Andrew Treusch
Board of Directors, Chair: Governance & Nominations Committee
Andrew Treusch was born in Saskatoon and grew up in Winnipeg. He received a B.A. (Honours) and an M.A. from the University of Manitoba in 1976 and 1978. He then began a Ph.D. program at Queen’s University when he was named a Canadian Parliamentary Intern, which brought him to Ottawa in 1979. Andrew’s career as a Canadian public servant began in the early 1980s with the Department of Finance. Over the years, he moved to other federal departments in positions of increasing responsibility. In 2007, Andrew was appointed Executive Director of the Competition Policy Review Panel, which reported in 2008. Later that year Andrew was appointed Associate Deputy Minister of Environment Canada, and then Associate Deputy Minister of Public Works and Government Services in 2009. In 2012 he was named Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of the Canada Revenue Agency. Andrew was the 2014 Chair of the Government of Canada Workplace Charitable Campaign, a Deputy Minister Champion for Memorial University, and a President of the Institute of Public Administration of Canada. Andrew retired in 2016, but does consulting work for federal government clients. Andrew joined the Board in 2019 and became Chair of the Governance and Nomination Committee. In the spring of 2022 he became Interim Chair of the Board of Directors. He is leading the organization through transition and change. He is married, with three children, and resides in Ottawa. He is active on twitter @AndrewTreusch.
Mary Ann Butt
Vice Chair, Governance & Nominations Committee
Mary Ann Butt leads Heart & Stroke’s operations in Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island. As a member of the Executive Team, she helps drive the vision of the Foundation forward. In her previous roles with Heart & Stroke, Mary Ann was CEO, Newfoundland and Labrador, which was then expanded to Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. She continues to guide the Foundation’s work across the Atlantic region, generating awareness of the impacts of heart disease and stroke, working with three provincial boards, municipal/provincial governments in the development of healthy public policy, guiding annual fundraising events, and spearheading transformational partnerships that enable investments in the future health of Canadians. Before joining Heart & Stroke in June 2012, Mary Ann served as Executive Director of the Pharmacists’ Association of Newfoundland and Labrador, where she was an integral member of the PANL negotiations team which secured an evolutionary expanded scope of practice pharmacy services government contract in 2012. Mary Ann holds a master’s degree and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Memorial University. Mary Ann currently resides in Loggy Bay, NL with her husband Craig and dog Maddy.
Robert Eardley
Robert Eardley is a retired Senior Director at Air Canada with over 30 years of business experience. He was Co-captain of the Air Canada Ride to Conquer team for 9 years while raising over $1M during this time. In his various roles at Air Canada, Robert has significant expertise in building and operating strategic business alliances and IT digital transformations. He led the Air Canada team responsible for successfully negotiating a 7 year strategic Information Technology $1.4 billion agreement and leading both its Innovation teams, and the airline’s IT operations excellence program. Robert previously was a Senior Product Manager for AC’s International flights to/from the UK. He has considerable experience building strategic relationships, both commercial, and with its IT partners – having led the AC team responsible for the first Air Canada/United Airlines and Air Canada/Lufthansa airlines successful agreements – leading to the foundation of Star Alliance, the world’s largest and most comprehensive global alliance. Robert was also VP Sales and Marketing for a Quebec start-up, focused on Loyalty and Digital solutions for Retail and professional sports such as the Florida Marlins of MLB and the Florida Panthers of the NHL. Robert is an avid cyclist and skier; he has a BA, a professional certificate in photography, and an MBA from the John Molson School of Business.
