Board of Directors

Dr. Darren Larsen  

Member since

October 24, 2019

Committees

Board Chair, Executive Committee Chair

Dr. Darren Larsen joined the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer’s Board of Directors in 2019 and was elected Chair in 2025. He serves as Chair of the Executive Committee.

Darren is subject matter consultant on health policy and technology nationally with KPMG, practices urgent care at Women’s College Hospital and teaches in the Department of Family and Community Medicine and the Institute for Health Policy Management and Evaluation at the University of Toronto. In addition, he is Chair of the Cancer Quality Council of Ontario and senior fellow at WIHV (Women’s College Hospital Institute for Health System Solutions and Virtual Care). His digital health interests include data analytics, measurement for quality improvement and accountability, physician change and issues of scale and spread.

During his 33 years as a family physician, Darren has been involved in many provincial and national health IT, quality and leadership initiatives in Canada. He serves on multiple digital health, primary care and quality committees for Ontario Health (Quality, Digital and Cancer Care) and the Ontario Ministry of Health.

Darren obtained his Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Alberta, Medical Doctorate at the University of Calgary and holds a Master’s Certificate in Physician Leadership from York University’s Schulich School of Executive Management.

Dr. André Corriveau

Member since

October 24, 2019

Committees

Vice-Chair, Performance Committee

Dr. André Corriveau joined the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer’s Board of Directors in 2019. He serves as Vice-Chair of the Performance Committee.

André is a health services delivery and public health consultant who served as the Chief Public Health Officer with the Department of Health and Social Services, Government of the Northwest Territories from October 1997 to February 2009 and from June 2012 to August 2018. From 2009-12,  André was Chief Medical Officer of Health for Alberta Health Services. Prior to that, he was a family physician and Director of Professional Services for the Inuulitsivik Health Centre in Nunavik, Quebec as well as regional medical officer of health in Nova Scotia.

André is a graduate of the Faculty of Medicine of McGill University, has a Master’s in Business Administration from Laval University and a Fellowship in Public Health and Preventive Medicine from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

Dr. Michael Crump 

Member since

October 24, 2019

Committees

Performance Committee

Dr. Michael Crump joined the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer’s Board of Directors in 2019 and serves on the Performance Committee. 

Michael is a Professor of Medicine at the University of Toronto and Division of Medical Oncology and Hematology at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre where his current practice is focused on lymphomas and chronic lymphocytic leukemia. 

Michael is a graduate of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto, where he completed post graduate training in Internal Medicine and Hematology. Michael completed fellowships in Medical Oncology and Autologous Stem Cell transplantation before being appointed to the Division of Medical Oncology and Hematology at The Toronto Hospital in 1992. He assumed the role of Director of the Autologous Stem Cell Transplant service at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre from 1999 to 2013 and served as Lymphoma Site Leader at Princess Margaret from 2000 to 2016. 

Michael’s commitment to clinical trials through the National Cancer Institute of Canada Clinical Trials Group (now the Canadian Cancer Trials Group) led to his appointment as Co-chair of the Hematology Site Group of CCTG and to chair of the Lymphoma Working Group. 

Michael is a past member and co-chair of the Oncology Research Ethics Board at the University Health Network and the University of Toronto. He actively participated in the Breast Cancer and Hematology Committees of the Cancer Care Ontario Practice Guideline Initiative and has been involved in the Pan-Canadian Oncology Drug Review since its inception. He has been a consultant to Canada’s  Drug Agency-Agence des Medicaments du Canada (formerly CADTH) through the Expert Review Committee since 2019. 

Linda Dempster

Member since

October 24, 2019

Committees

Vice-Chair, Governance and Nominating

Linda Dempster joined the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer’s Board of Directors in 2019 and serves as Vice-Chair of the Governance and Nominating Committee.  

Linda is currently on assignment to the B.C. Ministry of Health where she is leading the implementation of the Minimum Nurse to Patient Ratio and Quality Practice and Learning Environments for the province.  Prior to this secondment she was the Vice President, Professional Practice, Quality, Research and Learning at Fraser Health, where she provided strategic leadership for nursing and allied health, professional practice and clinical quality services. In this role, Linda supported the integration, implementation and sustainment of evidence-informed quality practices and regulation across the Fraser Health Authority, the largest health authority in B.C. 

Linda has more than 30 years of experience in a variety of health care settings. Most recently, she was Vice President for the Pandemic Response portfolio at Fraser Health. She was also the interim associate senior executive lead with Immunize BC, where she developed an integrated immunization strategy for the province. She has also led the Professional Practice Department with Alberta Health Services, with responsibility for provincial staffing services and professional practice. Prior to that, Linda led the Quality and Patient Safety portfolio for Vancouver Coastal Health. She was the 2014 winner of the College of Registered Nurses of British Columbia Award of Distinction in Nursing and recently has won the 2024 Dr. Doug Cochrane, Leadership in Quality award.  

