Moderator Dr. Brenda Zimmerman Dr. Brenda Zimmerman is an Associate Professor of Strategic Management at the Schulich School of Business at York University in Toronto. She is the founder and Director of the Health Industry Management Program for MBA students and the Director of the OMA/CMA Physician Leadership Development Program. Her primary research applies complexity science to management and leadership issues in organizations, especially health care or not-forprofit organizations, experiencing high levels of uncertainty and turbulence. Since 1996 the bulk of her research and teaching has focused on health care. She was a member of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences chronic disease expert panel on Health System Transformation, was on the Health & Public Policy committee of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons, is an advisor for the Chief Public Health Officer for the Canadian Public Health Agency and is the Chair of Patient Safety and Quality for Mount Sinai Hospital. She also is a board member for CEHPEA (Centre for Evaluation of Health Professionals Educated Abroad) and for a start-up wellness company Master Habits. She has been an invited speaker at organizations and conferences in North America and Europe. She has written articles, book chapters and a co-authored book on the topic of complexity and management in health care, Edgeware: Complexity resources for Healthcare Leaders. She is the co-author of Getting to Maybe: How the World is Changed a Canadian best seller which was also published in Japan and Korea
Speakers Allan MacDonald, MBA 2011 Health Care Consultant Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital Allan is a registered physiotherapist with both public and private sector work experience in a variety of geographic locations and range of responsibility levels, combined with an MBA specializing in Business Consulting and Health Industry Management. Presently he is a Senior Consultant at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, which is fully affiliated with the University of Toronto and is the largest pediatric rehabilitation health care organization in Canada. At Holland Bloorview he is responsible for the Process Improvement Program where exciting discoveries are leveraged into an improved understanding of work, so that Holland Bloorview capitalizes on opportunities and removes barriers to create a world of possibility for children with disability. He currently sits on the Board of Directors of the Ontario Physiotherapy Association, and is a founding member of the Board s Governance Committee. He also is an assistant coach with the Toronto Lords basketball program in downtown Toronto. He loves to golf, travel, and learn new stuff.
Andrea Spencer, MBA 2011 Consulting Associate, OPTIMUS SBR Andrea Spencer is a Consultant at OPTIMUS SBR, and a Schulich MBA and HIMP grad from the Class of 2013. Although she is specializing in Health Care, she is currently working on a variety of projects across sectors, including strategic planning for a regional health centre, a business plan for a proposed Health Link, and the development of a leadership development program for a regional utilities company, among other exciting things. Prior to joining OPTIMUS SBR, Andrea had worked with UHN, March of Dimes Canada, and the Ottawa Children s Treatment Centre. She completed her BAH at Queen s University in Linguistics and Sociology and a post-grad clinical program in Communication Disorders at Georgian College. OPTIMUS SBR is a management consulting firm that specializes in Health Care, Public Sector, Financial Services and Energy and Infrastructure, and provides service offerings in the areas of Strategy, Process Improvement, Project Management, Research & Analytics and Governance & Leadership.
Carol Annet, MBA 1993 CEO VHA Home HealthCare Carol Annett is currently the President/Chief Executive Officer of VHA Home HealthCare, a not-for-profit, charitable home and community care provider with a workforce of over 1,900 across Ontario supporting individuals to remain as independent as possible in their own homes and communities. Committed to service excellence and innovation, Carol has a track record of accomplishments in both the health care and social service sectors in various clinical, leadership, and consulting roles. She has worked in both acute and long term health care facilities, as well as community-based organizations. Carol holds a Master of Social Work from the University of Toronto and a Master of Business Administration from York University s Schulich School of Business. An active volunteer, Carol is also a member of the Non-profit Management Advisory Board for the Schulich School of Business, a mentor for students in the MBA Program, a surveyor for Accreditation Canada and a Board member of the Ontario Community Support Association and Canadian Feed the Children.
Jeannie Fong, MBA 2011 Senior Consultant Ontario Public Service, Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care Jeannie is a licensed Nuclear Medicine Technologist who is serving as a public servant in the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care as a Senior Consultant in the Health Capital Investment Branch. Her past employment roles included being the Transition Manager at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and Strategy Officer for Squarify.com, a software development start-up company. Her involvement in healthcare, entertainment and technology industries has led to a variety of experiences involving project management, public relations, communications, strategic planning and research. As a person who does not like to stand still, she is interested in helping organizations achieve their goals efficiently. She has a MBA degree from the Schulich School of Business with specializations in Strategy and Marketing. In her spare time she writes novels and gives panel talks on selfpublishing, writing and crowd-funding at different conventions.