Our Team

Role at Santis

Shay leads all digital services that support the marketing and communications needs of both Santis Health and its clients.

Experience

Prior to joining Santis, Shay worked in the digital marketing and technology space for a variety of firms in both Ontario and British Columbia. Most recently, he managed the marketing and external communications strategy for a start-up tech company focused on innovative digital marketing through social media.

Shay’s strategic creative abilities enable him to connect business objectives to tangible results. He previously worked for the Canadian Tire Corporation and Branded Cities, where he developed strategies and creative content that transformed their consumer digital experience and pushed the boundaries of digital and traditional marketing.

Volunteerism and Education

Shay holds a Bachelor of Arts in media production with a minor in marketing from Ryerson University. Shay is also certified in Front End Web Development from Lighthouse Labs.

Role at Santis

Melissa provides administrative and coordination support, ensuring the Santis office operates effectively and productively.

Experience

Prior to joining Santis, Melissa worked on the administrative team at Xstrata Nickel, where she provided secretarial and logistical support to executives and staff, as well as contributed to the development of human resources hiring processes. Following this role, Melissa accepted an opportunity at Richmond Architects Ltd., where she assumed the role of Office Manager. Melissa provided clerical and bookkeeping support, event coordination, as well as assisted in the development of the company’s human resources policies.

Volunteerism and Education

Melissa obtained an Honours Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology from York University, where she completed her thesis on the effects of music and learning processes.

ROLE AT SANTIS

Hana supports communications and project management for clients and the Santis team.

EXPERIENCE

Before joining Santis, Hana worked at an advertising agency specializing in health care. She cultivated strong relationships with pharmaceutical clients across various disease spaces, contributing to the development of campaigns for various products. Her experience includes navigating health care regulations to craft impactful campaigns for patients and health care professionals in areas such as Rare Diseases, Respiratory, Inflammation, Immunology, and Dermatology. She is passionate about public health policy and innovation in the digital health care sector.

VOLUNTEERISM AND EDUCATION

Hana graduated from the University of Toronto with an Honours Bachelor of Science in Cell and Molecular Biology and Environmental Health.

Role at Santis

Taryn provides support in external and internal communications, social media, event planning and graphic design to the Santis team and its clients.

Experience

Prior to joining Santis, Taryn completed the Public Relations Certificate program at Humber College. Through this program she learned the fundamentals of public relations, graphic design and media relations. During her time at Humber, Taryn worked on various strategic communications and event plans for clients.

Volunteerism and Education

Taryn has a Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Religious Studies from King’s University College at Western University and a post-graduate certificate in public relations. Taryn also recently completed an American Sign Language course with Canadian Hearing Services.

Role at Santis

Dylan provides government relations, communications and project management support to clients and the Santis team.

Experience

Prior to joining Santis, Dylan completed a Work Integrated Learning placement at the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) in the Communications and Government Affairs division. Dylan has worked on multiple election campaigns at the provincial and federal levels for Mike Schreiner, MPP for Guelph, and Gord Miller, former Environmental Commissioner of Ontario. He worked in Mike Schreiner’s office at the Legislative Assembly of Ontario and helped draft Private Members’ Public Bill 71, Paris Galt Moraine Conservation Act.

Volunteerism and Education

Dylan has a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Development and Political Science from the University of Guelph. He also holds a Post Graduate Certificate in Government Relations from Seneca College. He has previously volunteered for Vote Savvy, a non partisan team which encourages young people to become involved in the political process.

Role at Santis

Laurie works within the Operations Team driving best practices in finance and administration within the organization to maximize efficiency and growth.

Experience

Prior to joining Santis, Laurie worked for several years at Metro, primarily in bookkeeping and general administration. She then joined Unilock Ltd. as Finance and Administration Coordinator, where she supported the Finance team, working on financial reporting and administration.

Volunteerism and Education

Laurie has a B.A. from the University of Toronto focusing on English Literature. She is also a supporter of Save Our Scruff, an animal rescue organization.

ROLE AT SANTIS

Catherine is pivotal in steering Santis’ strategy, policy development, and public affairs engagement.

EXPERIENCE

Catherine brings a wealth of experience to Santis Health, with over 25 years in public sector management. Her extensive background includes serving as Ontario Health’s Executive Vice-President for pandemic response, CEO of Health Shared Services Ontario (HSSO), and several strategic roles within the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.

During her time as the inaugural CEO of Health Shared Services Ontario (HSSO), she was instrumental in the organizational amalgamations leading to the formation of Ontario Health. Catherine’s career is marked by her leadership in various roles, driving health care innovation and integration across Ontario. Her expertise in managing complex policy agendas and reform mandates has led to significant advancements in the health care sector.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

Catherine is an active volunteer, notably in long-term care and mental health-focused boards. She is currently a board member at Humber Meadows long-term care home.

EXPERIENCE

Hayley has produced/directed commercials and video content for companies worldwide. She works with a senior filming team, using state of the art cinema equipment to capture the highest quality results to showcase your story on screen.

Her production resume includes videos for: Volkswagen, Honda, Mitsubishi, Audi, Microsoft, HP, Canadian Tire, BDO, TD Bank, BMO, PartyCity, and the Government of Ontario. She has directed medical ads through Canada and America, including a Pharma campaign that aired on CNN in 2022. Her team’s health care work includes production for Women’s College Hospital, Mount Sinai, Wounded Warriors Canada, Niagara Health and The College of Family Physicians of Canada among others.

EDUCATION

Hayley holds a Bachelor of Arts (with honours) in media production from Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University).

Role at Santis

Dan co-founded Santis in 2012 after serving in a variety of senior advisory roles in the Ontario government. At Santis, Dan provides strategic advice to boards and executives involved in the Canadian health care sector. His clients include Fortune 500 companies, leading national and provincial health care associations, broader public sector organizations, and a range of health charities.

Experience

During his time at Queen’s Park, Dan served as a senior advisor to the premier, deputy premier and two ministers of health. Dan helped drive forward some of the government’s signature health care initiatives including the Wait Time Strategy, the creation of Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs), primary care reform and physician services negotiations. Dan also worked as a parliamentary researcher in the U.K. for a member of parliament and health critic. His private sector experience includes a stint in the investment banking industry in the United Kingdom, where Dan worked for Goldman Sachs and UBS.

Volunteerism and Education

Dan is past Chair of the Board at St. Jude Community Homes, a provider of supportive housing for people living with mental illness. He has also served on several corporate advisory boards over the past 5 years. Dan has an MSc. with Distinction from the London School of Economics and a BA Hons from McGill University. He lives in Toronto with his wife and four active (and exhausting) young daughters.

Role at Santis

As a multi-skilled communicator, Hannah can assess the communication strategies of organizations and develop campaigns that are sustainable and engaging to their audiences. Utilizing her broad experience understanding health care issues, Hannah leads Santis’ communications practice and delivers complex messaging effectively through graphic design, social media, corporate communications and media relations.

