Board of Directors

Daphne Fedoruk, Chair

Daphne Fedoruk is legal counsel for the Canadian Human Rights Commission, where she represents the public interest on behalf of the Commission in human rights litigation. Daphne regularly plays an active role in settlement negotiations and mediations of emotional and contentious disputes.

Prior to joining the Commission, Daphne was a lawyer at Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP, practising in all areas of employment, labour law and human rights law. She frequently advised not-for-profit and health care organizations and acted as a trusted advisor to employers, providing strategic advice on complex workforce issues. Daphne has particular expertise in disability and mental health accommodation and a passion for creating healthy and respectful workplaces.

Daphne served as a board member and Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of the Ottawa Children’s Treatment Centre from 2009 to 2014 and is certified in Not-for-Profit Governance by the Institute of Corporate Directors and Rotman School of Management. Daphne is proud to bring her perspective as a parent to her governance role.

Jo-Anne Poirier, Vice chair

Jo-Anne Poirier joined VON Canada in 2014 as President and Chief Executive Officer. From 2008 until 2014, Jo-Anne was Chief Executive Officer of the Ottawa Community Housing Corporation. Under her leadership, Ottawa Community Housing received several awards for excellence including the 2011 Ottawa Chamber of Commerce Business Achievement Award’s Non-Profit Organization of the Year. Jo-Anne was previously Vice-President, Resource Development and Chief Executive Officer of the Government of Canada Workplace Charitable Campaign for United Way Ottawa, First Vice-President, Business Development for MBNA Canada Bank, and Deputy City Manager, Corporate Services with the City of Gloucester. She has worked for more than 35 years in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors.

Jo-Anne is also actively involved in the community and on several Boards of Directors. She was Second Vice-Chair of the Board of Trustees of CHEO until September 2016 and is continuing on the Board of CHEO, Vice-Chair of the City of Ottawa Board of Health and is a member of the Calian Board of Directors. She was a founding board member of the Board of Directors of the Champlain Local Health Integration Network (LHIN), 2005-2010. Jo-Anne has received several awards for her work in the community, including the 2012 Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal and the 2012 Dirigeante de l'année, Secteur Communautaire (2012 CEO of the year, Non-Profit sector) Award from the Regroupement des gens d'affaires de la capitale nationale.

Filipe Dinis, Treasurer

Filipe Dinis was appointed Chief Operating Officer of the Bank of Canada, effective May 2014. As COO, he is responsible for overseeing the Bank’s strategic planning, administrative functions and operations. This includes oversight of its corporate administration departments and operational planning.

Before joining the Bank, Mr. Dinis served in the federal Privy Council Office, where he was Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet and provided strategic advice and analysis to the Clerk of the Privy Council on Business Transformation and Public Service Renewal. He also served as Secretary to the Prime Minister’s Advisory Committee on the Public Service. Prior to that position, he was Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Commissioner at the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).

Mr. Dinis has had a distinguished career in the federal public service, gaining experience in a number of federal organizations including Canada Customs (now Canada Border Services Agency) and Foreign Affairs and International Trade (now the Global Affairs Canada) and at the CRA.

He holds a Bachelor of Commerce from McGill University, and is a Certified Management Accountant. He has completed several executive leadership programs.

 Jim Roche

Jim Roche is the President and CEO of Stratford Managers Corporation. He founded the company to positively impact society by helping organizations and their leaders achieve their goals and reach their full potential. Jim’s drive to positively impact society has been a guiding principle throughout his extensive career, leading to impressive accomplishments in privately owned and public companies as well as not-for-profits. As a seasoned executive and corporate director with over 30 years of experience, Jim is a strong advocate for small- and medium-sized companies and an active angel investor. He provides C-level advice on governance, strategy and operational matters, and serves in interim CEO roles. Prior to starting Stratford, Jim began his career as a founding member of Newbridge Networks where he helped grow the company to over $1B in revenue. Jim then co-founded Tundra Semiconductor and during his tenure as President and CEO, the company achieved double-digit average annual revenue and profit growth.

Over his career, Jim has sat on over forty boards and committees. He is currently a corporate director on the boards of Ballard Power Systems, Aonix and ThinkRF. As a community builder, Jim also sits on the boards of CHEO and Invest Ottawa, and champions innovation on the boards of Ocean Networks Canada, NRC-IRAP and the Innovation Centre at Bayview Yards. Previous board assignments include Wi-LAN, DNA Genotek, Youth Services Bureau and Queensway Carleton Hospital.

 Jim Armour

Jim Armour is a Vice President at Summa Strategies and has extensive knowledge of media relations, communications, advocacy and advertising. His broad skill set gives clients the opportunity to take an integrated approach to achieving their objectives.

Prior to joining Summa, Jim served as Director of Communications and Marketing at the Canadian Medical Association where he played a key role in their efforts to improve access, reduce wait times and address Canada’s doctor shortage.