Linda is a registered nurse and holds a master degree in Leadership.

Sylvia Doody

Member since

October 22, 2024

Committees

Finance, Audit and Risk Committee

Sylvia Doody joined the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer’s Board of Directors in 2024 and serves on the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee.

Sylvia is currently the Director Health Services with the Nunatsiavut Government, Department of Health & Social Development where she has responsibility for Community Health Nursing, Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB), Health Promotion, Health Information Management programs along with the Qanuippitaa National Inuit Health Survey.

Sylvia has 18 years of public health nursing experience. She holds a Master Public Health and a Bachelor of Nursing degree both from Memorial University of Newfoundland. In addition, she holds Community Health Nursing certification from the Canadian Nurses Association.

Sylvia was the recipient of the Community Health Nurses of Canada Award of Merit in 2022. She is currently an executive member of the Newfoundland and Labrador Public Health Association (NLPHA).

Frédéric Etheve

Member since

June 27, 2025

Committees

Performance Committee

Frédéric Etheve joined the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer’s Board of Directors in June 2025 and serves on the Performance Committee.

Frédéric is a seasoned technology executive and strategic advisor with over 20 years of international experience accelerating innovation and growth across the tech and deeptech sectors. Based in Montreal, he currently serves as a fractional executive for emerging startups, offering leadership in product strategy, AI, and quantum computing.

Frédéric has held senior roles at global organizations including Google, OVHcloud, and McKinsey & Company, where he led complex transformations, product and market strategies, and large-scale operational improvements. His leadership contributed to OVHcloud’s successful IPO and international expansion, and he played a key role in scaling Google’s connectivity initiatives across Africa.

In addition to his executive experience, Frédéric served on the Board of Gaia-X, the European initiative for data sovereignty and cloud infrastructure, contributing to the development of a federated and secure digital ecosystem in Europe.

Frédéric holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and master’s degrees from École Polytechnique and Télécom Paris. He brings a unique combination of deep technical expertise and business acumen and is passionate about aligning cutting-edge technology with real-world impact.

Dr. Janice Fitzgerald

Member since

October 25, 2023

Committees

Finance, Audit and Risk Committee

Dr. Janice Fitzgerald joined the Partnership’s Board of Directors in October 2023 and serves on the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee.

Janice is the Chief Medical Officer of Health for Newfoundland and Labrador, appointed in 2019. She received a bachelor’s degree in biology and medical degree from Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN) and completed a residency in family medicine at Dalhousie University. She received a master of public health from MUN in 2016.

Prior to her appointment as Chief Medical Officer of Health, Janice worked in family medicine and long-term care in rural and urban areas of Newfoundland and Labrador. She has held positions of Clinical Chief of Long-Term Care and Regional Medical Officer of Health. She worked in public health policy development in the Department of Health and Community Services in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Janice is Newfoundland and Labrador’s representative on the Public Health Network Council and has served on the Special Advisory Councils for COVID-19 and the epidemic of opioid overdoses. She is a member of the Council of Chief Medical Officers of Health.

Rob Gough

Member since

June 27, 2025

Committees

Finance, Audit and Risk Committee

Rob Gough joined the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer’s Board of Directors in June 2025 and serves on the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee.

Rob was previously Chief Executive Officer of Mosaic Forest Management Corp., one of Canada’s largest sustainable producers of timber for the domestic and Asian markets. He resigned from Mosaic in 2024.

Rob began his career in Australia with BHP, the world’s largest mining company, in various roles in accounting and finance. His 20-year career with BHP progressed to include executive roles in strategy, business development and finance with across multiple international jurisdictions and mineral commodities.

Throughout Rob’s executive career he has worked collaboratively with corporate directors, in both public and private companies and has been a member of and served organisations including Canada’s Digital Technology Supercluster, the BC Council of Forest Industries, the BC Business Council, and the Business Council of Canada.

Rob holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) degree from La Trobe University in Australia and obtained a Master of Business Administration from the Melbourne Business School. He is a Certified Practising Accountant (Aust.) and has completed Canada’s Institute of Corporate Directors Director’s Education Program.

Dr. Desirée Hao 

Member since

October 24, 2019

Committees

Performance Committee

Dr. Desirée Hao joined the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer’s Board of Directors in 2019 and serves on the Performance Committee. 

Desirée is a medical oncologist at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre (TBCC) and Professor of Medicine at the University of Calgary’s Cumming School of Medicine.

