Board Of Directors

Accreditation Canada International`s Board of Directors is our governing body which is comprised of 9 voting members. Meeting four times a year, the Board provides leadership, sets policy, and oversees the organization's long term planning.  

Accreditation Canada International is a private, not-for-profit organization, which membership is formed by individual members of the Accreditation Canada Board of Directors.

Maria Barrados - Chair of the Board

Maria Barrados was confirmed as President of the Public Service Commission of Canada effective May 21, 2004.

In 1975, Maria began her career as a Lecturer and later a Research Project Supervisor at Carleton University. In March 1985, she joined the Office of the Auditor General, where she held positions of increasing responsibility. She became the Assistant Auditor General, Audit Operations, at the Office of the Auditor General of Canada in December 1993.

Maria chaired Executive Committees on value-for-money and professional practices, representing the Office of the Auditor General at Parliamentary hearings and meetings with Ministers and senior officials. Additionally, she is Chair of the Ethics and Quality Care Committee at the Ottawa Grace Manor, and a member of the Ottawa Grace Manor Board.

Maria Barrados holds a B.A. with high honours in Sociology from the University of Saskatchewan, an M.A. in Sociology from McGill University, and a Ph.D. in Sociology from Carleton University.

Leonard J. Edwards

In 2010, after 41 years in Canada's Public Service, Mr. Edwards entered into his much deserved retirement.

From 2008 to July 2010, he held the position of G-8 and G-20 Sherpa to the Prime Minister. He held roles as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs (2007-2010), Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (2004-2007) and International Trade (2001-2004). Mr Edwards has served as Canada's Ambassador to Japan and to Korea, and has been an Assistant Deputy Minister for Trade and Economic Policy and for the Asia Pacific.

Mr. Edwards organized the 1988 and 1995 Economic Summits, and the 1987 Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting. He worked in the former Saigon, in Hanoi and Ankara, at Brussels/NATO and in Geneva with Canada’s Mission to the UN.

Mr. Edwards hails from Melfort, Saskatchewan, and is married to Margaret MacDonald from Kirkland Lake, Ontario. They have two children.

Ken Lawless

Ken Lawless is the CEO of BDR Technologies, an Ottawa-based clean energy technology company, as well as the President of Epitope Capital, a privately held consulting company.  Ken has been very active in promoting investment in, and the commercialization of, life sciences companies and technologies. He was the founding President of the Ottawa Life Sciences Council (OLSC) since its inception (May 1994) until June 2006, when it amalgamated with the Ottawa Centre for Research and Innovation. He has also served as Interim President of the Ottawa Life Sciences Technology Park and was a Founding Director of the Ottawa Biotechnology Incubation Centre.

Ken holds a Master's Degree in Biochemistry from the University of Ottawa and has conducted research in the hormonal control of gene expression, prostate cancer and artificial blood substitutes. He has served on provincial, federal and local boards and committees, including; the National Research Council of Canada's Innovation Forum and National Bioproducts Initiative, the Ontario Biotechnology Task Force, BIOTECanada's Science and Technology Committee, the Canadian Foundation for Innovation (CFI) Multidisciplinary Advisory Committee, the Board of the Ottawa General Hospital Research Institute, and the Ottawa Biotechnology Innovation Fund. He currently sits on the Board of the Health Technology Exchange (HTX) and is a Committee Member of the American Society of Testing and Measurement (ASTM).

In 2002, Ken was chosen by Ottawa Life Magazine as one of Ottawa's 50 most influential individuals.

Murray Martin

Murray Martin is one of Canada’s longest serving health care executives, with more than 38 years of health care leadership experience.

In 2001, he joined Hamilton Health Sciences as President and CEO. Previously, Mr. Martin served as the President and CEO of Vancouver Hospital and Health Sciences Centre. He has also held a number of other senior management positions including Executive Vice-President and COO of Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre (Toronto, Ontario), Administrator of the Pasqua Hospital (Regina, Saskatchewan) and Assistant Administrator, Swift Current Union Hospital (Swift Current, Saskatchewan).

Mr. Martin is a native of Saskatchewan. He holds a Bachelor of Administration degree from the University of Saskatchewan and is a graduate of the Health Administration program from the University of Toronto.

Additionally, Mr. Martin sits on the Board of Directors of the Hospital Insurance Reciprocal of Canada and numerous other regional and provincial health care committees. He is a frequent speaker at health care conferences and frequently published author.

Michael O'Keefe

Michael O'Keefe is currently Board Chair of Eastern Health Authority in St. John's, Newfoundland. It is the largest Health Authority in Newfoundland ad Labrador with an annual budget of $1.2 billion and over 13,000 employees. He is also a Senior Advisor in International Strategy with University Health Network and a Senior Advisor to the Pan Canadian Medical School Alliance.

