Dr. Kevin Smith Reappointed Chair of the Board of Directors of the Canada Foundation for Innovation

OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - June 20, 2013) - The Honourable Christian Paradis, Minister of Industry, Minister of State (Agriculture) and Minister responsible for the Canada Foundation for Innovation, today announced the reappointment of Dr. Kevin Smith as Chair of the Foundation's Board of Directors.

"I am pleased to welcome Dr. Smith's return as Chair of the Foundation's Board," said Minister Paradis. "His leadership and well-rounded experience in health care research and governance will continue to help advance the efforts of the Foundation."

Dr. Smith is currently President and Chief Executive Officer of St. Joseph's Health System-one of Canada's largest corporations devoted to health care, operating in five communities across Southern Ontario. He is also Chief Executive Officer of St. Mary's General Hospital (Kitchener, Ontario) and an Associate Professor at McMaster University's Department of Medicine. Dr. Smith serves on the boards of several organizations, including the Association of Canadian Academic Healthcare Organizations, the Council of Academic Hospitals of Ontario and the Change Foundation. He is also the past chair of the board for the Ontario Hospital Association.

Dr. Smith holds a Bachelor of Arts from McMaster University and a doctorate from the University of Sussex in England. He also completed the Chief Executive Officer Leadership Program at the Wharton School of Business, and he is professionally certified by the Institute of Corporate Directors. In 2003, he was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal, and he was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012, both of which recognize Canadians who have made outstanding and exemplary contributions to their communities or to Canada as a whole.

Created by the Government of Canada in 1997, the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) strives to build our nation's capacity to undertake world-class research and technology development to benefit Canadians. CFI investments in state-of-the-art facilities and equipment, allow universities, colleges, research hospitals and non-profit research institutions to attract and retain the world's top talent, train the next generation of researchers, support private-sector innovation and create high-quality jobs that strengthen Canada's position in today's knowledge economy. For more information, visit the CFI website (www.innovation.ca).