants in Canada in 2022 and is a sought-after speaker and thought leader.

Joanne Castonguay is the government of Quebec’s health and welfare commissioner. In this role, she informs government authorities and the public about the performance of Quebec’s health and social services system and advises the government on how to adapt the system to better meet people’s needs. An economist by training, she has studied health systems for many years and has a number of publications to her credit on health system governance and the transfer of innovations.

Glenda Yeates’ public service career has focused on health policy and health service delivery. She has served as deputy minister of Health Canada, deputy minister of Saskatchewan Health, and as president and CEO of the Canadian Institute for Health Information. She is a former board member of Alberta Health Services as well as the Public Policy Forum, and is currently the vice chair of Canadian Blood Services. She is a recipient of the Order of Canada.

Rob Annan has more than a decade of success leading research and innovation organizations. As president and CEO of Genome Canada, he combines a background in genomics research with deep knowledge of science and innovation policy and a proven track record in corporate strategy. He works with researchers, policy leaders and industry to help realize the economic, environmental and social benefits of genomics. He was previously chief research officer at Mitacs, and has served as a fellow at the Public Policy Forum and as a director of Let’s Talk Science.

Stephen McNeil is the former premier of Nova Scotia and a strategic business adviser at the law firm Cox & Palmer. He served for 18 years in the Nova Scotia legislature and was re-elected five times by the voters of Annapolis. During his time in provincial government, Stephen served as minister of Aboriginal Affairs, Intergovernmental Affairs, Planning and Priorities, Regulatory Affairs and Service Effectiveness, Military Relations, Social Innovation and Integrative Approaches, and Youth. Previously, he was Leader of the Official Opposition from 2009 until 2013.

Kennedy Stewart is an associate professor at the Simon Fraser University School of Public Policy. He is a former member of Parliament and mayor of Vancouver. As mayor, he led an organization with a $1.7 billion operating budget through the COVID-19 pandemic, moved forward reconciliation efforts, secured over $1 billion in social housing investment and led the push to decriminalize drugs. His latest book is Decrim: How We Decriminalized Drugs in British Columbia.

Catherine Cullen is host of CBC Radio’s The House and a Senior Reporter on Parliament Hill.

Jesse McCormick is the senior vice president, research, innovation and legal affairs for the First Nations Major Projects Coalition, a non-political and business focused coalition of over 130 First Nations organizations working to strengthen First Nations participation in major project development. Jesse previously advised the minister of Environment and Climate Change and the minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada. He studied at the University of Guelph, the University of Ottawa and the Harvard Law School. Jesse is a member of the Anishinabek Nation.

Carole Saab is the chief executive officer of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. An accomplished strategist with over a decade of experience in federal and municipal advocacy, Carole took on the role of CEO just three months into the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the challenges of this volatile period, the organization was able to secure permanent public transit funding for municipalities, and has been instrumental in pushing the federal government to do more on housing and homelessness.

Charles Breton has been the Executive Director of the IRPP’s Centre of Excellence on the Canadian Federation since 2019. He was the research director at Vox Pop Labs, where he led the design of innovative public opinion research tools such as Vote Compass. His research interests include Canadian politics, comparative public policy and public opinion research. Before pursuing an academic career, he was a researcher and journalist for current affairs programs on Radio-Canada, and he is a frequent analyst and expert commentator on Canadian politics and public policy. He holds a PhD in political science from the University of British Columbia, did post-doctoral studies at Vanderbilt University, and has an MA in political science from the Université de Montréal.

Neil Bouwer is a visiting professor of practice at the Max Bell School of Public Policy at McGill University.  He has served as an assistant deputy minister at the Canada School of Public Service, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, Natural Resources Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the Privy Council Office. He has also held executive positions at the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada, Human Resources and Social Development Canada and the Business Development Bank of Canada.