Experience

Throughout her time with Santis, Hannah has spearheaded communication projects with Trillium Health Partners, Lakeridge Health, Ottawa Public Health and over 20 long-term care homes across the province. During the COVID-19 pandemic, her work focused on leading crisis communications related to outbreaks in long-term care and timely access to COVID-19 testing in key communities.

Prior to joining Santis, Hannah worked at Corus Entertainment where she supported the Global Television publicity team with internal and external communications, event management and media relations. Following her time at Corus, Hannah joined the Movember Foundation, handling their media monitoring and reporting during the height of the campaign.

Volunteerism and Education

Hannah has a Bachelor of Arts degree in media information and technoculture from Western University, a diploma in radio broadcasting from Fanshawe College and a public relations postgraduate certificate from Humber College. She also recently completed her Digital Marketing certificate with BrainStation.

Role at Santis

Victoria supports the Santis team in the areas of strategy, policy, public affairs engagement. She helps to manage client relationships, conducts policy and environmental research, and supports project management.

Experience

Prior to joining Santis, Victoria worked at the Business + Higher Education Roundtable (BHER) as a Research & Development Associate, executing on a portfolio of work focused on understanding and addressing barriers impacting youth from equity-seeking communities in learner and career pathways. She also served as a Corporate Development Associate at BHER, managing Board and member relations, supporting on strategic planning and operations, and coordinating policy and research projects focused on skills and innovation. She brings additional experience from her time as a Research Assistant for the Department of Psychiatry at Queen’s University, where she focused on the mental health of older adults and health care quality in long-term care. She is passionate about leveraging her skills in project management, research, stakeholder engagement, and knowledge mobilization to address pressing challenges in the healthcare sector.

Volunteerism and Education

Victoria holds a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Life Sciences, with a specialization in Epidemiology, from Queen’s University. She was previously a member of the Queen’s University Board of Trustees, and enjoyed serving in numerous other volunteer positions during her degree.

Role at Santis

Based in Ottawa, Ian provides strategic support and advice on policy development to provincial and national clients, as well as expertise in government relations, communications, stakeholder engagement and project management.

Experience

Ian brings a wealth of experience in government working for both political offices as well as the civil service. Prior to joining Santis, Ian served as Senior Policy Advisor to former Ontario Ministers of Health, Dr. Eric Hoskins and Dr. Helena Jaczek where he led a number of files related to long-term care, health workforce planning, health profession regulatory affairs and health promotion.

During his time in the Minister’s office Ian developed and implemented key health care policy including Ontario’s Aging with Confidence Strategy for Seniors and the allocation of over 5,000 new long-term care beds, as well as new legislation and regulation to expand the scope of practice of health care professionals. He has extensive knowledge of the complex labour relations and regulatory environment of health care professions, as well as the long-term care sector.

Volunteerism and Education

Ian holds a master’s degree in public service from the University of Waterloo, and a B.A. (Honours) majoring in History from Queen’s University.

Role at Santis

Eden provides support in project management, stakeholder engagement and communication, policy research and analyses, and event planning to the Santis team and its clients.

Experience

Prior to joining Santis, Eden worked as a research assistant at the University of Ottawa’s Placenta Lab. In this role, she conducted and analyzed scientific research, co-authored a systematic review, analyzed large data sets, reviewed grant submissions, and assisted with ongoing research projects. During her studies and two internships at Santis, Eden has experienced the current and emerging health policy environment.

Volunteerism and Education

Eden holds an Honours Bachelor of Health Sciences from the University of Ottawa with a Minor in Psychology. She currently volunteers with Ausome Ottawa, providing support to children with autism. She has also volunteered with Kids Help Phone, the uOttawa Interprofessional Health Association, and the CARE Lab at the University of Ottawa.

Role at Santis

Peter spearheads Santis Health’s Ottawa practice, supporting a wide range of federal, provincial and national clients throughout Canada on policy support, advocacy and public affairs.

Experience

Peter joined the firm after serving as Director of Parliamentary Affairs for the Hon. Jane Philpott, Minister of Health in the Government of Canada. During his time on Parliament Hill, Peter maneuvered key initiatives through the legislative process including the government’s landmark assisted dying legislation and the successful negotiation of a 10-year health accord agreement with provinces and territories.

Previously, Peter has held senior roles for both the Dalton McGuinty and Kathleen Wynne governments, as the Chief of Staff to the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and as Issues Manager for the former Minister of Health, Hon. Deb Matthews. Peter also served in several advisory capacities for the Minister of Community and Social Services.

Volunteerism and Education

Peter brings a decade of experience with three different governments to Santis, and also has past board experience on the Northumberland United Way Board of Directors and extensive political volunteer experience.

Role at Santis

Chloé provides government relations, communications and project management support to the Santis team and its clients.

Experience

Prior to joining Santis, Chloé completed the Master of International Public Policy program at the Balsillie School of International Affairs at Wilfrid Laurier University. Through this program, she learned the fundamentals of government relations, political research, and public policy. During her time at the Balsillie School, Chloé worked on various research projects with Global Affairs Canada, the Native Women’s Association of Canada, and professors at Wilfrid Laurier University.

Volunteerism and Education

Chloé has a Scottish Master of Arts degree in history from the University of Edinburgh. She also has a Master of International Public Policy degree, with specializations in international environmental policy and human security. Chloé previously volunteered for Encode Justice Canada, a student-led non-profit dedicated to fighting for justice in the age of artificial intelligence, where she researched the ethical implications of using artificial intelligence in health care.

ROLE AT SANTIS

An award-winning communicator, Nancy brings over 20 years of communications experience to Santis, delivering results focused campaigns and strategies that forge partnerships, spark conversation and lead to organizational wins.  

EXPERIENCE

Before joining Santis, Nancy spent five years leading the health practices at two Canadian PR agencies. Her agency highlights include the launch of TELUS Health’s virtual care services, programs to bring awareness to mental health, drug shortages, disease awareness, physician burnout and vaccination, as well as securing global media attention for the world’s first human lung transplant made possible by a drone delivery. Nancy’s work has led to accolades from the Canadian Public Relations Society. 

Nancy also spent about a decade leading senior communication programs for the Ontario Medical Association (OMA), navigating the Association through major public and internal crises after failed negotiations with the government. With a passion for storytelling, Nancy worked to promote the brand of physicians through paid advertising, content marketing and spokespeople. In her time at the OMA, Nancy also developed a passion for the lesser told stories in medicine, particularly in areas like end-of-life care. 

Early in her career working for the Government of Ontario, Nancy served in a variety of roles in the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of the Environment.  

VOLUNTEERISM AND EDUCATION

Nancy volunteers with Wellspring, an organization dedicated to helping people live better with cancer, providing communications counsel via the Communications Committee of the Board. 

Nancy holds an Honours Bachelor of Science from Western University and Certificate in Public Relations from the Toronto Metropolitan University.  

ROLE AT SANTIS

Amirah brings over eight years of experience in content production and communications to Santis Health, where she specializes in project management and translating complex technical narratives into clear and engaging messages. An adept storyteller, her strength is crafting compelling content that aligns with organizational goals, fosters engagement, and promotes a unified brand vision.