Desirée completed her Medical Doctorate at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, her Internal Medicine residency in Calgary, her Medical Oncology training at the University of Ottawa, and a Clinical Research Fellowship in cancer drug development at the Institute for Drug Development, Cancer Therapy & Research Centre in San Antonio, Texas.

She returned to Canada to join Tom Baker Cancer Centre (TBCC) / University of Calgary in December 2001 where she is involved in both the Thoracic as well as Head and Neck Tumour Groups.  She shares her passion for oncology by teaching at all levels from undergraduate to post-graduate.  Her research interests include both clinical and translational work as well as a longstanding commitment to serving on the Health Research Ethics Board of Alberta – Cancer Committee. Desirée is a past president of the Canadian Association of Medical Oncologists (CAMO) and is the current chair of the Human Resources subcommittee.

Peter Kaftarian

Member since

March 22, 2023

Committees

Finance, Audit and Risk Committee

Peter Kaftarian joined the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer’s Board of Directors in March 2023 and serves on the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee.

Peter became the Interim Deputy Minister of Long-Term Care and Interim Deputy Minister for Seniors and Accessibility of Ontario in May 2025. He previously served as the Interim Deputy Minister of Health, from February 2024 to March 2024.

Peter started in the Ontario Public Service as a Finance Clerk. Over the past 23 years, he has progressed through increasingly senior-level positions in the OPS, continually broadening his knowledge and skills.

Most recently, Peter was the Associate Deputy Minister of Clinical Care and Delivery at the Ministry of Health, where he provided oversight to the delivery of critical healthcare services, including hospitals and capital infrastructure investment, the administration of the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP), the Ontario Public Drugs Programs and the Assistive Devices Program, and led negotiations and oversight of primary care and provider services.

Peter has also held senior executive roles with the Ministry of Government Services and the Ministry of the Solicitor General. Wherever he is, he always strives to work collaboratively with partners and stakeholders, developing and maintaining meaningful, lasting relationships.

A firm believer in leading by example, Peter espouses mentorship, freely sharing his knowledge and experience with others. He champions numerous initiatives that support staff engagement and enrichment to foster an effective, desirable work environment and empower his teams to successfully deliver on the important work of the Ministry of Health.

Ingrid Kirby

Member since

June 28, 2023

Committees

Performance Committee

Ingrid Kirby joined the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer’s Board of Directors in June 2023 and serves on the Performance Committee.

Ingrid has served in the role of Assistant Deputy Minister responsible for Medical Services and Acute and Emergency Services within the Saskatchewan Ministry of Health since January 2023. She has held various roles within the Ministry of Health since 2004, with her most recent experience as Executive Director of Acute and Emergency Services Branch since 2019.

Ingrid has supported or led various strategic initiatives to improve access to care, reduce wait times, and improve patient safety, including executive sponsorship of the Patient Safety Executive Committee and the Surgical Executive Steering Committee for the province of Saskatchewan.

Ingrid has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Master of Public Administration, both from the University of Regina.

David Lai

Member since

October 27, 2021

Committees

Vice-Chair, Finance, Audit and Risk Committee

David Lai joined the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer’s Board of Directors in 2021 and serves as Vice-Chair of the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee.

David is an executive board leader with more than 18 years of Board experience in the health sector, including York Central Hospital (now Mackenzie Health), Central Community Care Access Centre, and until 2019 at the Central Local Health Integration Network. David’s board experience includes serving on finance and audit committees, patient and quality committees, governance committees and as Chair of the Audit Committee during his mandate at the Central Local Health Integration Network. During his tenure with the various boards, David provided strategic direction, governance oversight, and financial stewardship in delivering outstanding care and a seamless experience for people in diverse communities. David broadened his fundraising experience as a member of the 2021 Strides for Mackenzie Health fundraising event committee to promote support from the local community. 

David has 20 years of management experience in IT and telecommunications in both the private and public sectors. David specializes in strategic planning and life-cycle management of large-scale outsource engagements and technology transformation.

Currently, David is serving as the Director of Technology Infrastructure & Operations at McCarthy Tétrault. David is a Chartered Professional Accountant and Certified Management Accountant. He holds an MBA from the University of Western Ontario.

Dr. Jean Latreille

Member since

March 1, 2012

Committees

Observer; Performance Committee

Dr. Jean Latreille joined the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer’s Board of Directors in 2012 as an observer and serves on the Performance Committee.

Jean is the National Director at the Direction générale de cancérologie of the Ministry of Health and Social Services of Québec since 2012. He is also full professor at the Faculty of Medicine at Sherbrooke University.

