News

David Agnew Appointed Chair of the CADTH Board of Directors

CADTH is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. David Agnew to Chair of the CADTH Board of Directors, effective July 10, 2018.

Mr. Agnew has led a distinguished career as an executive and senior leader in the public, private, and non-profit sectors. He is currently the President of Seneca College, one of the largest colleges in Canada. His diverse experience, knowledge of corporate governance, and passion for evidence-based policy make him an ideal choice to lead the CADTH Board of Directors.

In his public service career, Mr. Agnew served as Principal Secretary to the Premier before moving on to the role of Secretary of the Cabinet and Head of the Public Service for the Government of Ontario. He also led the Public-Private Partnerships Project and was seconded to Massey College at the University of Toronto, where he was a Senior Resident.

Mr. Agnew held the position of President and CEO of UNICEF Canada, and was the first head of the organization recruited from outside the international development sector. As Principal for the consulting firm Digital 4Sight, he led the firm’s global research initiative on Governance in the Digital Economy. In the co-operative sector, he was the Executive Vice-President and Corporate Secretary for the Credit Union Central of Ontario. Mr. Agnew also held the position of Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments, the national dispute resolution service for consumers and small businesses.

Mr. Agnew is on the boards of directors for Polytechnics Canada, Colleges and Institutes Canada, and the Education Quality and Accountability Office. He is the past Chair of Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and of Colleges Ontario. He also serves on numerous other boards and committees, including the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council, the Council on Foreign Relations’ Higher Education Working Group on Global Issues, the Sichuan University International Advisory Board, the CivicAction Steering Committee and the Canadian Ditchley Foundation Advisory Board. He is a former member of the federal government’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Council, a former director of ventureLAB and the Empire Club of Canada, and has served on the campaign cabinets of the United Way in Toronto and Peel.

In 2012, Mr. Agnew received a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for his service to the community.

As Chair of the CADTH Board of Directors, Mr. Agnew will serve as a key spokesperson for CADTH and will be responsible for ensuring that the Board meets its obligations and fulfills its governance responsibilities. He will be integral in implementing the 2018-2021 CADTH Strategic Plan, which will see CADTH transition from a health technology assessment organization to a health technology management enterprise.

“I am delighted and honoured to accept this appointment,” Mr. Agnew said. “In today’s world of a rapidly growing pipeline of new drugs and devices, CADTH’s role as a trustworthy source of evidence, advice, and recommendations on their appropriate use is more important than ever. I would like to thank my predecessor, Dr. Terrence Sullivan, for setting the bar so high.  I look forward to building on the successes CADTH has achieved under his tenure.”

The 13-member CADTH Board of Directors is composed of an independent chair; a regional distribution of jurisdictional federal, provincial, and territorial representatives; and a number of non-jurisdictional representatives from health systems, academia, and the general public.

CADTH Board members, effective July 10, 2018, are:

Board Chair

  • David Agnew

Jurisdictional and Competency-Based Directors

  • Abby Hoffman: Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic Policy Branch, Health Canada
  • Mitch Moneo: Assistant Deputy Minister, Pharmaceutical Services Division, Ministry of Health, British Columbia
  • Mark Wyatt: Assistant Deputy Minister, Saskatchewan Ministry of Health
  • Stephen Samis: Deputy Minister, Health and Social Services, Government of Yukon
  • Suzanne McGurn: Assistant Deputy Minister and Executive Officer, Ontario Public Drug Programs; and Vice-Chair of the CADTH Board of Directors
  • John Abbott: Deputy Minister, Heath and Community Services, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador
  • Dr. Kim Critchley: Deputy Minister, Health and Wellness, Prince Edward Island
  • Dr. Brendan Carr: President and Chief Executive Officer, William Osler Health System
  • Dr. Charmaine Roye: Physician
  • Cathy McIntyre: Principal, Strategic Initiatives
  • Ellen Pekilis: Legal, Risk, and Governance Advisor
  • Dr. Stuart Peacock: Leslie Diamond Chair in Cancer Survivorship and Professor, Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University; Co-Director, Canadian Centre for Applied Research in Cancer Control; Distinguished Scientist in Cancer Control Research, British Columbia Cancer Agency

Observer

  • Dr. Luc Boileau: President and CEO, Institut national d’excellence en santé et en services sociaux

About CADTH

CADTH is an independent, not-for-profit agency funded by Canadian federal, provincial, and territorial governments to provide credible, impartial advice and evidence-based information about the effectiveness of drugs and other health technologies to Canadian health care decision-makers.

For further information, contact
Kate Parson, Communications Officer
613-226-2553
[email protected]