EXPERIENCE

Amirah cut her teeth as a journalist but spent the better part of the first decade of her career building an agency within The Walrus called The Walrus Lab. The Walrus Lab creates content, manages awards and scholarship programs, plans events, produces podcasts, writes, edits, and fact-checks for top brands in Canada and beyond. Profits from the work of the Lab fund the journalism of The Walrus.

After her time at The Walrus, Amirah led a communications team at TELUS Health where she was responsible for editorial oversight of all communications channels, content
development, and strategic communications consulting. A highlight of her time there was leading the communications strategy for Total Mental Health (a first-of-its-kind holistic mental health support for employees) while simultaneously shepherding the communications around TELUS Health’s two-billion-dollar acquisition of LifeWorks.

VOLUNTEERISM AND EDUCATION

Amirah volunteers her time on the board of The Local magazine, an independent magazine exploring urban health and social issues in Toronto, and on the board of New Majority, a non-profit, non-partisan organization focused on mobilizing young voters to the polls. Amirah has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto and a Corporate Communications and Public Relations diploma from Centennial College.

ROLE AT SANTIS

Avis Favaro, an acclaimed medical journalist with decades of experience, brings to Santis Health a unique blend of expertise in health communications and journalism. As a Senior Advisor, Avis will leverage her extensive background in uncovering and reporting health stories that matter to Canadians and help bolster our media training program.

EXPERIENCE

As CTV News’ Medical Correspondent, Avis Favaro specializes in health stories that can make a difference in the lives of Canadians. Based in Toronto, Favaro is Canada’s longest-serving television Medical Correspondent, having started this beat for CTV News in 1992. Since then, she has reported on a wide variety of health issues, including medical errors, drug shortages, mental health, novel therapies for cancer, and the latest therapies for neurological diseases.

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

Favaro has been recognized with a total of 13 Gemini Award nominations, winning a 1997 Gemini Award for Best Reportage for a story on an experimental cancer treatment. Along with medical producer Elizabeth St. Philip, Favaro has been recognized with multiple awards – by the Canadian Medical Association, the Canadian Nurses Association, the Ontario Registered Nurses Association, and the Radio Television Digital News Association. Favaro holds an honourary PhD from McMaster University. She also has an honourary membership to the Federation of Medical Women of Canada. She is a graduate of Western University where she earned a Master’s Degree in Journalism.

ROLE AT SANTIS

Micaela provides support in writing internal and external communications, social media, event planning and graphic design to the Santis team and its clients.

EXPERIENCE

Prior to joining Santis, Micaela worked as a Communications Officer for Ontario Creates. In her role, Micaela worked on advertising, marketing, brand development, graphic design, social media and procurement. She is accustomed to working in fast-paced environments, coordinating multiple stakeholders, advertisers and designers to deliver ads, social campaign and event designs. Key projects include Ontario’s presence at the Toronto International Film Festival, Cannes Film Festival and Berlinale; the Trillium Book Awards; and the agency’s new branding.

VOLUNTEERISM AND EDUCATION

Micaela is a graduate of the Toronto Metropolitan University RTA School of Media: Media Production program with a concentration in Film and Television and a minor in Communication and Design. She graduated with honours and holds a Gold Duke of Edinburgh Leadership Award.

Role at Santis

Danielle provides support to a wide range of federal, provincial and national clients throughout Canada on policy support, advocacy and public affairs.

Experience

Danielle has more than a decade of working experience as a professional in the health and life sciences sector, primarily focusing on business development, stakeholder relations, marketing and advocacy. Danielle has extensive experience successfully enhancing growth in both revenue and impact for organizations and companies in this sector.

Prior to joining Santis, Danielle was the Senior Development Manager at Research Canada, an Alliance dedicated to federal advocacy on behalf of health research and health innovation in Canada. During her time at Research Canada, Danielle managed a portfolio of over 100+ members and stakeholders stemming from a variety of sectors including biopharmaceutical companies, academic health science centres, hospitals, health charities, universities and start-ups.

Danielle has held other roles in health care over the years, including Ottawa Chapter Manager at Cystic Fibrosis Canada and Officer of Program and Sponsorships at the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.

Volunteerism and Education

Danielle completed her Honours B.A. at the University of Ottawa in History with a Minor in Psychology. She also recently completed Cycle 1 of a Mini- MBA at Desautels Faculty of Management at McGill University and will be completing Cycle 11 in the fall of 2023.

Role at Santis

With vast experience in the private and not-for-profit sectors, as well as government, Daniel provides strategic advice to help organizations break through the noise and have their message heard — by government and by the public.

Experience

In his 25-year career, Daniel has served in senior-level roles that have seen him set strategic priorities, manage a variety of relationships with stakeholders and implement policy directives. Alongside his work at Santis, Daniel currently serves as an elected City Councillor in New Westminster, British Columbia.

He previously served as Deputy Minister and Chief Executive Officer for Métis Nation BC, CEO for the BC Care Providers Association and Chief of Staff to the Mayor of Vancouver.

Daniel is intimately familiar with the challenges the health care system faces, especially the challenges impacting Canadian seniors, having served as Chair of the Board for the Canadian Association for Long Term Care. He was also appointed by the federal government to serve on the federal Ministerial Advisory Board on Dementia. The board worked to support the development and implementation of Canada’s National Dementia Strategy. In addition, Daniel has advocated to break down barriers that Indigenous people face in accessing equitable health care.

With his expertise, Daniel has also built a prominent media presence co-hosting #BCPoliTalk, a podcast focused on politics in British Columbia. He also wrote a monthly political column for The Orca online and a weekly civic affairs column for 24 Hours Newspaper, in addition he was a political commentator on Global TV and Global BC1 news channels.

Volunteerism & Education

Daniel was appointed to the Board of Directors for Douglas College and served on the board of the College of Psychologists BC. In 2022, Daniel was inducted into Canada’s Marketing, PR, Advertising and Communications Hall of Fame. In 2012, he was awarded the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal for public service and in 2016 the New Westminster Minor Hockey Association presented him with the Volunteer of the Year award.

Daniel earned his political science degree from the University of Manitoba and has completed a Media Writing and Public Relations certificate program at Langara College.

Role at Santis

With deep roots in politics, Stephanie leads Santis’ government relations team. In her role, Stephanie supports health care organizations as they navigate, influence and respond to changing political landscapes.

Experience

Stephanie specializes in government relations, issues management and municipal affairs. As an experienced consultant, Stephanie has an impressive track record driving change and achieving success for a number of health-sector clients including associations, pharmaceutical companies and innovative health tech companies.

Stephanie has also supported a number of municipal, provincial and federal campaigns over the last decade. She was instrumental in three consecutive and successful Toronto mayoral campaigns and contributed to several Progressive Conservative leadership campaigns in Ontario. Stephanie was also the Executive Assistant to a Member of Parliament, where she managed community outreach and engagement.