Graham Flack is secretary of the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat. He has held several senior executive roles within the federal government, including deputy minister of Employment and Social Development Canada, assistant deputy minister in the Department of Finance, acting deputy minister at Public Safety Canada, deputy minister of Canadian Heritage and deputy secretary to the Cabinet at the Privy Council Office.

Lori Wanamaker is vice chair at BC Hydro. Prior to her retirement in January 2023, Lori served as the deputy minister to the British Columbia premier, cabinet secretary and head of the B.C. public service. During her career, Lori served as deputy minister for the ministries of Finance, Children and Family Development, Justice, Public Safety and Solicitor General, Tourism, Culture and the Arts, and Labour and Citizens’ Services.

Michael Wernick holds the Jarislowsky Chair in Public Sector Management at the University of Ottawa. His 38-year career in the federal public service culminated in serving as the 23rd clerk of the Privy Council from 2016 to 2019. He is the author of Governing Canada: A Guide to the Tradecraft of Politics, published by UBC Press in 2021. He contributes regularly to several publications, and advises and mentors emerging leaders and students. He is a senior strategic adviser to MNP Digital Inc.

Amanda Clarke is an associate professor at Carleton University’s School of Public Policy and Administration. Her research examines digital era public administration, public data governance and government-citizen relations. She is author of Opening the Government of Canada: The Federal Bureaucracy in the Digital Age and a research fellow at the Canada School of Public Service. In 2021 she was awarded a government of Ontario Early Researcher Award and is included in Apolitical’s list of the Top 100 Most Influential Academics in Government.

Taki Sarantakis has been President of the Canada School of Public Service since July 2018, having previously served as Associate Secretary of the Treasury Board at the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat. He spent most of his career at Infrastructure Canada, including as Assistant Deputy Minister of Policy and Communications.

In 2011, he was awarded Canada’s Public Service Award of Excellence in Public Policy, and in 2013 he was a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.

Prior to joining the federal government, Sarantakis was a doctoral candidate at the University of Toronto. He holds a BA and an MA from York University in Toronto, as well as an Executive Certificate in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. He is a graduate of the Rotman School of Management’s Institute of Corporate Directors Education Program, holding the ICD.D designation.

Jocelyn Formsma is the chief executive officer of the National Association of Friendship Centres. She is a member of the Moose Cree First Nation in Treaty 9 territory in Northern Ontario. She holds an Honours Bachelor of Social Sciences, a Juris Doctorate from the University of Ottawa and is called to the Bar of Ontario. She brings her legal training and passion for access to justice to her work with Indigenous Peoples in urban environments and the Friendship Centre Movement to achieve positive and effective systemic change for Indigenous Peoples.

Dan Kelly is the president and CEO of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business. Dan is the lead spokesperson and advocate for the views of the organization’s 97,000 members. He has led campaigns, published studies and been a regular speaker on international trade, labour shortages, immigration and credit cards. He was named one of the top 100 most powerful and influential people in government and politics by Power & Influence magazine.

John is a research associate and managing director of the Policy, Elections, and Representation Lab (PEARL) in the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy at the University of Toronto. He also holds an appointment as an adjunct professor in the Department of Politics and Public Administration at Toronto Metropolitan University.

John’s research investigates questions related to the political behavior of voters and elites. He uses a variety of methods in this work — including survey and field experiments, observational data, and case studies. His research is published or forthcoming in Legislative Studies Quarterly, Parliamentary Affairs, the Journal of Experimental Political Science, Political Research Quarterly, the Canadian Journal of Political Science, and as part of an Oxford University Press edited volume.

John received his Ph.D. from the University of British Columbia.

Raj Grewal works as a Staff Emergency Physician in Hamilton and Assistant Professor at McMaster University.  During the pandemic, he co-founded the South Asian Covid Task Force whose aim was to curb the spread of COVID-19 in communities disproportionately affected by using culturally sensitive messaging. Raj worked alongside the South Asian community to help advocate for increased, accessible testing in one of the hardest hit postal codes in Peel. He went on to lead both a testing centre serviced by healthcare providers whom the community identified with and one of the largest vaccine centres in Canada. The latter included outreach to places of worship and cultural centres. Raj’s recognition that a one size fits all approach was not conducive to curb the spread of COVID -19 ultimately helped Brampton transform from a COVID-19 hotspot to one of Canada’s most vaccinated communities.

