Our Leadership

Sylvain joined Crohn's and Colitis Canada as interim President and CEO in January 2025, and has worked in the healthcare industry his entire career, starting in the pharmaceutical sector, later holding President positions for both a medical device and a dental company. He has global experience, as he was responsible for the Americas and Australia/New Zealand, and helped launch multiple products in Europe. Sylvain also had full P&L responsibilities while being an active member of a culture transformation committee as part of an Americas Leadership Team. Since his retirement, he has been involved in Board and Advisory work. Sylvain was on the Crohn's and Colitis Canada board of directors for over six years and was an active member of the Governance and Nominating, as well as the Finance, Audit and Risk committees.

Sylvain has been volunteering at the Ostomy Youth Camp in Calgary and helped raise funds for mental health and other initiatives. As part of his work with a leading medical device company, Sylvain has been exposed to the challenges and resilience demonstrated by individuals living with IBD. Sylvain looks forward to the opportunity of contributing to this important cause.

Shawna joined Crohn’s and Colitis Canada in January 2023. A strategic healthcare and non-profit leader, Shawna brings senior expertise in leading mission-critical strategic and governance processes that transform organizations.  Most recently, Shawna led the planning, development and implementation of a ground-breaking new strategic and impact framework for the MS Society of Canada providing greater clarity and impact for the MS community. Previously, Shawna worked at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and Public Health Ontario developing and implementing transformational strategic initiatives, establishing policy and process frameworks, and cultivating key partnerships to shape the organizations.  
 
With a passion for creating positive change, Shawna looks forward to contributing her expertise to Crohn’s and Colitis Canada. 

Kelly joined Crohn’s and Colitis Canada in December 2019. She has held progressive roles in the organization, most recently as Director, Volunteer Engagement and Innovation. Living with a chronic illness herself, Kelly is driven to create an empowered work culture where employees and volunteers can thrive as we strive to find cures and improve the lives of all people living with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

With over sixteen years in the non-profit sector, Kelly’s work has focused on strategic improvements to programs and processes, informed by participatory research and community collaboration. Prior to joining Crohn’s and Colitis Canada, Kelly held management positions at the Nishnawbe Gamik Friendship Centre and Volunteer Toronto. She also led anti-oppression, 2SLGBTQ+ inclusion training with Egale Canada. Kelly has a Masters in Non Profit Leadership and Philanthropy from Carleton University.  

In her downtime, Kelly enjoys spending time with family and friends, hiking and cooking meals with produce from her garden.

Lisa Larsen joined Crohn’s and Colitis Canada in August 2022. Lisa thrives on the dual demands of her portfolio as head of finance and administration: ensuring finance accountability and compliance while at the same time driving technological innovation and process improvements in support of the organization’s strategic goals. 

Most recently at Make-A-Wish Canada as VP Finance, Lisa led the finance team at a critical time of transformation including the financial integration of systems and process following the amalgamation of 9 separate legal entities. She is adept at effectively communicating complex financial information as well as improving day-to-day functions.
Prior to joining Make-A-Wish Canada, Lisa worked eight years in the public sector for the government agency Groupe Media TFO, a digital and distribution powerhouse of educational, French language content. During her tenure, she contributed to the organization’s transformation from a slow-moving, traditional broadcasting company to a cutting-edge leader in content production. She also has experience in the corporate world, with eight years in various finance roles at Xerox Canada. Lisa is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) and Chartered Accountant (CA). As an added bonus, Lisa is also bilingual.

Lisa dives deep and thinks big, always questioning how best to equip her colleagues to find creative solutions, make better decisions, and deliver efficiencies.

Lisa is an avid reader and when she is not reading, she is trying to keep up with her two sons, who are active with their local hockey team and Scouts Canada. Lisa is a devout volunteer and volunteers as a member of Scouts Canada.

Kate Lee is Vice President of Research & Patients Programs at Crohn’s and Colitis Canada, where she oversees the organization’s research, patient and advocacy programs to find the cure(s) and improve the quality of life of everyone affected by Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Kate has almost 20 years of experience in the health sector, including Managing Director of the Canadian Arthritis Network - a Centre of Excellence funded by the tri-council funding agencies of CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC, VP of Research at the Arthritis Society, and as a scientist at a biotech company. Kate holds a PhD in biology from McGill University and an MBA from Rotman School of Management University of Toronto.

Kate is an avid gardener and loves exploring new restaurants whenever possible.