Executive and board of directors

Our executive management team is accountable to the Canadian Blood Services board of directors and responsible for ensuring we operate within the policy and strategy framework approved by the board.

Members of our board of directors are appointed by the provincial and territorial ministers of health. The board is responsible for the organization’s governance, overall affairs, strategic plan, budget and reporting on Canadian Blood Services’ performance to the corporate members.

All topics in governance

Our Executive Management Team

Our executive management team has 11 senior members: 10 vice-presidents and our CEO. The CEO is the most senior executive—accountable to our board of directors and responsible for ensuring we operate within the policy and strategy framework approved by the board.

Our Board Members

Our board of directors consists of 13 directors who are elected by Canada’s provincial and territorial Ministers of Health, except Québec. The role of the board is to broadly oversee Canadian Blood Services’ management and direction.

Dr. Brian Postl

Winnipeg, Manitoba

Chair
Former Dean and Vice-Provost, Faculty of Health Sciences and Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba
Former CEO, Winnipeg Regional Health Authority
Fellow, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba
Fellow, Canadian Academy of Health Sciences
Professor emeritus, University of Manitoba
Dean emeritus, University of Manitoba
McNaught Taillon Leadership Award
Doctors of Manitoba, Distinguished Service Award
Recipient, Order of Manitoba
Recipient, 2017 McNaught Taillon Leadership Award
Recipient of the Order of Canada
Institute of Corporate Directors Designation (ICD.D)

Robert (Bob) Adkins

Winnipeg, Manitoba

Corporate Director
Partner, Thompson Dorfman Sweatman LLP
Former Lecturer in Municipal and Planning Law, University of Manitoba
Former Chair of the Board, Winnipeg Blood Transfusion Service Centre Inc.
Former Chair, Criminal Code Review Board of Manitoba
Former Cabinet Co-Chair, Specialized Services for Children and Youth
Former Vice-Chair, Amadeus Steen Foundation
Named a leading lawyer in the 2008–2018 Canadian Legal Expert Directory, Property Development
Named a leading lawyer in the 2012–2018 Canadian Legal Expert Directory, Aboriginal Law

Marilyn Barrett

Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island

Corporate director
Director, Health and Wellness Centre, University of Prince Edward Island
Chair of the board of the Sickle Cell Disease Association of Atlantic Canada
Treasurer/Secretary, Prince Edward Island Funeral Services and Professions Board
Member, Patient and Community Advisory Committee at CADTH
Member, Granting Committee of the Community Foundation of Prince Edward Island
Former Director of Primary Care and Chronic Disease Prevention and Management for Health PEI
Former Manager, Implementation and Change Management for the CIS Project (implementing electronic health records in Prince Edward Island)
Former Chief Nursing Officer in community hospitals and continuing care,
Former Director, Acute & Continuing Care in rural community hospital, home care and long-term care settings
Former clinical instructor and coordinator, School of Nursing, University of Prince Edward Island
Surveyor with Accreditation Canada since 2012 and performs both domestic and international surveys
Past president with the Canadian Nurse's Protective Society (CNPS)
Past president, Association of Registered Nurses of Prince Edward Island
Former board member, Canadian Nurse's Association
Former board member of the Cardigan Village Heritage Committee

Kelly Butt

London, Ontario

Corporate Director
Former Member, Empire Life Investments Inc., Independent Review Committee
Former Volunteer Trustee, Hazel Cryderman-Wees Foundation
Former Chair of the Board, Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan
Former Chair of the Board, London Health Sciences Centre
Former Chair of the Board, Lawson Health Research Institute
Former Board Member, The CUMIS Group, Renasant Financial
Former Senior Vice-President, Information Services, London Life Insurance Company

Dr. Catherine L. Cook

Winnipeg, Manitoba

Corporate Director
Governor member, National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation Governing Circle
Former inaugural Vice-President (Indigenous) and Associate Professor, Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Manitoba
Former Chair, Indigenous Advisory Council, University of Manitoba
Former Head, Ongomiizwin (Indigenous Institute of Health and Healing), Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba
Former Vice Dean, Indigenous Health, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba
Former Governor, National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation
Former Chair, Indigenous Health Advisory Council, Shared Health Manitoba
Former Vice President, Population and Aboriginal Health, Winnipeg Regional Health Authority
Former Special Advisor to the Minister of Health, Manitoba Health
Fellow, College of Family Physicians of Canada
Former primary care physician across Manitoba, including remote northern communities
Recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee Medal
Recipient, Indspire Awards, Health
Recipient, Vanier Medal
Recipient, Calvin L. Gutkin Family Medicine Ambassador Award

Sharni Dhillon 

Calgary, Alberta

Consumer Representative
Elder Law Program Lead and Lawyer, Calgary Legal Guidance
Chief Global Moderator, Thalassemia Patients and Friends
Former Legal and Compliance Associate, BMO Radicle
Former Corporate and Estate Planning Associate, Macphail Hardin Lawyers
Former Associate, Courtney Aarbo Fuldauer LLP

