William Charnetski, Chief Health Innovation Strategist, Ontario
Roundtable Luncheon
William Charnetski has been appointed the Chief Health Innovation Strategist for Ontario.
Mr. Charnetski is an accomplished national and global executive who has worked in the highest levels of business, law and government. He has a track record of leading transformational change, developing organizations, leading people to realize their potential, fostering internal and external partnerships and collaboration, and delivering results. He has spent more than 10 years working on integrated health solutions in Canada and around the world in the rapidly changing global pharmaceutical industry.
Mr. Charnetski most recently worked in the United Kingdom with AstraZeneca, one of the world's largest innovative pharmaceutical companies. He led the global government affairs and public policy function and had responsibilities for corporate social responsibility and regional communications. His team delivered tangible business results while enhancing health outcomes in many places around the world.
Prior to that, he was VP, Integrated Health Solutions, and General Counsel for AstraZeneca Canada. He was also a leader of the industry's work with the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation, the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, and other Ontario ministries to help bring an integrated approach to adopting value-adding innovative pharmaceutical technologies to Ontario.
His work across the Canadian health care system has included building collaborative approaches to adopting innovative value-adding technologies across a variety of fields of study. In particular, for many years he has been a leader with the Ivey International Centre for Health Innovation at Western University - first as a member of its Advisory Council and now as a Health Innovator-in-Residence. Mr. Charnetski was an original member of the Steering Committee of the Centre for the Advancement of Health Innovation (within the Conference Board of Canada) and a member of the Board of Directors of the Institute of Health Economics in Edmonton.
Previously a partner in the Toronto office of the law firm Torys LLP, Mr. Charnetski's practice included mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, securities law and public-private partnerships. He formed and was Head of the Privacy Law Group.
Mr. Charnetski served as the first Chief of Staff to The Hon. William Graham, P.C., Q.C. when Mr. Graham was Chair of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade. He also was Senior Advisor to The Hon. Allan Rock, PC., Q.C. when Mr. Rock was Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of Canada. He has worked on a wide range of justice public policy issues, including those related to health care, human rights, constitutional law and criminal law.
Mr. Charnetski is also a member of the Board of The Sandbox Project in Toronto, and served as a provincial nominee to the Board of Waterfront Toronto for seven years.
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