Multiple sclerosis is a devastating disease that impacts thousands of Canadians. Every day three more people are diagnosed with MS and three more lives are forever changed. This May, we launch 1 Day in May, an awareness campaign that educates people about the symptoms of MS and how this disease impacts Canadians on a daily basis.
During our 1 Day in May campaign you’ll meet Gaby, an entrepreneur and mother, who some days wakes up and cannot clearly see her son’s face; Beth, a teacher for children with special needs, who lives with the unpredictable nature of this often frustrating disease; and Tyrell, a high school student, who was diagnosed with MS when he was only six years old.
This month, I encourage you take part in 1 Day in May, raise awareness of MS and help those affected by the disease. You can get involved in several ways:
One day in May, I urge you to raise awareness about MS in Canada. Together, we can end MS.
Sincerely,
Yves Savoie
President and Chief Executive Officer
» Biography of Yves Savoie
Yves Savoie serves the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada as president and chief executive officer since February 2007. He also serves as a director of the MS Scientific Research Foundation. Yves is a passionate advocate for the inclusion of people with disabilities in our community and the chief spokesperson for the MS Society of Canada. In particular, he has been a strong voice for improved access to catastrophic drug coverage, for better supports for caregivers, and for more flexible income supports for those affected by episodic disabilities including people living with MS.
Under his leadership, the MS Society and its related MS Scientific Research Foundation celebrated the successful completion of the $60M endMS Campaign and have implemented the flagship endMS Research and Training Network to attract, recruit and retain the next generation of MS researchers. He has provided leadership to a broad planning process culminating in the approval of the Renewal Initiative in September 2012. The Renewal Initiative will bring significant changes to the MS Society with the view to improving its ability to deliver on its mission to be a leader in finding a cure for multiple sclerosis and enabling people affected by MS to enhance their quality of life.
Well known as a strategic thinker and facilitative leader, he is a frequent speaker at conferences and seminars on a variety of topics. Yves serves as a member of the Board of the MS International Federation and chairs its CEO Advisory Committee. He is Chair of the governing council of the Health Charities Coalition of Canada, Vice-Chair of Imagine Canada's Standards Programme and a member of the Editorial Board of The Philanthropist. He holds a Masters of Management from McGill University which he completed as a student in the McGill-McConnell Program for National Voluntary Sector Leaders and an MBA from Concordia University. He received his Bachelor of Arts, International Relations, from the University of Toronto and attended the Lester B. Pearson College of the Pacific as a scholar from his native province of New Brunswick. Yves is a proud supporter of the endMS Campaign and will be riding in the MS Bike Tour in Prince Edward County again this July.
The MS Society of Canada’s work relies on the tireless commitment of thousands of volunteers and the hard work and passion of a few hundred employees. In pursuit of our mission, we have established strategic priorities to deepen volunteer engagement and to be an employer of choice.
As part of our strategy to be an employer of choice, the MS Society of Canada recruits and retains top-quality staff members. Equitable and competitive compensation as benchmarked against other not-for-profit organizations is part of this commitment. In determining staff compensation, we strive to balance the need to attract and retain quality staff with our commitment to careful stewardship of donor dollars.
Oversight to all aspects of the MS Society’s compensation strategy is provided by a committee of the national board that is comprised entirely of senior volunteers. On a periodic basis, the committee reviews information that is provided by an external independent compensation consultant who provides comparative information for equivalent positions within the not-for-profit sector.
