The Board of Directors is made up of 15 individuals—7 of whom are appointed by the Government of Canada—from a variety of backgrounds, each with a unique perspective and an understanding of the research world. The Directors are appointed for a three-year renewable term and bring with them expertise in the private, institutional, academic, research, and government sectors. One Director on the Board is a representative from one of the federal granting agencies.

The Board of Directors makes final decisions on projects to be funded and sets strategic objectives in the context of the funding agreement. It approves annual plans and objectives, and reviews the outcomes of these objectives each year. It regularly reviews issues from a risk-assessment perspective—determining what risks are acceptable and ensuring that appropriate mitigation steps are in place. As well, the Board sets the CFI’s overall compensation policy, and specifically sets compensation for management.

CFI BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Kevin P. D. Smith, Chair
President and Chief Executive Officer, St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton

Sheila Brown
Executive Director, Canadian Centre for Ethics in Public Affairs (CCEPA)

Natalie Dakers
Chief Executive Officer, Centre for Drug Research and Development

Suzanne Fortier
President, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)

Albert Friesen
President and CEO, Medicure Inc.

Robert Giroux
Chair, Canadian Council on Learning, Consultant in public management, Part-time member of the Federal Public Service Staffing Tribunal

Liz Harrison
Professor, School of Physical Therapy and Associate Dean College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan

Linda Hohol
Past President, TSX Venture Exchange

Michel Kelly-Gagnon
President and Chief Executive Officer, Montreal Economic Institute

Ross McCurdy
Chief Operating Officer, Centre for Sustainability in Energy and the Environment, Cape Breton University

Louise Proulx
Vice President, Product Development, Vertex Pharmaceuticals (Canada) Incorporated

John Weissenberger
Manager, Northern Plains Exploration, Husky Energy