Jim worked on Parliament Hill from 1994 to 2000 and from 2002 to 2005. He was Communications Director for two Leaders of the Official Opposition and helped brand the launch of both the Canadian Alliance and the Conservative Party of Canada. This interest in marketing strategy and tactics was furthered by the two years he spent with one of Atlantic Canada’s top advertising agencies.

Originally from St. John’s Newfoundland, Jim has a B.A. (Hons) from McGill and a M.A. in Newfoundland History from Memorial University. He also earned his APR accreditation from the Canadian Public Relations Society and has a CAAP designation from the Institute of Communication Agencies.

Outside of the office, Jim serves on the boards of CHEO, the Canadian Pharmacists Association, the Forum for Young Canadians and the North Grenville Public Library. He also sits on the editorial board of the international Journal of Communication in Health care.

 Pam Aung Thin

Pam Aung Thin is the Assistant Deputy Minister, Consultations and Communications for Finance Canada. She joined the Department of Finance in 2014 as General Director, Consultations and Communications. With over 25 years of communications experience, she has held a number of positions in the private sector, public sector and not-for-profit. Prior to joining Finance Canada, Pam was National Director, Public Affairs and Government Relations for the Canadian Red Cross, one of the world’s most highly recognized humanitarian organizations. She also served as Vice President, Communications for the Royal Canadian Mint and was Senior Vice President and National Practice Leader, Technology for communications firm Hill & Knowlton Strategies. Since 2012, Pam has served as a Board Trustee for the CHEO. Pam holds a Bachelor’s degree in Social Science from the University of Ottawa.

 Sacha Baharmand

Sacha is legal counsel with the Department of Justice Canada. Prior to joining the public service, he was a litigator in private practice in Ottawa as well as on Bay Street. His litigation experience includes having been seconded to both the RCMP and the Competition Bureau to manage complex commercial and regulatory litigation on behalf of the Crown.

Sacha is a recognized resource on access to justice. In his current role, he helps craft access to justice policy, drawing upon his particular expertise relating to official language minority communities. He is a member of the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Working Group on Access to Justice in Both Official Languages, as well as the Justice Canada National Advisory Committee on Access to Justice in Both Official Languages.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Manitoba and a Juris Doctor from the Université de Moncton. He is a former Associate Editor of both the Revue de la common law en français as well as the Canadian Legal Information Institute (CanLII).

Sacha has considerable experience in health policy and systems governance. Prior to joining the CHEO Board, he was most recently a board member of the Ottawa Children’s Treatment Centre and chaired its Quality and Safety Committee. He is a former Board Chair of Carlington Community Health Centre, having played a leading role in securing funds for its current capital project aimed at creating a primary care, wellness and affordable housing service hub. He currently serves on the board of Centretown Community Health Centre.

For his commitment to legal excellence and community service, Sacha was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2013. He is the proud father of two daughters, both of whom are CHEO kids.

 Alexa Brewer

Alexa Brewer brings extensive knowledge related to health systems and health policy to the CHEO Board. Alexa has significant governance experience within the healthcare sector, and has most recently completed two 3-year terms as a director on the Board of the Champlain Local Health Integration Network.

A nurse by background, her career also includes senior roles in the federal government, and she has significant expertise in the areas of health systems integration, governance and health policy as well as information management and technology. Alexa has a Bachelor of Nursing from McGill University and an MBA from the University of Ottawa.

 Cathy Curry

As Trustee and Chair of the Ottawa Carleton District School Board, Director on the Ottawa Carleton Education Network and the Education Foundation Board, Cathy Curry’s interest in serving the public has given her considerable experience in community building. She currently sits on the CHEO Board and the Ottawa Fusion Volleyball Club Executive. She was a member of the Best Start Planning Table for Kanata, Stittsville, Goulbourn and West Carleton.

Recently Cathy helped to run and plan the National Roundtable for Teachers of the Arts. She is a member of the College of Teachers and still teaches occasionally. She holds a Bachelors of Arts in English Literature and a Masters of Science in Education.

Cathy has traveled extensively, is raising four teenagers and plays French Horn in the Concert Band of Kanata. She is beginning her first term on the Caldwell Family Centre Board.

 Louis Doyle

Louis Doyle served as a Parent Representative on the Ottawa Children’s Treatment Centre Board from 2015 to 2016, bringing with him 20 years of experience in various fields, including policy and programming. Currently he works as a ministerial liaison with FedNor, an Innovation, Sciences and Economic Development Canada program that is working with community partners to achieve job creation and economic growth in Northern Ontario.

