Presenting the new Board of Directors of the Establishment of the MUHC

As part of the call for applications to constitute the network’s boards of directors of establishments, the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) received 80 applications from which I sent recommendations to Santé Québec. The MUHC is grateful to the applicants, as the quality of the individuals who expressed an interest was exceptional. As a result, our 17-member BoD has a rich mix of skills, diversity, gender parity and age groups. In addition to myself, the members are:

Two users of the institution and one user designated by the users’ (patients’) committee of the establishment

• Deep Khosla: Khosla is co-head of Canadian Corporate and Investment Banking at Bank of America Merrill Lynch in Montreal. He holds a BA in Government, Economics and Environment from Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. He is an independent member of the BoD-MUHC and has been chair of the Vigilance and Quality Committee since 2017. Involved in his community, he has experience as a user of the institution and expertise in finance.
   
• Katrin Nakashima: Nakashima is retired. She ended her professional career as vice-president and secretary general of Imasco, but remains engaged in the community, currently as chair of the board of directors of UNICEF Canada. A member of the Quebec Bar, she holds a BA in civil law and common law from McGill University and a certificate in corporate governance from Harvard University. She has experience as a user of the institution and expertise in business and community organizations.
   
• Marilyn Jarka: Retired, Ms. Jarka's last position was as that of medical education specialist, budget management, for Allphase Clinical Research/Novartis Pharma Canada. With strong ties to the MUHC as a former employee, mother and user, she will enrich discussions on improving health care and services. She also holds a BComm in Finance from McGill University. As the users' (patients) committee of the establishment’s representative, she will also serve on the vigilance and quality committee.

Six individuals with expertise in: community organizations, business, governance, performance, quality management, ethics, risk management, finance, accounting, human resources, real estate and information technology

• Peter Kruyt: Senior advisor at Power Corporation of Canada, Mr. Kruyt holds an MBA from INSEAD in Fontainebleau, France, and a BComm from Concordia University. An independent member and chair of the BoD-MUHC since 2017, Mr. Kruyt has expertise on many boards, in risk management, finance and accounting, performance, governance and ethics, and business.
   
• Samira Sakhia: Sakhia is President and Chief Executive Officer of Knight Therapeutics. She holds an MBA, a postgraduate diploma in accounting and a BComm from McGill University. An independent member of the BoD-MUHC and chair of the Audit and Finance Committee since 2017, Ms. Sakhia has expertise in human resources and information technology, finance, accounting and risk management, and business.
   
• Michal Kuzmicki: Retired, Mr. Kuzmicki ended his career as a principal at Brookfield Financial. He holds an MBA from McGill University and a BA in History and Political Science from Loyola College. An independent member of the BoD-MUHC, member of the Audit and Finance Committee and chair of the Real Estate Committee since 2017, he has expertise in real estate and risk management, among other areas, and is involved in his community.
   
• Lynne Fornarolo: President and senior consultant at Connexo Conseils, Ms. Fornarolo holds a BA in Industrial Relations from McGill University. An independent member of the BoD-MUHC since 2019, she has expertise in community organizations, human resources and change management. Her social involvement includes senior citizens' organizations, palliative care and cancer care organizations, among others.
   
• Clemens Mayr: A partner at McCarthy Tétrault and a member of the Quebec Bar, Me. Mayr holds a BA in law from the University of Montreal. A member of the BoD-MUHC and chair of the governance and ethics committee since 2019, his legal training, governance and ethics skills, and business expertise have enabled him to share sound advice with various boards of directors.
   
• Kathy Shakibnia: Shakibnia is an associate legal counsel at the Royal Bank of Canada. A member of the Quebec Bar, she holds an MBA from McGill University and a BA in civil law from the University of Montreal. An external member of the MUHC Governance and Ethics Committee since 2023, she has expertise in governance and ethics, performance, risk management, and the business community.

Two individuals representing the teaching and research community

• Deep Saini: Prof. Saini is president and vice-chancellor of McGill University. He holds a PhD in plant physiology from the University of Adelaide in Australia and an MSc and BSc (with honours) in botany from Punjab Agricultural University in India. A member of the BoD-MUHC since 2023, Prof. Saini has always been involved in initiatives promoting innovation, entrepreneurship, environmental management and international relations. His vision for higher education is reflected in the leadership positions he has held at universities in Canada and Australia.
   
• Sarah Prichard: Retired, Dr. Prichard most recently served as vice-president of research and provost at Western University. She completed her MD at Queen's University, her clinical specialization designation in nephrology at McGill University, and is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons. Vice-chair of the BoD-MUHC, chair of the review committee and member of the vigilance and quality committee since 2017, Dr. Prichard is chair of the board of directors of the Research Institute of the MUHC. She has expertise in quality management, clinical care, research and teaching.

Three individuals representing staff and others working within the institution

• Uriel Pierre: Pierre is a clinical physiotherapist for pediatric and adult patients and a member of the MUHC Multidisciplinary Council. He holds an MAP from the École nationale d'administration publique du Québec, an MSc in Rehabilitation from McGill University, a Graduate Certificate in Gerontology and a BA with a specialization in Physiotherapy from the University of Montreal. A member of the BoD-MUHC since 2023, he also helps young people as a foster parent and chair of the board of directors of his family's foundation, which distributes scholarships to encourage students to stay in school.
   
• Carissa Wong: Wong is an advanced nurse practitioner in surgery and a senior advisor responsible for transversal dossiers. She holds a graduate degree in health management from McGill University, is certified in palliative care nursing, and holds an MSc in applied nursing and a BSc in integrated nursing. An elected member of the MUHC Council of Nurses, she is also involved as a volunteer with the mental health organization Vent Over Tea.
   
• Marcel Behr: A physician and member of the MUHC Council of Physicians, Dentists, Pharmacists and Midwives, senior scientist and member of the scientific advisory committee at the Research Institute of the MUHC, and professor of medicine at McGill University, Dr. Behr leads McGill's interdisciplinary initiative in infection and immunity (McGill-i4). He earned his MD from Queen's University and completed training at McGill University, University of Toronto and Stanford University in the United States. He is very accomplished in clinical care, research and teaching. He is also a volunteer soccer coach.

A person representing territorial institutions served by the establishment

• Jennifer Munick-Watkins: Munick-Watkins is the executive director of the Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services. She holds a DEC in social sciences from John Abbott College and has experience on boards of directors and as a volunteer. Her commitment to promoting Indigenous health is reflected in her contributions to multisectoral policies aimed at reducing health disparities.

A representative appointed by the establishment's foundations

• Renée Vézina: President of the Montreal Children's Hospital Foundation, Me. Vézina holds a BA in civil law from McGill University and is a member of the Quebec Bar. She has expertise in the business community and charitable organizations, as well as skills in governance and performance. She represents the six foundations dedicated to supporting the MUHC's mission.

The MUHC looks forward to introducing its new members at the next public meeting of the BoD-MUHC this fall. In the meantime, I invite you to follow this link to read Santé Québec’s announcement, which, among other things, provides an overview of the role and responsibilities of BoDs: https://muhc.ca/nominations-BoD-establishment-2025

Lucie Opatrny, MD MSc MHCM FRCPC
President and Executive Officer, MUHC