In addition to her political experience, Stephanie has held senior leadership positions at the Breast Cancer Society of Canada and the Canadian Association for Community Living. In these roles, she implemented strategic development programs and facilitated media relations as part of multi-faceted communications plans.

Volunteerism and Education

Stephanie currently serves on the Board of Directors for Community Living Toronto (CLTO) and Chair of the CLTO Government Relations Committee. She has previously served on the Board of Directors for the Breast Cancer Society of Canada and her local federal Conservative Party riding association. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Queen’s University and a Master of Science from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Role at Santis

Jonathan brings senior strategic counsel and decades of executive and advisory experience to Santis.

Experience

For seven years, Jonathan served as the CEO of the Ontario Medical Association, gaining significant exposure to all facets of the health care system. Upon his arrival, he worked with the board to initiate and implement a Strategic Plan designed to cover the fundamental issues facing the OMA. Based on the plan, the board implemented a major governance realignment, and a communications and public affairs strategy (implemented by Patrick Nelson), which guided the Association’s approach in two rounds of negotiations. Jonathan was also responsible for the turnaround of the OMA subsidiary, OntarioMD, which placed Electronic Medical Record (EMR) technology in the hands of over 11,000 Ontario physicians.

Prior to his tenure at the OMA, Jonathan ran the Credit Union Central of Ontario for over twelve years, where he envisioned and engineered the merger with BC Central Credit Union to create the pan-Canadian Central1. Prior to that he served as a lawyer and diplomat in the foreign service.

Volunteerism and Education

Jonathan has also served on numerous boards, including the University of Guelph, the Harvard Alumni Association, Credit Union Central of Canada, OntarioMD, the Institute for Quality Management in Healthcare, a trust company and two insurance companies. He was Chair of the University of Guelph’s Health for Life initiative and is chair of Board of the Pine River Institute. Jonathan has a law degree from the University of Toronto and a degree in economics from Harvard University.

Role at Santis

Arman provides research and policy analysis, communications, stakeholder engagement and project management support to the Santis team and its clients.

Experience

Prior to Santis, Arman worked as a Program Manager at SE Health, incorporating elements of design thinking to develop a toolkit for organizations to build affordable housing for older adults.

Arman has also previously worked in various research settings with a strong emphasis on social determinants of health, including the Centre for Urban Health Solutions, the Centre for Global Child Health and the Dalla Lana School of Public Health. In his capacity as Policy Researcher at the Wellesley Institute, Arman focused on projects pertaining to Ontario’s health system transformation and applying the Sustainable Development Goal framework to the Ontario Government’s public policies and programs.

Arman worked in several Ministers’ offices for the Ontario Government from 2015 – 2018. Highlights from his roles include assisting with policy development on the Safer Ontario Act and coordinating public appointments to all Police Services Boards in Ontario, with an objective of increasing diversity and mental health advocacy in order to reflect the needs of policing today. He also created an informational guide for all matters pertaining to consumer protection for all constituency offices within the province so they could better assist their constituents.

Volunteerism and Education

Arman served as the board chair at Access Alliance Multicultural Health and Community Services for three years, and recently as the vice-chair of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee as part of the formation of the new Health Care Navigation System in Ontario. Arman is currently finishing his Master of Public Policy, Administration, and Law at York University.

Role at Santis

Izabella provides research, policy analysis, communications, project management and stakeholder engagement support to the Santis team and its clients.

Experience

Izabella has extensive skills and experience in leading multi-stakeholder projects that seek to establish evidence and influence health policies to act on necessary pathways to support healthcare improvement and innovation. Prior to joining the Santis team, Izabella worked as a Research and Partnerships Manager at a women’s health medical technology start-up, Eve Medical. During her time at Eve Medical, Izabella managed governmental contracts focused on technology innovation and also supported the research development, clinical validation, quality assurance, and sale of innovative self-sampling technologies to improve access to diagnostic tests for women in Canada. Izabella also worked at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre at the Practice-Based Research and Innovation (PBRI) Group where she operationalized PBRI’s 5-year strategic plan to ensure goals and objectives were being met. Along with developing new initiatives in engaging patients as co-learners in a didactic quality improvement curriculum to develop skills and collaboration between patients and clinicians to improve gaps in care.

Volunteerism and Education

Izabella completed her Master in Public Health degree at University of Waterloo in June 2020. Her final seminar presentation showcased a policy analysis on appropriate tax reform measures for vaping products in Ontario. She also holds a B.A. (Honours) is Anthropology and a professional diploma in Not-For-Profit Management from Western University

Role at Santis

Ben provides digital health advice and expertise to Santis’ clients, with a particular focus on public policy, strategy, innovation and stakeholder engagement.

Experience

Ben has 15 years of experience within Ontario’s digital health system. In his previous role, as the Manager of Strategy + Innovation with the Ministry of Health’s Digital Health Secretariat, Ben was responsible for the development of the province’s overarching digital health strategy. Ben helped to spearhead digital components of the Ontario Health Team initiative, the establishment of a provincial eConsult service and the creation of innovative virtual care pilots. He also negotiated provincial funding agreements and addressed policy barriers that were limiting the spread and impact of technology across the health system.

In addition to his position at Santis, Ben is also an adjunct faculty member with the University of Toronto’s Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation. In this role, Ben serves as an instructor in the Master of Health Informatics program, with a particular focus on digital health policy.

Volunteerism and Education

Ben has a Bachelor of Arts degree from McGill University as well as a Master of Public Administration from Queen’s University.

Ben has also co-written and produced a pair of award-winning musicals that were staged at independent theatre festivals in Toronto.

Role at Santis

Pia provides research and policy analysis, communications, stakeholder engagement and project management support to the Santis team and its clients.

Experience

Pia has strong public policy, analytical and communications skills and a sincere interest in health. She has worked to advance health policy at the grassroots, provincial, national, and multinational levels. Prior to joining Santis, Pia worked at the Danish Embassy in Ottawa where she was responsible for analyzing Canadian health care to inform Danish government policy and to facilitate collaboration between Canada and Denmark. She was also in charge of communications, public diplomacy and finances.

Pia has also worked in Geneva, Switzerland where she analyzed health policies at several United Nations fora and produced background papers, briefing notes, and developed recommendations to the Danish Government.

Volunteerism and Education

Pia holds a master’s degree in Public Health from University of Copenhagen, Denmark and a bachelor’s degree in Sport Science from Aarhus University, Denmark. Pia conducted epidemiological research for her master’s thesis in Kenya, where she studied the relationship between a fish-based diet and risk factors for cardiovascular diseases in two Kenyan populations.

During her time in Ottawa, Pia volunteered as a research assistant at the Ottawa Hospital, where she performed epidemiological research and quality control to improve osteoporosis scans.

EXPERIENCE

Helen has diverse experiences in the health care field, including academic research, market
research, and relevant consulting project experiences.
Previously, Helen worked at the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for
Governance, Accountability, and Transparency in the Pharmaceutical Sector. As a research
assistant, Helen identified, analysed, and extracted relevant data to support research
projects. She also managed the planning and execution of a 2-day workshop on Corruption
During COVID-19: Looking Backward and Forward, where international leaders in the field,
health system workers, and students participated and learned from each other about this
timely topic.