Jean went to medical school at McGill University, completed his residencies at Montreal General Hospital and Sacré-Coeur Hospital, and was a Clinical Fellow at M.D. Anderson Hospital and Tumour Institute in Houston, Texas. He was assistant professor for two years at this institution. He also finished four years of post-graduate studies in psychotherapy at the Institut de formation humaine intégrale de Montréal in 1992.

Jean has authored or co-authored more than 96 articles and 155 slide presentations and posters at various scientific meetings. He has also been the principal investigator and/or collaborator for over 355 protocols of clinical research at Hotel-Dieu de Montréal and Charles-Le Moyne Hospital since 1984.

Dana MacKenzie

Member since

October 22, 2024

Committees

Performance Committee

Dana MacKenzie joined the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer’s Board of Directors in 2024 as an observer and serves on the Performance Committee.

Dana is Deputy Minister Department of Health and Wellness Province of Nova Scotia. She was appointed to the role of Deputy Minister of The Department of Health and Wellness on January 22, 2024.

Dana has previously served as the Deputy Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs with responsibility for Trade, the Associate Deputy Minister of Justice, and the Associate Deputy Minister of the Office of Citizen Centered Approaches. She was Nova Scotia’s Secretary to the Executive Council from 2018 to 2021.

She previously worked as a senior solicitor at Nova Scotia’s Department of Justice, at the private bar and at Bell Aliant.

Dr. Doreen Neville

Member since

June 22, 2022

Committees

Chair, Performance Committee

Dr. Doreen Neville joined the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer’s Board of Directors in June 2022 and serves as Chair of the Performance Committee. 

Over the course of her career, Doreen held senior administrative roles in both the healthcare system and the post-secondary education system in Newfoundland and Labrador, including Director of Research and Development, Waterford Hospital; Chief Executive Officer, Newfoundland and Labrador Centre for Health Information; administrative lead for the e-Health Research Unit of the Faculty of Medicine; Principal in the Atlantic Regional Training Centre in Applied Health Services Research; and Associate Vice President, Academic, Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador. She also participated in board governance on a variety of public and not-for profit organizations as Chair, Vice Chair or member.

From 1992 to 2018, Doreen held a faculty appointment as Assistant and then Associate Professor, Health Policy and Health Care Delivery, Division of Community Health and Humanities, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University where she focused on teaching medical students and graduate students about healthcare delivery and health policy. Her areas of research included health promotion, the role of health information systems in healthcare delivery, and public engagement in decision-making about healthcare resource allocation.

Doreen holds degrees in Nursing (BN Memorial; MSc Nursing University of Toronto) and Health Services administration (MSc. and ScD, Harvard School of Public Health). In 2002/03, she was a Canadian Associate in the Commonwealth Fund’s Harkness Fellowships in International Health Policy and Practice Innovations program and is currently a Harkness Senior Fellow.

Michelle Owen

Committees

Observer

Michelle Owen joined the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer’s Board of Directors in 2021 as the Health Canada observer.  

Michelle joined Health Canada in October of 2018 and is the Executive Director of the Health Human Resources Task Force within the Health Policy Branch. 

Prior to taking on her current role, Michelle spent her career with the Public Health Agency of Canada working on files related to Maternal and Child Health, Federal-Provincial-Territorial (FPT) relations, and Infectious Disease. 

Michelle holds a Master of Arts in Public Policy and Administration from Carleton University. She lives in the greater Ottawa area with her husband and two children and can often be found cheering on her kids at the soccer field. 

Dr. Ian Rongve

Member since

June 27, 2025

Committees

Governance and Nominating Committee

Dr. Ian Rongve joined the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer’s Board of Directors in 2025 and serves on the Governance and Nominating Committee

Ian was appointed Assistant Deputy Minister of the Health System Policy and Oversight Division of British Columbia’s Ministry of Health on April 14, 2025. Since joining the Ministry of Health in 2016, he has held key leadership roles, including Assistant Deputy Minister for the Provincial, Hospital and Laboratory Health Services Division and the COVID Response and Health Emergency Management Division. Previously, Ian served as an Assistant Deputy Minister at the Ministries of Education and Advanced Education, overseeing strategic initiatives and policy development.  

Ian holds a Ph.D. in economics and spent eight years as an Assistant Professor at the University of Regina before transitioning to public service. His current work focuses on supporting British Columbia’s health system through innovation and sustainable service delivery. 

Shannon Ryhorchuk

Member since

June 22, 2022

Committees

Chair of the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee

Shannon Ryhorchuk joined the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer’s Board of Directors in 2022 and is the chair of the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee.  

