Katherine Hay is a not-for-profit executive with over 40 years of experience in the health care and financial services sectors.
Since taking on her role as President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Kids Help Phone in 2017, she has transformed the organization into Canada’s only national, 24/7, multilingual e-mental health service for young people.
Prior to this, Ms. Hay worked as President and CEO of the Women’s College Hospital Foundation and held leadership roles at the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Credit Valley Hospital Foundation, the University of Guelph, and the University of Toronto. She also worked for several years in the financial sector before being appointed as President of the Canadian Foundation by the Consul General of Canada in São Paulo, Brazil, where she helped raise funds for children affected by HIV/AIDS.
Ms. Hay has dedicated much of her life to public service and her recent career to advancing health care services for women, children, and youth. She is a member of the UNICEF International Expert Advisory Group for Adolescent and Youth Digital Mental Health as well as the eMental Health International Collaborative Expert Advisory Council. She serves on the Board of Directors of Mental Health Research Canada and co-chairs the National Alliance for Children and Youth CEO Roundtable. She has previously served on the boards or councils of several other organizations, including the Mental Health Commission of Canada, Children First Canada’s Council of Champions, the Ontario Premier’s Council on Mental Health and Addictions, The Darling Home for Kids, and Kensington Health (Hospice).
In recognition of her leadership and contributions, Ms. Hay was named one of WXN’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women, one of Canada’s Top 25 Women of Influence, and one of Canada’s Top 10 Women Leaders in Digital Health. She has also been honoured with RBC’s Canadian Women Entrepreneur Award and the University of Waterloo’s Alumni Achievement Award. Most recently, she was awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal.
Ms. Hay holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Waterloo and an Institute of Corporate Directors Designation from the University of Toronto.