Additionally, she worked in Ipsos as a healthcare research analyst, where she supported
market research projects that aimed to help clients identify opportunities to address patient
and physician pain-points during diagnosis, prescription, and treatment processes.

VOLUNTEERISM AND EDUCATION

Helen holds a MPhil in Management from Cambridge University. She completed her BSc in
Biochemistry and Cell Biology from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology,
where she published a first-author literature review on Molecular Pathology and Therapeutic
Strategies of Type 2 Diabetes. Helen also recently completed a non-degree year at the
University of Toronto, where she completed courses in health policy and public health.

Throughout her education, Helen took part in advocating for cultural diversity and inclusion
through organizing various interactive activities such as thematic game nights and
discussion groups.

Role at Santis

Cristina provides policy and project management support to the Strategy and Policy team at Santis Health.

Experience

Before joining Santis, Cristina was the Interim Policy Officer for the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Scotland. In this role, Cristina represented Scotland’s specialist mental health clinicians on policy and public affairs and worked to ensure that Scottish Government policy included their expertise and improved outcomes for people with mental illness. At the Royal College of Psychiatrists, Cristina worked on a number of mental health care areas that ranged from specialist workforce planning in the National Health Service to public mental health and wellbeing.

Prior to her time at the Royal College of Psychiatrists, Cristina was selected for the Jude Payne Traineeship in Health and Social Care Policy at the Scottish Parliament Information Centre, the information and analysis body of the Scottish Parliament. During her time at the Scottish Parliament, Cristina provided research and analysis support to Members of the Scottish Parliament, supported the business of parliamentary committees, and conducted and published independent research and analysis on topical health and social care issues and policy. Cristina worked on all areas of health and social care policy devolved to the Scottish Government, including mental health, health inequalities, drug-related deaths in Scotland, and the Coronavirus (Recovery and Reform) (Scotland) Bill.

Cristina also provided project management support to the HR Directorate at the UK Government Department of Health and Social Care during the COVID-19 pandemic and held various internships and temporary positions as a student.

Volunteerism & Education

Cristina holds a postgraduate Master of Studies (MSt) in Modern British History from the University of Oxford and an undergraduate Master of the Arts with Honours (MA Hons) in Modern History from the University of St Andrews. She was awarded a Robert T. Jones Scholarship by the University of St Andrews to spend an academic exchange year at Western University in London, Ontario.

Role at Santis

At Santis, Yvan serves as a writing lead and has worked on multiple projects for member associations and hospitals. Much of his work involves collaborating with senior managers, subject matter experts and marketing teams to help build the essential written elements of their communications projects.

Experience

For over 15 years, Yvan’s work has focused on health care writing projects. As a consultant for the Ontario Hospital Association, he has written and assisted with the development of more than 20 OHA publications including a 400-page guide for perioperative supply chain management that became the seminal resource for Ontario hospitals, as well as a number of guides and toolkits related to health human resources.

As a corporate communications writer, he plans and develops complex messaging projects including annual reports for eHealth Ontario, work that grew from his experience with a Fortune 500 company producing annual reports, web content and speeches. He also serves as a technical writing consultant for a medical device manufacturer where he organizes information and learning, and helps to devise and implement content marketing strategies.

Volunteerism and Education

Yvan has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications and English Literature from the University of Ottawa and a diploma in journalism from Sheridan College.

Role at Santis

James provides government relations, stakeholder relations, project management and communications support to clients and the Santis team.

Experience

Prior to joining Santis, James worked as a consultant, regularly advising government officials and candidates across all three levels of government. As a consultant, James provided advocacy and public policy advice to health stakeholders, including work to support veterans and first responders dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder.

James has extensive experience working on political campaigns across Canada. Most recently, he acted as Deputy Campaign Director on Ken Sim’s successful campaign to become Mayor of the City of Vancouver. James also previously advised the Leader of Canada’s Official Opposition on a number of issues including health care policy.

With over a decade of experience in politics, James has a keen sense determining what elected officials and their staff are looking for when making key decisions. Most notably, James translated this political expertise to support the development of a number of campaigns that advocated for various public benefits including boosting the supply of affordable housing.

Volunteerism and Education

James is a Library Board Trustee in North Vancouver, helping to set strategic direction, develop policies and oversee the library budget. He is also a member of the Rotary Club of North Vancouver.

James holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and political science from Simon Fraser University.

ROLE AT SANTIS

Zach provides government relations, strategy, communications, and project support to clients in Ontario.

EXPERIENCE

Prior to joining Santis Health, Zach worked as a policy analyst and health systems transformation lead with the Canadian Mental Health Association. Zach has also worked at the Ontario Ministry of Health, supporting an assistant deputy minister in navigating the response and recovery to the COVID-19 pandemic. He worked for the Ministry of Mines and supported the drafting and passing of Bill 71, Building More Mines Act.

VOLUNTEERISM AND EDUCATION

Zach holds a Bachelor of Public Affairs and Policy Management from Carleton University, and a Master of Public Policy from the University of Toronto’s Munk school of Global Affairs and Public Policy.

ROLE AT SANTIS

Abhinav provides government relations, communications and project management support to the Santis team and its clients in Western Canada.

EXPERIENCE

Prior to joining Santis, Abhinav was an Officer at the Global Lounge resource centre in the anti-racism committee. In this role he conducted policy research and organised student focused stakeholder sessions. As the Founder of the AMS Malayali Association, Abhinav gained experiences in community organising, event management and communications.

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

Abhinav holds a Bachelor of Political Science with Distinction from the University of British Columbia. He has previously volunteered as a part of MP Joyce Murray’s Constituency Youth Council, and continues to assist the AMS Malayali Association.

Role at Santis

At Santis, Patrick helps health care organizations adapt to the changing health care environment, influence government policy and improve their engagement with members and stakeholders. Patrick has expertise in strategic communications, government relations, public affairs and board governance.

Experience

Prior to joining Santis, Patrick served as the Executive Director of Public and Corporate Affairs at the Ontario Medical Association (OMA), the voice of the province’s 34,000 physicians. Over almost ten years, he led the OMA through several strategic communications campaigns, a comprehensive governance review, as well as a major rebranding of the organization. Under his tenure, member satisfaction with the OMA doubled to a record high and, over the course of a five-month advocacy campaign, the profession witnessed a remarkable 12 per cent increase in public trust.

Patrick also worked in senior communications roles in the Ontario government, as an aide to Ontario’s Minister of Health and as Director of Communications to the Minister of the Environment and to the Minister of Education.

Volunteerism and Education

Patrick served as Past-Chair of the Board of Directors at ALS Canada, following eight years on the Board of Directors and as Co-Chair of the Client Services Advisory Committee and Chair of the Governance Committee. He also serves on the Board of Directors at the Pine River Institute which helps treat adolescents with addiction and mental health challenges. He has also served for six years on the Board of Trustees at the Hincks-Dellcrest Centre, the largest children’s mental health treatment facility in Toronto. During that time, Hincks-Dellcrest presented him with an Award of Appreciation for his work in receiving additional funding from government to support mental health services for kids. Since 2014, Patrick has also served as the Executive Director of the Canadian Association of Physician Assistants.