Allan Smofsky
Allan Smofsky is the Managing Director of SSP, a strategic planning consultancy dedicated to measurably improving health, engagement and performance, primarily in the workplace space. Allan has extensive experience in health promotion and disease management, employee benefits, and organizational strategy development, execution and evaluation. He consults on issues to workplace and health system stakeholders – across the spectrum of organizational health. A fluently bilingual (French & English) native of Montreal, Allan founded SSP in 2004 following several years in senior-level leadership and consulting positions with global health/ benefits and human resources and consulting firms, as well as workplace health service providers. He is currently based in Toronto, Canada. Allan is an active member of several health & benefits industry organizations, including the Ontario Workplace Health Coalition (Board of Directors), Group Insurance Pharmaceutical Committee (GIPC), and Benefits Breakfast Club Advisory Committee. He also lectures at Centennial College’s (Toronto) School of Community and Health Studies post-graduate Workplace Wellness & Health Promotion program, and mentors business entrepreneurs through the Waterloo Region Small Business Centre. Allan has demonstrated leadership in advocating for a comprehensive and integrated approach to organizational health. He is a past winner of the Benefits Canada Workplace Benefits Award and is a frequently invited speaker and writer on organizational health & well-being issues.
Angie Specic
Angie Specic joined the HealthPartners Board in January 2018. She is Vice President of Marketing & Communications for Crohn’s and Colitis Canada since January 2016. An accomplished marketing leader with over 20 years of experience in the telecommunications industry, Angie brings extensive capabilities in brand strategy, advertising, communications, and digital engagement.
Paul Petrelli
A business leader in the Biotechnology/Pharmaceutical Industry, Paul has a proven track record of performance and experience leading people and business in biotechnology and rare disease in both Canada and the United States. His experience includes building and growing businesses with such companies as GlaxoSmithKline, Astra Zeneca, Biogen and recently Jazz Pharmaceuticals. He is an active member of the board with; The Biomedical Discovery and Commercialization Program at McMaster University Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences and Biotech Canada, where he is board chair, and is a member of the Life Sciences Advisory Consortium City of Mississauga. He also served as member of the board with the Lymphoma and Leukemia Society of Canada. Paul contributes as faculty for the Marketing Pharmaceuticals in Canada Program, the National Pharmaceutical Congress and the Science to Business Academy. Paul has Bachelor’s degree in Biology, Genetics, from the University of Toronto and is a graduate of the Institute of Corporate Directors program at the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto. Paul joined the HealthPartners’ board in 2020.
Krishna Persaud
Chair, Finance and Audit Committee
Krishna Persaud is Vice President, Global Enablement with LifeWorks – a leader in the Global Wellbeing industry. Krishna has spent 10 years with the organization leading various teams within the Global, Finance and Strategy departments. Previously, Krishna has held leadership and financial positions in the Tech and Consumer Packaged Goods industries providing him the perfect foundation for his current responsibilities. As well as an inspirational leader who inspires action while grounded in sound financial decisions, he is respected as a credible voice in decision-making, finding strategic partners and transforming businesses with global expansion at the forefront. Krishna joined the Board in 2020 as Chair of the Finance and Audit Committee. He is very passionate about an active and healthy lifestyle. Krishna is a designated Accountant in good standing with CPA Ontario.
Barbara Toller
Barbara is a professional, visionary leader in the fund development industry with dynamic interpersonal, relationship building and networking skills. She has an innate ability to inspire, mentor and lead staff and volunteers. As a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals serving on their Board of Directors in Calgary, she obtained her Certified Fund-Raising Executive (CFRE) designation in 2002. She is a graduate of the AFP Faculty Training Academy giving her the opportunity to share her development knowledge with others in courses such as the Fundamentals of Fundraising, CFRE Survey Course and to facilitate CFRE study groups. Barbara held a national position with the Canadian Diabetes Association as Senior Manager, Major and Planned Gifts in Calgary, Alberta prior to moving to Victoria, BC where she now resides. She joined the University of Victoria in 2009 holding progressively more responsible positions culminating as Director, Principal Gifts & Campaigns. With an extensive background in the non-profit industry, she has worked in fund development over 25 years and is presently a consultant in the field. Barbara held Board positions in Victoria with the Canadian Association of Gift Planners – Vancouver Island RoundTable, the Victoria Brain Injury Society and is presently the Regional Chair for Vancouver Island for Diabetes Canada. Barbara joined the Board in 2021 and is a member of the Membership Committee. She is married to Mike, has three daughters and four grandchildren, all of whom, she is delighted to say, are living in Victoria on Vancouver Island.
