Margaret McNeil

Margaret McNeil is Chief Executive Officer of Canuck Place Children’s Hospice and leads a 190+ multi- disciplinary employee team and over 400 volunteers.

Margaret has dedicated her 45-year professional career to the care of vulnerable populations. During her eight-year tenure at Canuck Place, Margaret led the organization through significant and positive growth and change. She led the organization through an organizational redevelopment including a strategic fundraising shift, rebranding, and developing and growing a talented and engaged team. Her leadership resulted in a 100 per cent increase in revenue to support needed complex care for the increasing number of children with over 190 different diseases and conditions, and the families who love them.

Dedicated to increasing care and developing a sustainable not-for-profit organization, Margaret led increased care from 500 to over 800 children with life-threatening illnesses and families from across BC and Yukon. She oversaw the completion of an $11.2 million capital campaign to build and operate the organization’s second pediatric palliative care hospice. Additionally, Canuck Place launched a community-care program serving children and families who require in-home services across BC. Margaret also led the initiation of additional fundraising strategies that engaged a wider, more sustainable, donor base for the organization.

With the impact of COVID-19 affecting the organization at all levels, Margaret spearheaded the team to shift the care model to increase virtual and in-home care for vulnerable children and families, redirect fundraising and marketing initiatives, and support staff and volunteers through the pandemic. As a result, children and families have more care options, the reach to donors has increased, and the organization has continued to sustain all services during the pandemic.

Committed to thought leadership, Margaret promoted research and teaching from staff physicians and clinicians. These have positioned Canuck Place as a globally recognized leader in pediatric palliative care. Also committed to quality, the organization received Exemplary Standing from Accreditation Canada twice during her tenure.

As a community leader committed to leadership in the sector, Margaret is a former Board member of WorkSafeBC, an Executive Mentor with the SFU Beedie School of Business, and she sat on the Boards of a number of non-profit organizations. A Registered Nurse, she holds a BSc in Nursing from McMaster University, and an MSc in Community Health Nursing from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. She holds the Chartered Director designation from Conference Board of Canada. In 2017, Margaret received the CEO of the Year from Business in Vancouver in the Non-Profit category.

Margaret McNeil is Chief Executive Officer of Canuck Place Children’s Hospice and leads a 190+ multi- disciplinary employee team and over 400 volunteers.

Margaret has dedicated her 45-year professional career to the care of vulnerable populations. During her eight-year tenure at Canuck Place, Margaret led the organization through significant and positive growth and change. She led the organization through an organizational redevelopment including a strategic fundraising shift, rebranding, and developing and growing a talented and engaged team. Her leadership resulted in a 100 per cent increase in revenue to support needed complex care for the increasing number of children with over 190 different diseases and conditions, and the families who love them.

Dedicated to increasing care and developing a sustainable not-for-profit organization, Margaret led increased care from 500 to over 800 children with life-threatening illnesses and families from across BC and Yukon. She oversaw the completion of an $11.2 million capital campaign to build and operate the organization’s second pediatric palliative care hospice. Additionally, Canuck Place launched a community-care program serving children and families who require in-home services across BC. Margaret also led the initiation of additional fundraising strategies that engaged a wider, more sustainable, donor base for the organization.

With the impact of COVID-19 affecting the organization at all levels, Margaret spearheaded the team to shift the care model to increase virtual and in-home care for vulnerable children and families, redirect fundraising and marketing initiatives, and support staff and volunteers through the pandemic. As a result, children and families have more care options, the reach to donors has increased, and the organization has continued to sustain all services during the pandemic.

Committed to thought leadership, Margaret promoted research and teaching from staff physicians and clinicians. These have positioned Canuck Place as a globally recognized leader in pediatric palliative care. Also committed to quality, the organization received Exemplary Standing from Accreditation Canada twice during her tenure.

As a community leader committed to leadership in the sector, Margaret is a former Board member of WorkSafeBC, an Executive Mentor with the SFU Beedie School of Business, and she sat on the Boards of a number of non-profit organizations. A Registered Nurse, she holds a BSc in Nursing from McMaster University, and an MSc in Community Health Nursing from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. She holds the Chartered Director designation from Conference Board of Canada. In 2017, Margaret received the CEO of the Year from Business in Vancouver in the Non-Profit category.

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Desirée Amanda Bombenon has over 30 years of business operational experience.

Awarded RBC's Momentum Women's Entrepreneur 2020, WXN Canada's Top 100 Most Powerful Women 2020, 2017, & 2016; Ernst & Young 2019 Entrepreneur of the year for the Prairies in Communication Technology, and Women of Inspiration 2019 Global Difference Maker, Business in Calgary Business Leaders award 2018, Top 50 Most Empowering Women 2017, and a Top 40 under 40 alumni. Her portfolio includes business strategy, social entrepreneurial and culture building. Her company SureCall was awarded Waterstone Capital's Most Admired Culture 2020, and received a Stevie International Business Award for 2021 & 2020.  Desirée is an active member of Young Presidents Organization, International Women’s Forum, and has chaired several industry boards and focus groups. She is a past director of the National Music Centre, is a past Chair of YPO Alberta Chapter, and a past Chair of YPO Canada Region.  Desirée currently serves as Chair of the Calgary Chamber of Commerce, Vice Chair of Children First Canada, Chair of CAMX the Canadian Call Management Association, serves as an Executive member of the Sustainable Business Network with YPO, as is a Director on the Diversity Council for Women's Executive Network. She is a cohort for Singularity University and a Harvard Alumni for the Advanced Leadership Initiative working on critical humanitarian issues around the world, and is involved in mentorship programs in her community. Desirée has earned her CIAC Certification as a Strategic Leader, a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and has earned an Executive MBA at Queens University.

Under Desirée's leadership SureCall Contact Centres - has been recognized for numerous industry awards for service excellence, ethics, and integrity, including Waterstone Capital's Most Admired Culture 2020 and a Stevie International Business Award 2021 & 2020.

The Centre for Economic and Leadership Development, in consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council, recognized Desirée as a transformational leader naming her “Champion of Sustainable Development” honouring her with the Enabler of Vision award at the 2017 UN Summit in New York.

Desirée has pivoted her company into a social enterprise and through the "GoodCall" program and has established SureCall as a "purpose driven" organization. SureCall became a Certified Benefits (B Corp) in April of 2019 and was named a Best for the World Honouree in 2021 & 2019 for Community Giving, rounding out Desirée's vision of utilizing business as a Force for Good.

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