Patrick also coaches rep baseball and basketball in West Toronto.

ROLE AT SANTIS

Urvi provides research, policy analysis, project management, and stakeholder engagement support to the Santis team and its clients.

EXPERIENCE

Previous to Santis, Urvi has extensive experience as a clinician and educator. She spent six years as a frontline paramedic and has an on-the-ground understanding of healthcare systems. She provides a nuanced and unique perspective on healthcare processes, digital health issues, and clinical improvement. Urvi has specifically leveraged her clinical experience to effectively define, investigate, and propose solutions for data problems in paramedicine.

Urvi is also an active professor at Humber College within their paramedicine program – focusing on applied clinical skills and pharmacology. She is also passionate about and involved in research focusing on policy change in paramedicine.

VOLUNTEERISM AND EDUCATION

Urvi completed her Master’s in Health Informatics at the University of Toronto in mid-2023. Her Master’s project led to the definition of a novel governance model for paramedicine. She also has a Paramedic Diploma from Humber College and a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from McMaster University.

ROLE AT SANTIS

Saäd provides high-value counsel to executives navigating complex organizations, landscapes and challenges, utilizing his decades of experience as a change leader in the public and private sectors,

EXPERIENCE

For nearly 30 years, Saäd has served as a leader in challenging public and private sector environments, honing his expertise in financial administration, leadership of complex organizations, risk management, health care and, critically, as a changemaker who delivers results.

Saäd has held some of the most critical Deputy Minister positions in the Ontario Public Service including public safety and policing, transportation, energy and infrastructure and health and long-term care. During his time at the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care, he oversaw one of the largest government budgets in Canada, $48 billion. Shepherding the Ministry through the challenging landscape after the 2008 to 2009 financial crisis, Saäd also drove impactful change in the realms of infrastructure, digital health and hospital funding modernization.

After his successful tenure with the public service, Saäd was named CEO of the 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games in Toronto. He re-established shareholder and sponsor confidence implementing the largest multi-sport event in Canadian history, returning a significant surplus of funds to taxpayers and increasing the economic activity above normal levels in Toronto and the surrounding 16 municipalities.

Prior to joining Santis as an Executive Advisor, Saäd was a National Leader for the Government and Public Services Industry at Deloitte. He has also consulted and advised a wide number of clients in pharmacare, long-term care, municipalities and major health care organizations.  

VOLUNTEERISM AND EDUCATION

Saäd serves on the Board of Directors for several organizations including the Hospital for Sick Children, Baycrest Seniors Care, Ellis Don and the Canadian Olympic Committee. He has received an Honorary Degree from Humber College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning and was recognized as a one of the “75 for 75^th” distinguished alumni honored as part of the 75^th anniversary of the Faculty of Public Affairs at Carleton University.

Role at Santis

Veronica leads Santis’ Strategy and Policy service area. During her tenure with the firm, Veronica has been pivotal in shaping and expanding Santis’ strategic advisory offerings. Her expertise lies in aligning organizations’ goals with actionable strategies, fostering seamless collaborations, and crafting comprehensive plans that pave the way for long-term success.

Experience

Prior to joining the Santis team, Veronica worked as a policy advisor in the Deputy Minister’s Office at the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport. During her time at the Ministry, Veronica led a diverse range of policy files and provided recommendations to senior management related to the Ministry’s priorities and stakeholder issues.

Veronica also worked on multiple teams at United Way Greater Toronto. At United Way, Veronica assisted in scoping and developing new initiatives for future investments, supported the organizational strategic planning and implementation of the strategic plan, as well as worked with key partners to advance the organization’s research and public policy agenda.

Volunteerism and Education

Veronica holds an M.A. in political studies, and a B.A. (Honours) majoring in political studies with a minor in global development studies from Queen’s University. Veronica has also completed the research analyst postgraduate certificate at Humber College.

Role at Santis

As an Associate, Marcel serves as an advisor to the Santis team and its clients on key health initiatives and supports them in achieving their strategic policy, health care policy and government relations objectives.

Experience

Marcel joined Santis after 30+ years of experience in the federal government focusing on strategic policy, health care policy, and intergovernmental relations. After holding several positions as a Policy Analyst, Marcel became a Policy Advisor for the Director of Policy in the Prime Minister’s Office, where he provided advice on key issues in the Health, Justice and Human Resources Development Portfolios.

Marcel has since held various leadership positions as the Director of Policy Research for the Canadian Medical Association, Director General of Policy Coordination and Director General of Health Care Strategies for Health Canada. Most notably, Marcel worked as the Executive Director, Secretariat for the Advisory Council on the Implementation of National Pharmacare for Health Canada. In this role he oversaw the work of the Advisory Council, provided leadership for the Council’s cross-country consultations, and collaborated with senior officials at Finance Canada, the Privy Council Office and Health Canada.

Prior to joining Santis, Marcel served as an Associate Assistant Deputy Minister for the Strategic Policy Branch of Health Canada. In his role he advised the Minister and Deputy Minister on health care policy and led Federal-Provincial-Territorial negotiations on bilateral agreements for mental health, home care and virtual care.

Volunteerism and Education

Marcel holds a Bachelor of Social Sciences in Economics from the University of Ottawa, along with a Master of Science in Economics from the University of Montreal. Marcel is fluently bilingual in English and French and has significant experience as a member of the Board of Directors of several pan-Canadian health organizations.

ROLE AT SANTIS

Leveraging a vast Conservative network across Canada in governments and opposition parties from Alberta to Ottawa to Atlantic Canada, Vesna supports clients with government relations, provincial affairs, project management and stakeholder relations.

EXPERIENCE

Prior to joining Santis, Vesna served in the Office of the Honourable Danielle Smith, Premier of Alberta, working as the Manager of Stakeholder Relations and then continuing to lead her tour team as Manager of Tour and Scheduling. Before working in the Premier’s Office, Vesna held various roles in the office of the Honourable Tanya Fir, MLA and Minister of Arts, Culture and Status of Women.

Vesna also has experience in political campaign management and stakeholder relations, most recently in senior roles on the Alberta Provincial election in the spring of 2023 and a provincial leadership campaign in the fall of 2022. Vesna is active with federal Conservative Party of Canada (CPC), most recently working on MP Shuv Majumdar’s general by-election in Calgary, as well as CPC nominations in British Columbia.

VOLUNTEERISM AND EDUCATION

Vesna currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Croatian Heritage Society in Calgary, as well as her local provincial United Conservative Party constituency association. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration, with a major in International Business from Vancouver Island University, while also studying at the University of Zagreb, Shanghai Lixin University of Commerce and Qingdao University of Technology.