Michael Sangster
Michael Sangster comes to HealthPartners with a passion to bring together our stakeholders; governments and individuals to find common ground and build outcomes that enhance our communities. Michael joins us as the current CEO of the National Association of Career Colleges and having most recently been the managing partner of the Waterloo Group and Chief Commercial Officer of Pal Aerospace. He was previously the Vice President of Strategic Relations and Federal Government Affairs at TELUS. Prior to TELUS he was Vice President of Sales at C-COM Satellite Systems, and Federal Government Relations and Sales Manager at Assure Health Inc. He brings with him extensive volunteer experience with many diverse organizations in Ottawa including the Canadian Hospice and Palliative Care Association, Ottawa Police Gala, Ottawa Food Bank and the Hill Charity Golf Classic. Michael was granted the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal Award in 2013 in recognition of his service to his community and is an Ottawa Police 2015 Community Leadership Award recipient. He attended the University of Manitoba and completed the Governance Essentials Program for Directors from the University of Ottawa School of Management Centre for Executive Education. Michael joined the Board of HealthPartners in 2021 and is a member of the Human Resource and Compensation Committee. Michael Sangster is an award-winning executive and community leader with over 30 years of experience. Michael has an unprecedented talent for activating change, cultivating relationships and rescuing troubled partnerships through skillful negotiation and consensus building.
Stephen Samis
Stephen Samis has over 25 years’ experience in health and health care, advancing evidence-informed health policy and population health to improve health systems and the health of Canadians.
Stephen is currently President, Samis Health Policy Consulting Inc. and works with a variety of clients on health and social policy issues, leadership development and evidence-informed decision making in the health and social sectors. He was Deputy Minister, Health and Social Services, Government of Yukon from 2017 to 2022. Before this, Stephen spent seventeen years in Ottawa where he worked in progressively senior roles for national health-related organizations including Vice-President, Programs at the Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement (now Healthcare Excellence Canada), National Director, Health Policy for the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada and Manager, Research and Analysis, Canadian Population Health initiative at the Canadian Institute for Health Information. Stephen has been a member of several Boards and Committees, including the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies for Health (CADTH), the Canadian Institute for Health Information, and the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer. He is currently co-Senior Advisor, Policy for the Canadian Health Leadership Network.
Stephen began his career in British Columbia, where he worked on strategic research, evaluation and policy initiatives at the community level and with the BC Ministry of Health, with a focus on HIV/AIDS and population health.
Stephen holds a Master’s degree in Sociology from Simon Fraser University in British Columbia. He is based in Edmonton, Alberta.
Charlotte Comrie
Retired
Charlotte is long-serving member of the HealthPartners Board of Directors, and has held a variety of positions, most recently as Chair of the Board and of the Membership Committee. As Chair of the Governance Committee in 2016 she led the process of changing the governance structure of HealthPartners.
Prior to retiring in 2019, Charlotte spent some 24 years with the Heart & Stroke Foundation after starting her career as a critical care nurse. While working in coronary care units, she developed a passion for heart health, disease prevention, the treatment of heart disease and cardiac rehabilitation. Over the years she became passionate about advocacy the positive effects it could have on populations.
In 1986 her career focused on leadership, crisis resolution, strategy development and its execution. For approximately nine years Charlotte worked in leadership roles in a variety of sectors, including the arts, education, tourism and health.
She returned to Heart & Stroke as CEO in PEI in 2005. In that role she led the PEI Heart & Stroke advocacy campaign to establish province wide integrated stroke care. She also chaired a national Heart & Stroke committee whose goal was the development of a strategic fund development plan. The process of Heart & Stroke’s unification began with this work.
In 2014, Charlotte became CEO of NS and PEI, leading employee teams in two provinces and working with two provincial boards of directors. She enjoyed the challenges of leading two teams in similar but different provinces with similar but different cultures.
Charlotte’s hobbies and interests include boot camps, HIIT and spin classes. She enjoys cycling and skiing and has travelled to both polar regions, and all the continents. Her seven grandsons occupy much of her time and keep her active and laughing.