About

Mel Cappe is a Distinguished Fellow in the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy at the University of Toronto. From 2006-2011 he was President of the Institute for Research on Public Policy. Prior to that for four years he was High Commissioner for Canada to the United Kingdom. Mel has also served as Clerk of the Privy Council, Secretary to the Cabinet and Head of the Public Service in Ottawa. Earlier in his career he held senior economic and policy positions in the Departments of Finance and Industry. He was Deputy Secretary to the Treasury Board, Deputy Minister of the Environment, Deputy Minister of Human Resources Development, Deputy Minister of Labour and Chairman of the Employment Insurance Commission. He did graduate studies in Economics at the Universities of Western Ontario and Toronto and has honourary doctorates from both. He is currently an Officer of the Order of  Canada and has served on several not-for-profit Boards in the Health space.

Alok Kanti is the President & CEO of Bayer Inc. in Canada (appointed in August 2015). Mr. Kanti started his professional career with Bayer in June 1994 and since has gained a wealth of experience in regional management, commercial operations, strategic marketing and country division management. Alok has worked in various leadership positions, including Regional Head for Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Asia Pacific. Previously, Alok was Managing Director of Bayer HealthCare China, where he helped Bayer build a leading position in the world’s third-largest healthcare market. Alok obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from University of Delhi in 1989 and his Master’s degree in Business Management from the Asian Institute of Management in 1994.

Driven by a life-long commitment to improving Canadians’ health and well-being, Pamela works with the country’s research-based pharmaceutical companies to ensure that all Canadians have access to the medicines they need, when they need them, and that Canada remains an attractive place to invest in the life sciences. Her unique perspective on the policy issues of the day is informed by her decades of working closely with patients and researchers to find solutions to some of our most pressing healthcare challenges. Prior to IMC, Pamela was President and CEO of the Canadian Cancer Society, where she led the transformation of the organization’s operational and governance structures, helping to strengthen its position as the country’s leading cancer-fighting charity. Her patient-centric perspective is also shaped by past leadership roles at the Canadian Healthcare Association (now HealthCareCAN), the Canadian Physiotherapy Association, the Health Action Lobby (HEAL), the Health Charities Coalition of Canada (HCCC), CAMH (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health), and the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse.

Dr. Lorne Tyrrell holds the GSK Chair in Virology in the Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Alberta. He is also the Founding Director of the Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology. He has focused his research since 1986 on viral hepatitis. Dr. Tyrrell was the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry from 1994-2004. He was the Chair of the Gairdner Foundation Board (2006-2016) and served on the Research Advisory Committee to the President of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR) (2008-2018). From 2020-2023, he served on the Vaccine Task Force for Canada. In 2021, he was selected for the Henry G. Friesen International Prize in Health Research and in 2022, he was awarded the Baruch S. Blumberg Prize from the Hepatitis B Foundation of America.

Frank Stramaglia is a dynamic leader known for his deep commitment to Canadian patients and healthcare professionals. With more than 20 years’ experience in the pharmaceutical industry, Frank is the general manager of Astellas Pharma Canada, Inc. (APCA), leading the company’s Canadian business operations. Frank joined Astellas in 2007 as a product manager and since then has served in areas including market access and sales and marketing. In 2016, Frank was named Commercial Director of the Year. Today, Frank leverages his energy, enthusiasm, and expertise to help develop and support a growing, highly motivated team at Astellas Canada. Together, Frank and the APCA team are working to improve the quality of healthcare and outcomes for Canadian patients. Frank is also currently a director of Innovative Medicines Canada. Prior to joining Astellas, Frank worked for Galderma Canada, Bayer and Roche in increasingly senior roles. Frank holds a bachelor’s degree from McMaster University in Kinesiology.

Christine Elliott, former Ontario Minister of Health and Deputy Premier, is Counsel with the Fasken Health Law group in our Toronto office. With over 15 years of experience in public service, she is ideally positioned to assist clients with navigating existing and emerging complexities in the healthcare space.

During her tenure as Ontario’s Minister of Health from 2018 to 2022, Christine played an integral part in overseeing the province’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In this role, she also sponsored The People’s Health Care Act and enacted the Connecting Care Act. The Connecting Care Act gave rise to Ontario Health, a Crown agency that merged the 14 Local Health Integration Network and other agencies including Cancer Care Ontario, Gift of Life Network, eHealth Ontario and HealthForce Ontario in order to facilitate integrated care delivery systems also known as local Ontario Health teams. Christine also served as Ontario’s Deputy Premier (2018 to 2022) and as Ontario’s first Patient Ombudsman (2016 to 2018).

Christine, along with her husband James Flaherty (Jim) was a founding partner of Flaherty, Dow, Elliott & McCarthy. Later, Christine and Jim co-founded Abilities Centre in Whitby, Ontario, which supports and celebrates the abilities of all people and is a place where everyone belongs, regardless of their challenges. In addition, she has held positions on a range of boards in the health care sector since becoming involved as a volunteer with several charities including the Lakeridge Health Whitby Foundation, Durham Mental Health Services, and Grandview Children’s Centre.

Christine graduated from the University of Western Ontario law school and was admitted to the Ontario Bar in 1980.

Paul Armstrong is a Distinguished University Professor at the University of Alberta and founding Director of the Canadian VIGOUR Centre. He serves in a variety of consultative and editorial roles, plays an active leadership role in the conduct of a number of ongoing cardiovascular clinical trials, publishes extensively and frequently lectures in national and international academic forums. In recognition of his academic leadership, Dr. Armstrong has received numerous awards for scholarly and societal contributions. Dr. Armstrong’s commitment to the education, training, and mentoring of healthcare professionals, research trainees, and faculty spans over 40 years and is a key signature of his career. He is internationally recognized for his contributions to the diagnosis and therapy of acute coronary disease and heart failure and has a particular interest in novel approaches to the design of clinical trials and their interpretation. Dr. Armstrong was the founding President of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, was the recipient of the 2023 ACC Lifetime Achievement Award and is an Officer of the Order of Canada

Wilma is currently the Executive Director, Membership Value and Strategy Implementation at Innovative Medicines Canada (IMC). Prior to joining IMC in 2019, Wilma was the Chief Operating Officer of the University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research. Wilma has more than 20 years of combined experience in healthcare, health research, and the pharmaceutical industry. She holds a B.Sc. in Nursing from Western University and an MBA from the Schulich School of Business, as well as an ESG Global Competent Boards Designation (GCB.D). Wilma is a Member of the Board of BioTalent Canada.