For nearly 30 years, Saäd has served as a leader in challenging public and private sector environments, honing his expertise in financial administration, leadership of complex organizations, risk management, health care and, critically, as a changemaker who delivers results.
Saäd has held some of the most critical Deputy Minister positions in the Ontario Public Service including public safety and policing, transportation, energy and infrastructure and health and long-term care. During his time at the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care, he oversaw one of the largest government budgets in Canada, $48 billion. Shepherding the Ministry through the challenging landscape after the 2008 to 2009 financial crisis, Saäd also drove impactful change in the realms of infrastructure, digital health and hospital funding modernization.
After his successful tenure with the public service, Saäd was named CEO of the 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games in Toronto. He re-established shareholder and sponsor confidence, implementing the largest multi-sport event in Canadian history, returning a significant surplus of funds to taxpayers and increasing the economic activity above normal levels in Toronto and the surrounding 16 municipalities.
Prior to joining Santis as an Executive Advisor, Saäd was a National Leader for the Government and Public Services Industry at Deloitte. He has also consulted and advised a wide number of clients in pharmacare, long-term care, municipalities and major health care organizations.
Volunteerism and activism
Saäd serves on the Board of Directors for several organizations including Baycrest Seniors Care, Ellis Don Corporation and the Canadian Olympic Committee. He has received an Honorary Degree from Humber College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning and was recognized as a one of the “75 for 75th” distinguished alumni honored as part of the 75th anniversary of the Faculty of Public Affairs at Carleton University.
Professor Adalsteinn (Steini) Brown has served as the Dean of the Dalla Lana School of Public Health (DLSPH) since 2017. His research largely now focuses on the use of evidence and data in public policy. He has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles, a dozen book chapters and over 100 reports, editorials and commentaries.
Prior to serving as Dean, Steini was the Director of the Institute for Health Policy, Management and Evaluation in the DLSPH, an Assistant Deputy Minister in two different Ontario government ministries, and worked in start-up and Fortune 500 companies in the US. He received his undergraduate degree in government from Harvard University and his doctorate from the University of Oxford, where he was a Rhodes Scholar. He is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences.
Jamie Kippen is a veteran political and strategic advisor with more than 16 years’ experience at the federal and provincial levels. He has served as Chief of Staff to the Ministers of Health and Environment and Climate Change, leading Canada’s COVID-19 response, negotiating healthcare accords.
Jamie has held senior leadership roles in national and provincial election campaigns, including Deputy Campaign Director to Mark Carney in the 2025 federal election. He has advised prime ministers, cabinet ministers, and opposition leaders on crisis management, policy development, and political strategy, and is recognized for his ability to navigate high-stakes political and policy environments.
Dan Arnold has 17 years experience in the public opinion research sector, and has served as Chief Strategy Officer at Pollara Strategic Insights since 2022, where he leads public affairs and corporate reputation research for many of Pollara’s largest clients. He has extensive experience in health care sector research, having completed public opinion research projects for over a dozen hospitals and health care organizations during his research career.
Prior to rejoining Pollara, Dan served as Director of Research and Advertising in the Prime Minister’s Office for 6 years, where he oversaw Government of Canada public opinion research. When elections rolled around, he was also the pollster for the Trudeau Liberals for their 2015, 2019, and 2021 election wins.
Dan is a regular commentator on public opinion research in the Toronto Star, the CBC, the Herle Burly, and most major Canadian media outlets.
