Santis is a team of doers, drivers and trusted advisors for the most significant policy shifts in health care over the last decade. Our team provides clear insights, an unmatched network of relationships and years of direct experience implementing the health system changes that matter to our clients.

Dan Carbin

Position: Managing Partner
Categories: Strategy and Policy
Location: Toronto
surname: Carbin

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.

Dan Carbin

Managing Partner

Dan co-founded Santis in 2012 after serving in a variety...

Victoria Chappell

Position: Senior Consultant
Categories: Strategy and Policy
Location: Toronto
surname: Chappell

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.

Victoria Chappell

Senior Consultant

Role at Santis Victoria supports the Santis team in the...

Zahra Fatina

Position: Policy Coordinator
Categories: Strategy and Policy
Location: Toronto
surname: Fatina

Role at Santis:

Zahra has joined Santis Health to complete an internship with our Strategy & Policy team. As an intern, Zahra assists the team by providing services in research & policy analysis for Santis’ range of clients.

Experience:

Throughout her schooling, Zahra completed two summer research internships at the Engage Lab at Western’s School of Occupational Therapy. There, she honed her skills in qualitative research analysis and technical writing. She also completed an eight-month placement at London Health Sciences Centre as an Evaluation & Implementation analyst. After graduating, Zahra worked as a Summer Projects Assistant at the Ministry of Health’s Research Evaluation & Analysis Branch.

Volunteerism & Education:

Zahra holds a Bachelor of Health Sciences from Western University, with an Honours Specialization in Rehabilitation Sciences. She held several volunteer positions in the campus life sphere – most notably as a Vice President for the Faculty of Health Sciences Student Council and Communications Executive for Western’s Ethnocultural Support Services.

Zahra Fatina

Policy Coordinator

Role at Santis: Zahra has joined Santis Health to complete...

Jonathan Guss

Position: Senior Advisor
Categories: Strategy and Policy
Location: Toronto
surname: Guss

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.

Jonathan Guss

Senior Advisor

Role at Santis Jonathan brings senior strategic counsel and decades...

Arman Hamidian

Position: Consultant
Categories: Strategy and Policy
Location: Toronto
surname: Hamidian

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.

Arman Hamidian

Consultant

Role at Santis Arman provides research and policy analysis, communications,...

Pia Lindemann Kristensen

Position: Senior Consultant
Categories: Strategy and Policy
Location: Vancouver
surname: Kristensen

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.

Pia Lindemann Kristensen

Senior Consultant

Role at Santis Pia provides research and policy analysis, communications,...

Cristina Marini

Position: Policy Coordinator
Categories: Strategy and Policy
Location: Toronto
surname: Marini

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.

Cristina Marini

Policy Coordinator

Role at Santis Cristina provides policy and project management support...

Saäd Rafi

Position: Executive Advisor
Categories: Strategy and Policy
Location: Toronto

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 75th” distinguished alumni honored as part of the 75th anniversary of the Faculty of Public Affairs at Carleton University.

Saäd Rafi

Executive Advisor

ROLE AT SANTIS Saäd provides high-value counsel to executives navigating...

Veronica Said

Position: Client Engagement Director, Strategy and Policy
Categories: Strategy and Policy
Location: Toronto
surname: Said

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.

Veronica Said

Client Engagement Director, Strategy and Policy

Role at Santis Veronica leads Santis’ Strategy and Policy service...

Marcel Saulnier

Position: Associate
Categories: Government Relations, Strategy and Policy
Location: Ottawa
surname: Saulnier

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.

Marcel Saulnier

Associate

Role at Santis As an Associate, Marcel serves as an...

Jessica Sousa

Position: Consultant
Categories: Strategy and Policy
Location: Toronto

ROLE AT SANTIS

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

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.

Jessica Sousa

Consultant

ROLE AT SANTIS Jessica provides research and policy analysis, communications,...

Annie Truuvert

Position: Policy Coordinator
Categories: Strategy and Policy
Location: Toronto

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.

Annie Truuvert

Policy Coordinator

ROLE AT SANTIS Annie provides research and project management support...

Victoria Wiebe

Position: Director, Strategy and Policy
Categories: Strategy and Policy
Location: Toronto
surname: Wiebe

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.

Victoria Wiebe

Director, Strategy and Policy

Role at Santis Victoria is a Director in Santis Health’s...