Mr. O'Keefe has held a number of senior health management positions including Chief Operating Officer of The Toronto Hospital and Ottawa Civic Hospital. He served as President and CEO of York Finch General Hospital and the Workers Compensation Board of Ontario.

Mr. O'Keefe has extensive international management experience: CEO of the Shaikh Khalifa Medical Center in Abu Dhabi; President and CEO of Interhealth Canada; Chair of Canadian Hospitals Network International. He has led major projects in the Middle East and United Kingdom.

Mr. O'Keefe is a graduate of St. Mary's University, Halifax, Nova Scotia and the University of Toronto.

Edgardo Pérez, MD, MPH, FRCPC, CHE, CPHQ

Edgardo Pérez is the former CEO & President of the Homewood Health Centre Inc., a  mental health and addiction facility that is a leading national provider of specialized psychiatric services focused on improving an individual's quality of life. Dr. Pérez has 25 years of experience with Accreditation Canada, which includes time as a surveyor, trainer, and consultant, and a past member of the Board of Directors (six-year tenure).  

Mr. Pérez is a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Universities of Ottawa, McMaster and Toronto with a cross appointment at the University of Toronto, Department of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation.  Edgardo is recognized for his expertise in health care leadership and most notably his commitment to the pursuit of quality and excellence. He has many years of experience in working with government and facilities at the international level. He was Co-Chairman of the Healthcare Quality Certification Board (HQCB) in the United States, an international body which certifies individuals as health care quality professionals. 

Dr. Pérez received his Bachelor of Arts from Cornell University, his Medical Degree from the State University of New York, and his Master’s Degree in Public Health from Harvard University, (with an emphasis in health services administration and behavioural sciences).   

Jean-Pierre Soublière

Jean-Pierre Soublière is the President of Anderson Soublière Inc., an executive focused consulting corporation. Founded in 1996, the company has advised corporations such as the Merrill Lynch Investment Banking Group, Adobe, CGI, Dell Computer Corporation, NCS Pearson, SAP, Open Text, and SAS.

From January 1997 to January 1999, he held the position of President and COO of Alis Technologies. Previously, during his 19 years at Systemhouse, he served as President, Systemhouse Canada and International. JP is also a past Board Member of several corporations such as Provance Technologies (Chair), UniMedia, Microstar Software, Simware, Med-Eng Systems, Positron Public Safety Systems, E-Witness, Nstein Technologies, IDC, OLG, and AECL, as well as organizations such as the University of Ottawa Heart Institute, the Ottawa Hospital (Chair), the E-Health Council of the Champlain Local Health Integration Network (Chair), the Inter-American Development Bank’s Industry Advisory Council, and the National Board of United Way of Canada (Chair).

Currently, he is a member of several Councils and Boards including the Harmony Foundation (Chair), the May Court Hospice (Vice-Chair), the Advisory Board of Talent Map Inc, and the Audit Committees of Public Works and Government Services Canada and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission.

Peter W. Vaughan

Peter W. Vaughan is Vice-President Medicine, South Shore Health District in Nova Scotia, and Vice-Chair of the Nova Scotia Health Research Foundation’s Research Advisory Committee. He is a health policy and health systems expert, specializing in health care strategies, health human resources research, and public health policy and planning.

Dr. Vaughan completed his Doctorate of Medicine at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, and his Master of Public Health degree at The John Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, Maryland. He regularly appears as a keynote speaker to health research organizations, universities, governments—local, regional, provincial, and federal health planners across Canada. He has a unique background in philosophy, journalism, medicine, health policy, and applied health services research, and holds several adjunct faculty appoints.

Dr. Vaughan has been a senior executive in both the private and public health sectors and has served on the Boards of many organizations and growing companies.

Danielle McCann

Over the past 25 years in the Quebec health network, Danielle McCann has developed a solid managerial and professional experience among different Health and Social Services organisations.  

She holds degree in Social Services from McGill University and a Master degree in Business Administration from Ecole des Hautes Études Commerciales in Montreal, Canada.  She worked in a university hospital and was a board member of many community organisations, more particularly in sectors such as employment and economic development. She also acted as chairperson of many steering committees in the health and social services sector and was a member of the Quebec Mental Health Committee.  

From 2002 to 2004, she acted as CEO of the CLSC du Richelieu and CHSLD Rouville and from 2004 cumulated a similar position at CLSC (1) et CHSLD Champagnat de la Vallée des Forts.  Since November 2004, she holds the position of CEO of the Centre de santé et de Services sociaux du Sud-Ouest–Verdun which is composed of 11 facilities (1 hospital, 3 CLSCs and 7 long term care centres). The 3,900 employees’ institution manages a budget of more than $ 200 million and provides services to a population of 140,000 residents.  Since 2009, Mrs McCann is a member of the Board of the Quebec Public Health Institute and the Board of Accreditation Canada.