 Meena Roberts

Meena Roberts is a Managing Partner at Nawitka Capital Advisors, an advisory boutique that provides investment, strategy and governance advice to private and government clients in the Clean Technology sector. For 24 years prior, she worked as a Management Consultant (18 years as self-employed and 6 years with Ernst & Young, Ottawa) specializing in strategic planning, decision analysis, change management, and evaluations. She started her career in Washington DC with Policy Studies Associates and was an RA for the Harvard Institute for International Development researching barriers to education faced by women and children in developing countries. She holds a Master’s degree in Planning and Social Policy from Harvard University and a Master’s in Education from UBC.

Meena has also served in leadership roles on numerous Boards and Councils over the last 24 years, including as Trustee of CHEO, Chair of its Quality and Safety Committee; Chair of Ashbury College; Governance Chair of Ottawa Community Housing Foundation; Board of United Way Ottawa, Chair of its Multicultural Outreach Committee, Member of its Immigrant Impact Council, Community Services Cabinet, and Women’s Community Leadership Committee. She also served on Ottawa’s Advisory Council on Race Relations, the Corner Stone Women’s Shelter Expansion Steering Committee, and was Founding Executive Secretary of the India Women’s Associations. Internationally, Meena currently serves on the Board and Governance Committee of Aravind Eye Hospital Foundation, India. She also served on the International Advisory Board of Agasthya Foundation, and was Advisor to Child Haven International.

Benoit Laberge

Chair of the Board of the OCTC School Authority

As a member of the CHEO Board of Directors, Benoit Laberge brings years of experience in education and administration. He has been in the field of education for 43 years, as both a special education teacher as well as Director of student services in both Quebec and Ontario. He is presently teaching special education in the Faculty of Education at the University of Ottawa.

Benoit has been a board member of the Ottawa Children’s Treatment Centre (OCTC) School Authority since 2014. In this role, he is responsible, along with fellow board members, for supervising the operation of the School Program.

Benoit has worked on provincial programs related to children with special needs, including Programme AVIS, provincial Individual Education Plan (IEP), and a program related to social abilities. He is presently a consultant in the field of education, administration, and special education. Benoit has also developed and coordinated the Community services program for a French School Board.

Dr. Melissa Forgie

University of Ottawa

Dr. Forgie was previously Residency Program Director for the University of Ottawa's Hematology Training Program. Her clinical practice specializes in thromboembolic diseases, haemoglobinopathies and transfusional iron overload.

Dr. Forgie is now Vice-dean, Undergraduate Medical Education, at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine. Prior to this, she was Assistant Dean, Student Affairs as well as the Association of Faculties of Medicine National Co-Chair for Student Affairs.

Dr. Forgie has received several teaching awards and teaches in both the Anglophone and Francophone streams of the undergraduate medical education program. She has received Faculty awards for her teaching in both languages.

She has also received numerous patient care awards and is a 2009 recipient of the Ottawa Hospital Physician Recognition Award. She is currently one of the most highly awarded physicians at The Ottawa Hospital and is a site chief.

In her capacity as Vice Dean, Undergraduate Medical Education, she has received recognition for her advocacy for and assessment of the learning environment. She has recently developed a program for social accountability for the MD program, which encompasses humanities, community service learning, global health, leadership and social determinants of health subprograms. She sits on a number of AFMC working groups.

She is an invited member of the International Women’s Forum, which features women world leaders who have broken through barriers and achieved recognition for their leadership.

She served as a member of the Board of Trustees for the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario since January 2015.

In November 2015, Dr. Forgie was awarded the Jeff Turnbull Health Advocacy Award.

Dr. Elka Miller

President of CHEO's Medical Staff

Alex Munter

Chief Executive Officer

Alex is leading the hospital into the future as it faces new challenges and takes advantage of new opportunities to build an exceptional patient experience and better connect care for the patients and families we serve.

Under Alex’s leadership, the hospital completed the most comprehensive strategic review in its 40-year history, setting for itself a new vision for the future of healthcare in this community, and an action plan to get there. The hospital has prioritized a number of backbone initiatives that will underpin this work, including the deployment of an integrated electronic health record, the roll out of Lean processes to drive continuous improvement and a refresh of its talent management strategy. Patient satisfaction surveys have several times identified CHEO as the best place for pediatric care in Ontario and Forbes Magazine has twice named the organization as the best place to work in Canadian healthcare.

In 2012, Alex served as co-chair of Ontario’s Health Kids Panel along with Kelly Murumets, President and Chief Executive Officer of ParticipACTION. The final report recommended starting kids on the right path from conception to birth, changing the food environment, and creating healthier communities.

Prior to joining CHEO Alex was Chief Executive Officer of the Champlain Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) -- the provincial government agency responsible for planning, integrating and funding health services in the region. He strengthened the region’s health system by making strategic investments at hospitals and community-based agencies in both urban and rural areas of our region. In particular, he made great strides in improving care for the elderly by putting in place programs that help vulnerable seniors stay independent and healthy for as long as possible in their own homes.