EXPERIENCE

Jessica has gained vast professional experience working within the health and business sectors, specifically on public affairs, communications, and strategy teams where she coordinated and supported a variety of strategic projects and planning activities. She has developed, implemented and evaluated strategic communications materials such as key messages, briefing notes, memos, and proposals to address the needs of diverse internal and external audiences. Jessica has supported various hospital Boards to help with long-term goals and policies, and assists with strategic planning and decision-making.

Prior to joining Santis Health, Jessica most recently worked for Unity Health Toronto as a Strategy Analyst assisting in the execution of their Strategic Plan and corporate initiatives. She previously worked at William Osler Health System and Trillium Health Partners on a variety of communications and strategy developments.

VOLUNTEERISM AND EDUCATION

Jessica holds a Master of Management and Economics degree with a specialization in Strategy from NOVA University in Lisbon, and a Bachelor of Health Sciences degree with a minor in Management from the University of Ottawa. Jessica also has a Project Management Professional Certificate.

Jessica has volunteered on multiple provincial and federal elections since 2007 and volunteered on numerous campaigns during her time at the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

Role at Santis

Rosa is a Senior Consultant providing strategic problem solving, public policy analysis, and research services to the Santis Leadership Team and clients. Rosa brings significant public health and evidence-informed decision-making expertise to Santis.

Experience

Prior to joining Santis, Rosa worked as Manager of Knowledge Translation at CanCOVID, a network of researchers, academics, decision makers, and industry partners dedicated to an evidence-informed response to the COVID-19 pandemic. During her time at CanCOVID, she led a number of briefs and expert roundtables for federal agency clients on a breadth of topics including vaccines, long-term care, COVID-19 mitigation strategies, indoor ventilation, and mental health. She also collaborated with members of the Ontario Science Table, conducting research and analysis for their Post COVID-19 Condition brief.

Rosa also has on-the-ground healthcare experience at St. Michaels Hospital’s Emergency Department, providing patient coordination and administrative support, which streamlined patient care for Toronto’s most vulnerable populations.

Volunteerism & Education

Rosa holds a Masters in Public Health (MPH) from McMaster University’s Department of Research Methods, Evidence and Impact. She completed her thesis on improving the development of guideline recommendations for antibiotics and consideration of AMR and local contexts. During her time at McMaster, she collaborated on several health research projects, first authoring two published peer-reviewed papers in the BMJ-Open and the CJIDMM. Rosa also co-authored seven papers in journals including The Lancet, Annals of Internal Medicine, and BMJ Global Health. In 2019, she travelled with her thesis supervisor to the World Health Organization Headquarters, supporting an international expert panel updating a tuberculosis guideline.

She also completed a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Life Sciences at the University of Toronto, specializing in Human Biology, Immunology, and the Italian Language.

EXPERIENCE

Prior to Santis, Meghna was a policy analyst at the Public Health Agency of Canada, working with a Senior Director of the National Emergency Security Stockpile. Through this position, Meghna organized various stakeholder engagement consultations and reviewed the financial implications of prevention, preparedness, response and recovery of national emergencies. Meghna has over three years of experience in the Federal Health departments, working with Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada as a policy analyst. She has worked on various health sector issues such as building safety emergencies, mental health issues for employment equity-seeking individuals, and national emergency management.

VOLUNTEERISM AND EDUCATION

Meghna completed a Bachelor of Health Sciences at the University of Ottawa and is currently completing a Masters Degree in Public Administration at the University of Saskatchewan.  She has also completed a Masters Certificate in Public Policy Analysis at the University of Saskatchewan.

Role at Santis

Haylee works on the development of marketing and collateral materials, web design, social media strategies and video and podcast production for clients and internal development.

Experience

In her diverse working background, Haylee spent time in a variety of roles with major companies across Canada. As an innovative and creative professional, Haylee prides herself in thinking outside of the box and continuing to find new and exciting ways to tell stories and shape identity. In her role as Production Manager at StoryBook Theatre, one of Canada’s largest theatres for young audiences, she helped produce live and digital content and worked alongside the Artistic Director. She also spent time developing marketing and social content to promote the organization and generate funding opportunity. She also worked with Canadian Traffic Network as both an airborne and ground reporter, working with dozens of radio and television companies across Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto and Vancouver to write, produce and record news hits.

Volunteerism and Education

Haylee is a recent graduate from Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University) with a Bachelor of Arts in media production and minor in digital marketing. She also recently completed a certificate in Web Development from Lighthouse Labs. She remains passionate about theatre, particularly young peoples theatre, and creating spaces for exploration. In her spare time, she teaches theatre classes for inner city youth and continues to report on evening and weekend traffic for radio stations around the GTA.

ROLE AT SANTIS

Annie provides research and project management support to the Strategy & Policy team at Santis Health.

EXPERIENCE

Before joining the Santis team, Annie coordinated mental health research at Women’s College Hospital, Toronto. In this role, Annie worked with investigators, doctors, patients, and stakeholders to evaluate and scale virtual mental health supports. Annie directly supported the development of research protocols for hospital program implementation and evaluation. Before working in clinical research, Annie worked as a graduate researcher and teaching assistant at the University of Toronto.

VOLUNTEERISM AND EDUCATION

Annie holds a Master of Arts in Psychology and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Toronto. During her graduate studies, Annie was awarded a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Graduate Scholarship. Annie has volunteered as a writer for Polyfield Magazine and The Strand, as well as a research assistant at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and the University of Toronto.

EXPERIENCE

Prior to joining Santis Health, Irem gained valuable experience in the field of human resources as an HR Analyst at Canada Post. In this role, she conducted extensive research on HR company policies, collected confidential policy documents from employees, and facilitated the transition of HR Dashboards, resulting in more efficient data presentation for the organization.

VOLUNTEERISM AND EDUCATION

Irem is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Public Affairs and Policy Management with a focus on International Relations and Conflict at Carleton University. Beyond her academic achievements, she is deeply committed to community involvement. Irem volunteers with the Carleton Student Association’s Womxn’s Centre, where she contributes to research efforts aimed at raising awareness on gender-based discrimination and violence. She has also been a member of Carleton’s Racialized & International Student Experience, fostering understanding and interaction among students from diverse backgrounds.

Role at Santis

Steve leads Santis Health’s Western Canada practice. Collaborating with a team of consultants across British Columbia, Steve supports a range of provincial and national health care clients on public affairs and advocacy focused in B.C. and Alberta.

Experience

Prior to joining Santis, Steve spent over 15 years consulting at a senior level. During this time, he provided advice and guidance to numerous health clients including private sector companies, patient advocacy organizations, and regulatory colleges. His advocacy and policy support has helped clients achieve high-impact objectives such as the addition of a lifesaving Parkinson’s drug to B.C.’s formulary, an expansion to B.C. pharmacists’ scope of practice, and a major addition to B.C.’s seasonal influenza vaccine program.

Before joining the world of consulting, Steve spent almost nine years working for both the provincial and federal governments as a senior political advisor to several cabinet ministers. Steve was a senior political advisor in Victoria to three consecutive ministers of health in the British Columbia government, providing strategic policy advice on issues such as pharmacare, the regulation of health professionals and health technology. He was also a senior political advisor to the Deputy Premier and Minister of Advanced Education and Research.