Charles Breton has been the Executive Director of the IRPP’s Centre of Excellence on the Canadian Federation since 2019. He was the research director at Vox Pop Labs, where he led the design of innovative public opinion research tools such as Vote Compass. His research interests include Canadian politics, comparative public policy and public opinion research. Before pursuing an academic career, he was a researcher and journalist for current affairs programs on Radio-Canada, and he is a frequent analyst and expert commentator on Canadian politics and public policy. He holds a PhD in political science from the University of British Columbia, did post-doctoral studies at Vanderbilt University, and has an MA in political science from the Université de Montréal.

Isabelle Mondou joined the Department of Canadian Heritage in 2018 as associate deputy minister and, after serving as deputy minister for the COVID-19 Response (Communications), she became deputy minister of Canadian Heritage in 2021. Previously, she served as assistant secretary to the Cabinet (Priorities and Planning) at the Privy Council Office and as legal counsel to the Clerk of the Privy Council.

Lori Turnbull is the director of the School of Public Administration and an associate professor of political science at Dalhousie University. From 2015 to 2017, she was seconded to the Privy Council Office, first as a policy adviser in the Machinery of Government Secretariat, then as departmental liaison to the Office of the Minister of Democratic Institutions, and finally as a policy adviser at the Priorities and Planning Secretariat. She is the co-author of Democratizing the Constitution: Reforming Responsible Government, which won the Donner Prize and the Donald Smiley Prize.

Jennifer is the President and CEO of the IRPP. She is a not-for-profit sector executive and seasoned communicator with 25 years of experience working to make complex public policy issues and politics better understood by Canadians. From 2016 to 2021, she was the Editor-in-Chief of the IRPP’s influential digital magazine, Policy Options.

Prior to joining the IRPP, Jennifer spent two decades covering national and parliamentary affairs for The Canadian Press and for CBC Television. She is the winner of three National Newspaper Awards, the recipient of the prestigious Charles Lynch Award for outstanding coverage of national issues, and most recently received three Canadian Online Publishing silver awards for her columns. In 2015, she was named one of the 10 most influential Hispanic-Canadians.

Jennifer is the co-editor with Graham Fox of the 2016 book The Harper Factor: Assessing a Prime Minister’s Policy Legacy (McGill-Queen’s University Press). Her research on the history of the Canadian Parliamentary Press Gallery appeared in five chapters of the 2016 book Sharp Wits & Busy Pens (Hill-Times Publishing). She has a Bachelor of Arts from Concordia University and Master of Journalism from Carleton.

Monique Manatch is a member of the Algonquins of Barriere Lake and a Knowledge Keeper. Currently, Monique is a student at Carleton University taking a doctorate program in Anthropology focusing on the impact, use and creation of digital arts in the Indigenous community. Her Master’s Degree is in Indigenous and Canadian Studies with a specialty in Digital Humanities. Monique also holds a post- graduate diploma in Indigenous Policy and Administration.

In 2004, Monique became founder and Executive Director of Indigenous Culture and Media Innovations (www.icmi.ca). ICMI is dedicated to the skills development of Indigenous communities through the production media and arts. Monique has facilitated Indigenous artists and community members throughout Ontario, Quebec and Newfoundland. Currently, Monique is working on projects which outreach to the Indigenous community to discuss artistic needs and begin developing a national network.

Over the past 20 years Monique has produced several video documentaries about Indigenous issues. Monique also facilitated the production of videos and community radio programming with Kitigan Zibi Anishnabeg, Mitchikanibikok Inik (Algonquins of Barriere Lake), Muskegowuk Cree and the Indigenous community in Ottawa.