Prior to joining the LHIN, Alex was Executive Director of the Youth Services Bureau (YSB), one of Ontario’s largest accredited children's mental health agencies. During his tenure, the organization grew by one-third, adding services and expanding its reach. It won recognition for a ground-breaking new health clinic for street-involved youth, the establishment of a youth mental health hub and launch of innovative new clinical mental health programs, closer co-ordination between hospitals and community mental health providers, new programs to help at-risk youth find and keep jobs and new measures to improve the agency’s governance, efficiency and service quality.

Alex was a City and Regional Councillor in Ottawa from 1991 to 2003. From 1997 onward, he headed council committees responsible for health and social services with oversight of the city’s $550 million human services budget. In that role, he led Council to unanimously adopt pioneering smoke-free regulations in 2001; helped open new child care centers, expand the number of child care spaces, and expand public health programs for children and youth; worked with provincial government to oversee the transfer of ambulance services and social housing to the municipal level; initiated Canada's first comprehensive public access defibrillator program; expanded long-term care for seniors; funded hospital expansions and worked with the Community Care Access Centre and community support agencies to improve at-home support services for seniors and people with disabilities.

Alex holds a Bachelor of Social Sciences (BSocSc) degree from the University of Ottawa, a Master of Science (MSc) degree in Behavioural Science from the London School of Economics and a professional designation as a Certified Health Executive (CHE) from the Canadian College of Health Leaders. After leaving city government, he was a Visiting Professor in the School of Political Studies at the University of Ottawa, teaching there and at Montreal’s Concordia University.

Alex was very involved in the restructuring of hospital and other health services as a member of the former Ottawa-Carleton District Health Council in the 1990’s. Other health-planning leadership roles included his assignment as Co-Chair of the Regional Task Force on Health Care (1998-1999), member of the board for the Ottawa-Carleton Children's Aid Society (1997-2000), Co-Chair of the National Network on Ethnocultural Communities and AIDS (1990-91), member of the Ontario Advisory Council on Multiculturalism (1992-94), Board Member of the Community Foundation of Ottawa (2004-2006), and appointment to the Ontario Public Health Capacity Review Committee and chair of its governance panel (2005-2006).

Alex has won numerous awards from a wide range of organizations for his contributions to the community, including the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, the Canadian Institute for Child Health, United Way/Centraide Ottawa, the Federal Business Development Bank, l’Association Canadienne-Française de l’Ontario d’Ottawa, Leadership Ottawa and the Ontario Association of Social Workers.Alex has also been awarded the Ontario Volunteer Service Award in the 1990's and most recently in 2012, he was awarded the Ontario Francophonie Award and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal.

Dr. Lindy Samson

Chief of Staff

Dr. Samson obtained her medical degree from McMaster University School of Medicine in Hamilton in 1990. She completed her Pediatrics and Pediatrics Infectious Diseases residencies at CHEO. Dr. Samson then completed further training in Pediatric HIV and Clinical Epidemiology at the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and the University of Toronto. Moving back to CHEO, she worked for some time before serving as the Chief of the Division of infectious Diseases for over 10 years.

Her academic and research work is focused on pediatric HIV, the impact of social determinants on the health of children and youth and teaching/evaluating the Health Advocate and Leadership Roles across the continuum of learners.

Dr. Samson was appointed Chief of Staff in April 2016. As CHEO’s senior physician leader, she is responsible for organizing the activities of the medical staff and for ensuring the quality of clinical care and patient safety. In this role, she works closely with the CEO and the Executive Team, and reports directly to the Board of Trustees.

Ann Lynch

Chief Nurse Executive and Vice President Acute Care

Ann was most recently Associate Director General, Clinical Operations and Nursing Affairs at the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) which includes the Montreal Children’s Hospital. In this capacity, she was responsible for clinical operations at the multisite 1,000 bed heath care facility. She brings over 30 years of experience in spearheading multiple organization wide quality and research initiatives as well as leading the integration of many health care teams associated with the formation of the MUHC twenty years ago. Ann was the senior clinical leader involved in the planning of the new 500 bed facility at the Glen Campus (MUHC) which opened in 2015. Her team was responsible for organizing the move of over 200 patients into this new facility.

Ann completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing and her Masters of Science(Applied) at the McGill University Ingram School of Nursing where she held the position of assistant professor. She has published numerous articles and has sat on several hospital and foundation Boards. She was honored in 2016 at the MUHC with the Katherine Rolph Award of Merit for outstanding leadership to the department of surgery and the Award of Merit from the Cedars Cancer Foundation for outstanding contributions to Cancer care. In 2008, she was the recipient of the Hector L Bertrand award from the Association des Cadres Superieurs for career accomplishment.