Shannon was a Partner with the firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers where she specialized in providing audit and assurance services. She retired from public practice in June 2023.

Shannon holds the distinction of being the former leader of PwC Canada’s National Independence Office and a member of PwC’s Global Network Independence leadership team.  She is also the former Managing Partner of the Calgary Assurance Practice. 

Shannon’s other board roles include the Board of Directors of South Bow Corporation and WINS (Women in Need Society). She formerly served as a director of Mount Royal University and the United Way of Calgary & Area.

Shannon holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Saskatchewan and is a Chartered Public Accountant and Chartered Accountant.  She has completed the ICD-Rotman Directors Education Program, earning her ICD.D designation. 

Andrea Seale

Member since

June 1, 2019

Committees

Governance and Nominating Committee

Andrea Seale joined the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer’s Board of Directors in 2019 and serves on the Governance and Nominating Committee. 

Andrea is Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Cancer Society. With more than 20 years of leadership experience, she is dedicated to building the causes that make our world more compassionate, healthy and just. 

Andrea joined the Canadian Cancer Society in 2018, motivated by the opportunity to make a difference for the two in five Canadians who will be diagnosed with cancer. As the nation’s largest charitable funder of research across over a hundred cancer types, the Canadian Cancer Society is transforming the landscape of cancer prevention, detection and care. Staff and volunteers work tirelessly to enable high impact cancer research, provide credible information and compassionate support to patients, and advocate for strong health policy. Andrea and her team are rigorous and courageous in their pursuit of better health for all.  

Prior to joining the Canadian Cancer Society, Andrea was head of the David Suzuki Foundation and held leadership roles with Ecojustice and The Banff Centre for the Arts. She founded Blueprint Fundraising and Communications, specializing in building the capacity of non-profit organizations in Canada and the United States. She has been a member of the board of the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer since 2019 and was named Outstanding Fundraising Professional in 2022 by AFP Vancouver. Andrea holds a Diploma in Public Relations from Mount Royal University and a Bachelor of Arts in English from McGill University. 

Cheryl Smith

Member since

June 1, 2018

Committees

Vice-Chair, Board of Directors, Chair, Governance and Nominating Committee

Cheryl Smith is a Métis of Manitoba with over 15 years of experience in relationship building with Canada’s Indigenous peoples. She joined the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer’s Board of Directors in June 2018. She is Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors and serves as Chair of the Governance and Nominating Committee.

In 2023, Cheryl was appointed as a member of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba (CPSM) Investigation Committee and in 2024 was appointed to the CPSM Board of Assessors. She is a past member of the Judicial Appointment Committee for the Provincial Court of Manitoba. 

Cheryl is retired from the position of Reeve (Mayor) of the Rural Municipality of St. Laurent, Manitoba.  

She is a former Senior Analyst with the Community Engagement Branch of Manitoba Indigenous & Northern Relations. The branch is responsible for strategic development and implementation of engagement processes with Indigenous peoples in the province, as well as leadership in cultural awareness and competency, and overseeing funding of support projects in Indigenous communities. 

Cheryl served as a Director in the Human Resource Development & Training department with the Manitoba Métis Federation. She was part of a team, involved in regular negotiations between the Federation and the federal government. 

She also served as a Human Rights Investigator with Manitoba Justice and was appointed as the Vice-Chair of the Manitoba Human Rights Commission.  After the Manitoba flood of 2011, Cheryl was appointed to the Lake Manitoba/Lake St. Martin Regulation Review Committee. 

Cheryl is a past member of the Interlake Eastern Regional Health Authority Board of Directors. 

Cheryl attended Red River Community College where she received a certificate in Child Care. She also completed courses at Harvard University in Negotiations and Nation Building. She speaks English, French and Michif French, one of the languages of the Métis peoples of Canada. 

Jocelyne Voisin

Member since

March 20, 2024

Committees

Governance, Nominating Committee

Jocelyne (Jo) Voisin joined the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer’s Board of Directors in March 2024 and serves on the Governance and Nominating Committee.

Jo is Assistant Deputy Minister at Health Canada’s Health Policy Branch, which is responsible for pan-Canadian health system policy, as well as the department’s strategic policy functions. In her many years working at Health Canada, she was instrumental in shaping policy directions in health care through bilateral agreements with provinces and territories, advancing work to improve how health data is used and shared to benefit Canadians and supporting Canada’s health workforce. She also played a key role in supporting Canada’s response to the COVID pandemic.   

Jo Voisin has occupied several executive leadership positions at Health Canada and in other federal departments, including in youth employment policy, health product regulation and public health. She also worked in social policy at the Privy Council Office, and in economic policy at Treasury Board Secretariat and Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada.