As we enter MS Awareness Month this May, we remember that MS is a complex disease that affects every person differently. This year, we dedicate MS Awareness Month to raise awareness about secondary-progressive MS and primary-progressive MS.
To further our knowledge about progressive MS, the MS Society of Canada and Multiple Sclerosis Scientific Research Foundation are funding a $3.8 million collaborative grant to investigate the complex interplay between degeneration and inflammation in multiple sclerosis, research which may have special relevance for those with progressive forms of MS. There has never been a more hopeful time in Canadian MS research.
MS Awareness Month is filled with opportunities to support research and essential services for those affected by MS every day.
This spring, I encourage you to join the movement to end MS by raising MS awareness and participating in fundraising events in your communities that help support people living with MS and MS research. Each step we take can have a profound impact on the lives of Canadians affected by multiple sclerosis. Together, we can end MS.
Sincerely,
Yves Savoie
President and chief executive officer
President, Ontario Division
» Biography of Yves Savoie
Yves Savoie serves the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada
as president and chief executive officer and as president of
its Ontario Division. Since joining the MS Society early in
2007, Yves led the implementation of a new strategic plan for
the Society as a whole. Momentum
2015 provides a framework for priority-setting and
monitoring strategic performance against key milestones. Yves
is a proud participant in the MS Society’s fundraising
programs and is a top fundraiser in the MS Walk in his community.
In his role, he exercises overall responsibility for the
MS Society’s financial well-being, and for the quality
of its programs. He is an ambassador for the MS Society throughout
Canada and is its key spokesperson to donors, governments,
health professionals, the media and members of the MS research
community. The MS Society of Canada is a dynamic non-profit
organization leading the way in finding a cure for multiple
sclerosis and enabling people affected by MS to enhance their
quality of life. Yves is a passionate advocate for the inclusion
of people with disabilities in our community. Yves is a member
of the board of the Multiple Sclerosis International Federation
and the chair of its CEO advisory committee. He also serves
as a member of the governing council of the Health Charities
Coalition of Canada, of the editorial board of The Philanthropist,
and of Imagine Canada’s standards steering committee
which is responsible for finalizing the details of a standards
program for Canada’s charitable and nonprofit organizations.
He holds a Masters of Management from McGill University 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.
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.
To maximize cost savings and to create efficiencies, the positions of the national President and CEO and the President, Ontario division have been combined into one position.
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.
