Mary Jo Haddad

Mary Jo Haddad is the University of Windsor’s eighth chancellor. Her official installation was held at the Spring 2019 Convocation.

Dr. Haddad was appointed President and CEO of The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto in November 2004 and retired December 31, 2013. SickKids is one of Canada’s most research-intensive hospitals, teaching and generating discoveries that have helped children globally. After joining SickKids in 1984, Dr Haddad held several leadership positions, including Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer.

Dr. Haddad is an Honours graduate of the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Windsor, where she also received an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree in 2005. She earned her Nursing Diploma at St. Clair College and a Master’s degree in Health Science at the University of Toronto. In addition to her honorary degree from the University of Windsor, her contributions have been recognized with Honorary Doctor of Laws degrees from Ryerson University and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology.

Dr. Haddad is recognized for her innovative leadership and commitment to children’s health. Throughout her distinguished career in healthcare in Canada and the US, she has enabled improvements in global child health. She is a champion of research and innovation, creating the Peter Gilgan Center for Research and Learning and building capacity and commitment to discovery and applied research and commercialization.

Dr. Haddad is now President of MJH & Associates, providing mentorship and strategic leadership and healthcare advisory services. She is a Corporate Director at TELUS, serving as Chair of the Human Resources and Compensation Committee and member of the Governance Committee. She is a former Corporate Director (2014-2021) of TD Bank Group.

As a leader and advocate for advancing science as well as children’s health, she served as Founding Chair, MaRS Innovation, Chair, Provincial (Ontario)Council for Maternal Child Health; Director at the Vector Institute; Trustee (Ex-Officio) at SickKids; and Director, SickKids Foundation, Board member of Kids Health Links Foundation and was Founding Chair of the Board of Children First Canada, where she remains as a member of the Council of Champions.

Dr. Haddad was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada in 2010 and received The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012. She is also a recipient of the Premier’s Award for Outstanding Achievement. In November 2012, she was recognized as one of Toronto Life’s 50 Influential People. In 2011, she was named one of Canada’s inaugural Top 25 Women of Influence in health sciences and inducted into Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Hall of Fame. In October 2009, she was the recipient of both the Leadership Award from the Society of Graduates of the University of Toronto’s Department of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation and the Catalyst Canada Honours Toronto Business Excellence Award as Leading CEO. In 2020, Life Sciences Ontario recognized her many leadership contributions with their Annual Leadership Award.

As a strong proponent of the importance of leadership, Haddad created the Chancellors Leadership Series at the University of Windsor to recognize aspiring leaders through scholarship and to highlight the importance of leadership to a prosperous Canada, by hosting prominent Canadian leaders to share their insights with the community.