Bobby Kwon

Toronto, Ontario

Corporate Director
President & CEO, Canadian Commercial Corporation
Former Chief Financial Officer Medipharm Labs Corp.
Former Senior Vice President, Office of Executive Chairman, George Weston Ltd.
Former Vice President, Finance, North America Customer Development, Unilever PLC and NV (USA)
Former Chief Financial Officer, Unilever PLC and NV (UK)
Former Vice President & Chief of Staff, Office of CEO & Global Foods Director, Unilever PLC and NV (UK & Netherlands)
Board Member, Canadian Commercial Corporation
Former Board (Council) Member, Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario
Former Board member, GS1 – Retail Sector

Karen Herd

Winnipeg, Manitoba

Corporate Director
Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA)
Institute of Corporate Directors Designation (ICD.D)
Board Member, Shared Health Manitoba
Audit Committee Member, Manitoba Government Treasury Board
Board Member, Alpha House Winnipeg
Board Member, Meals on Wheels, Winnipeg
Former Deputy Minister, Manitoba Health
Former Associate Deputy Minister and Chief Financial Officer, Manitoba Health
Former Executive Director, Finance, Manitoba Health
Former Administrative Director, Winnipeg Regional Health Authority
Former Comptroller, Winnipeg Regional Health Authority

Mary Lee

Bedford, Nova Scotia

Corporate Director
Former President and Chief Executive Officer, Health Association Nova Scotia and its subsidiary igility
Former Vice President, South East Regional health Authority
Former Professional Practice Coordinator, Health Care Corporation of St John’s
Former Chief Nursing Officer and National Surveyor for Health Services Accreditation for New Zealand, Neslon Marlborough Health Services, New Zealand
Former Staff Nurse, various hospitals (1987-1996)
Board Member, HealthPRO
Board Member, International Foundation of Employee Benefits and Pension Canada
Board Member, Trade Centre Limited
Board Member, Learning Disabilities Association of Nova Scotia
Former Board Member, Canadian Health Care Association
Board Chair, National CHA CEO Forum
Board Chair, Nova Scotia Health Employee Pension Plan
Board Member, Health Association of Nova Scotia Long Term Disability Plan
Adjunct Professor, School of Health Administration

David Morhart

North Saanich, British Columbia

Corporate Director
Executive Vice President, Corporate & Investor Relations, BC Investment Management Corporation
Former Deputy Minister, Service Alberta
Former Deputy Minister, Alberta Human Services and Community & Social Services
Former Deputy Minister, Alberta Enterprise & Advanced Education
Former Deputy Minister, Alberta Infrastructure
Former Chief, Oil Sands Strategy and Operations, Alberta Energy
Former Deputy Minister, B.C. Ministry of Social Development
Former Public Security Commissioner and Deputy Solicitor General, B.C. Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General
Former CEO, B.C. Ambulance Service
Chair, FamilySmart
Former Chair and Board Member, Institute of Public Administration of Canada

David O’Toole

Kingston, Ontario

Corporate Director
Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Health, University of Waterloo
Senior Fellow, C.D. Howe Institute
Former President and CEO, Canadian Institute for Health Information
Former Member, Health Policy Council, Queen’s School of Public Policy
Former Chair, Board of Directors, Kingston Health Sciences Centre
Former Director, Board of Directors, SCAN Health Centre of Excellence
Former Director, Board of Directors, Kingston General Hospital
Former Vice-Chair, Great Lakes Fisheries Commission
Former Member, Executive Development Committee, Ontario Public Service
Former Deputy Minister, Ministry of Natural Resources and Ministry of Northern Development, Mines & Forestry, Ontario

Dr. Roona Sinha

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Pediatric hematologist oncologist, Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital
Division head for the Saskatchewan pediatric hematology oncology program
Associate professor, pediatric hematology/oncology, University of Saskatchewan
Board of Directors, Association of Hemophilia Clinic Directors of Canada
Board of Directors, Ronald Macdonald House Charities, Saskatchewan
Board of Directors, Saskatchewan Medical Association
Board member, C17 Council

Donnie Wing

Victoria, British Columbia

Corporate Director
Chair, Victoria Hospitals Foundation
Board member, S.U.C.C.E.S.S. (one of the largest social services agencies in B.C.)
Board member, B.C. Financial Services Authority
Former board member, Healthcare Benefit Trust
Former President & CEO, Healthcare Benefit Trust
Former Senior Vice President Corporate Affairs, Insurance Corporation of B.C.
Former Chief Financial Officer, Insurance Corporation of B.C.
Former Senior Vice President Insurance, Marketing and Underwriting, Insurance Corporation of B.C.
Former, Vice President Investment and Corporate Development, Insurance Corporation of B.C.
Former Vice President Strategy and Planning, Insurance Corporation of B.C.
Former Vice President Corporate Planning and Change Services, Insurance Corporation of B.C.
Acting Director & Senior Policy Advisor, Province of B.C. Crown Corporations Secretariat

Board appointments

Appointed by the provincial and territorial ministers of health, the board includes:

a chair of the board
four regional nominees
six nominees from the medical, scientific, technical, business and public health sectors
two nominees with relevant consumer experience

The board meets at least six times per year; two of those meetings are open to the public.

Each board director serves for a term of four years.

The CEO provides advice and counsel to the board of directors on all organizational matters and leads our management, staff and volunteer teams.