President & CEO

Biography of Pamela Valentine

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Dr. Pamela Valentine joined the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada in 2018 with the drive and passion to lead the team of volunteers and staff in their work to accelerate research for better treatments and care, advocate for policy and system changes, and work towards improving lives for people living with MS.

Pam recently led the development of a new strategic plan – Discover. Innovate. Act. -- in collaboration with hundreds of stakeholders from across the country, including people living with and affected by MS, members of the scientific community, volunteers, staff, and donors. Alongside other change agents within the MS community, she is leading the implementation of the strategy to accomplish the ambitious goals of advancing treatment and care, enhancing well-being, understanding and halting disease progression, and preventing MS.

A trained neuroscientist, Pam came to the MS Society from Alberta Innovates where she spent over a decade and a half leading innovation and change. Her leadership at Alberta Innovates included significantly growing the health research portfolio and strengthening integration of research and health systems to maximize impact for patients and providers. She also led the establishment of a new Alberta Innovates organization that consolidated four corporations across the health, energy, agriculture, and forestry sectors. Pam started her career as a faculty member at the University of Calgary at Hotchkiss Brain Institute and then moved to Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research where she held a number of leadership roles.

Hailing from Edmonton, Alberta, and currently residing in Calgary, Alberta, Pam is a published researcher and has been awarded Hotchkiss Brain Institute Alumni of the Year, Canadian Psychological Association of Excellence, and the Neuroscience Canada Foundation Award. Pam believes in achieving impact in the health domain, a passion she developed as a basic scientist with a strong desire to facilitate translation between basic research and clinical care.

Pam is a strong advocate with an appetite for community involvement and currently serves as a board of trustee member for the MS International Federation; an executive committee member of the International Progressive MS Alliance; an executive committee member of Patient Reported Outcomes Initiative for MS (PROMS); a member of the Canada Post Accessibility Advisory Panel; a member of the Strategic Advisory Committee, Ontario Strategy for Patient Oriented Research (SPOR) Support Unit; a scientific advisory board member for SPOR Evidence Alliance; and a member of the Health Charities Coalition of Canada.

Contact information

presidents.office@mssociety.ca
416-967-3000 or 1-800-268-7582

CEO Compensation

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.