Prior to that, Steve spent five years in Ottawa with the Government of Canada where he held various policy and advisory roles, including advisor to the senior political minister for British Columbia, the Minister of the Environment and the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans.

Steve has been active in politics for close to 30 years and has been a senior campaign strategist for numerous municipal, provincial and federal campaigns.

Volunteerism and Education

Steve is a member of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade’s Government, Budget and Finance Committee and spent five years on the B.C. Chamber of Commerce’s Policy Committee. He also helped found the Public Affairs Association of Canada’s British Columbia chapter where he spent seven years as a board member.

Steve graduated from the University of Victoria and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science.

Role at Santis

Joining Santis in 2014, Ross brings more than 15 years of experience in public affairs, corporate strategy and journalism. In his role, Ross helps companies and organizations working at the intersection of healthcare, life sciences and innovation overcome strategy and policy challenges.

Experience

Most recently Ross was the Director of Government Affairs and Corporate Responsibility at AstraZeneca Canada (AZC), one of Canada’s leading innovative pharmaceutical companies. Ross was responsible for all public policy and government relations. He led a national team of colleagues and directly supported three CEOs in their government engagement and stakeholder outreach efforts.

Prior to joining AZC, Ross spent nearly four years as the Director of Strategic Partnerships at the MaRS Discovery District, the innovation incubator and urban science park in downtown Toronto. One of the organization’s first full-time employees, Ross built strong ties with all three orders of government, developed a global network of commercialization collaborators and launched the organization’s social innovation initiative.

Ross’ experience includes work for the Institute for Competitiveness and Prosperity at the University of Toronto and “Corporate Knights” magazine, Canada’s leading voice for corporate social responsibility. He also spent five years working in Washington, DC – first at the Embassy of Canada and then at the G7 Group, a political and economic forecasting company.

Volunteerism and Education

Beyond his work at Santis, Ross advises the Institute for Health System Solutions and Virtual Care at Women’s College Hospital on public policy, strategy and stakeholder relations. Ross has an MPA from Queen’s University and an MBA from the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management.

ROLE AT SANTIS

John brings over 20 years of experience in the healthcare sector to his role at Santis Health, and is pivotal in shaping Santis’ strategy, policy development, and public affairs engagement. John is instrumental in managing client relationships, conducting in-depth policy and environmental research, and providing valuable support in project management.

EXPERIENCE

Before joining Santis, John held various impactful roles that enriched his understanding of healthcare policy and advocacy.

With over 13 years at the Ontario Medical Association (OMA) John served in several capacities, starting as Director of Health Policy on Public Health files. He subsequently transitioned to leading the Health Promotion program and eventually became Director of Health Promotion, Research, and Emerging Issues.

As CEO of the Ontario Association of Naturopathic Doctors (OAND) for seven years, John led the organization through significant milestones, including ushering them through the early days of their RHPA regulation, membership and budgetary growth, and then the successful negotiation of the unprecedented challenges of the pandemic.

ADVOCACY

Before his healthcare career, John dedicated six years to advocating for environmental policies at municipal, provincial, and federal levels.

Role at Santis

Victoria is a Director in Santis Health’s Strategy and Policy service area. In this role, Victoria partners with health care organizations to address their highest-priority challenges, with a focus on strategy development, policy analysis and stakeholder engagement.

Experience

Victoria has deep experience partnering with Boards and leadership teams to both plan and execute complex organizational transformation and adapt to changes in the broader health system landscape. She has worked with organizations across the health care continuum, including government agencies, associations, care providers, and privately held organizations — at the national, provincial and local levels. In prior work, Victoria’s areas of focus have included strategy development, workforce transformation and fostering innovative partnerships.

Prior to joining Santis Health, Victoria most recently worked in KPMG’s Healthcare and Life Sciences Practice. She previously worked at TELUS Health and the Ivey International Centre for Health Innovation at Ivey Business School.

Volunteerism and Education

Victoria holds a Master of Business Administration degree with a specialization in Health Services Management from McMaster University, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Western University, with an Honours Specialization in Psychology with a Minor in Writing. Victoria is also a certified Project Management Professional.

Victoria has authored several publications on health system reform, including a report on patient empowerment through Digital Health Canada, and articles on the need for greater investment in community and mental health care through Healthy Debate and Ivey Business School.

ROLE AT SANTIS

Dr. Wright, an esteemed physician recognized worldwide, brings with him an unparalleled depth of experience from leadership roles in health care institutions both in Ontario and globally. At Santis, he will offer strategic counsel to executives grappling with the intricacies of navigating the ever-evolving health care landscape. His role is grounded in his decades of experience as a changemaker in both the public and private sectors, aimed at fostering meaningful organizational transformations.

EXPERIENCE

In 2018 Dr. Wright joined the Ontario Medical Association (OMA). There, in addition to the crucial advocacy of a professional organization he engaged stakeholders, and through thought leadership, the OMA became a credible, trusted, and valuable voice within the health system. Specifically, he advanced the role of physicians in transforming the health care system to serve as a model for Canada and beyond, including policy papers on mental health, primary and integrated care.

The pandemic brought unprecedented challenges where the health policy unit under Dr. Wrights’ leadership played a critical role not just in preparing the profession but more profoundly by guiding and influencing the system.

Previously, as Chief of Perioperative Services at SickKids, arguably one of the most preeminent children’s hospitals, Dr. Wright oversaw one of the busiest and most advanced paediatric surgery departments in the world ensuring a high level of engagement in complex clinical care, basic and clinical research, undergraduate and postgraduate education.Dr. Wright has been involved in many international and national organizations, held many leadership roles, and is an Adjunct Professor at the Universities of Toronto and Oxford.

VOLUNTEERISM AND EDUCATION

Dr. Wright was appointed as a Member of the Order of Canada in 2016 largely based on his National contributions to Children’s Surgery, specifically the Canadian Pediatric Surgical Wait time project. He is the recipient of the highest research awards from the American Academy of Orthopedics Surgeons, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, The Pediatric Orthopaedic Association of North America and the Canadian Orthopaedic Association. He was awarded an ad hominem fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh. He is a distinguished scientist with more than 250 publications.

ROLE AT SANTIS

Stephanie provides support and leadership to external and internal communications, public relations, copy and release writing to clients as well as the Santis team.

EXPERIENCE

Stephanie is a seasoned PR specialist with a passion for navigating the dynamic landscape of technology in both B2B and B2C realms. With a background in communications, she brings a depth of knowledge and expertise in crafting tailored strategies for clients across Southeast Asia and Toronto, Her forte lies in fostering strong relationships with clients and journalists alike, ensuring impactful coverage and resonance in diverse markets.

Passionate about the ever-evolving nature of the tech industry, she excels in developing content and communications strategies that drive results and foster growth for her clients.

VOLUNTEERISM AND EDUCATION

Stephanie holds a Bachelor of Arts from Carleton University and a Masters of Communications from the University of Ottawa.