Katie Lafferty

Katie Lafferty is an experienced health sector executive, entrepreneur and strategic advisor with more than 30 years of leadership experience in healthcare, research and innovation. She is a management consultant with Portal Consulting Group and advises organizations working to advance spinal cord injury and dementia research.

From 2013 to 2023, Katie served as Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Heart and Stroke Foundation Canadian Partnership for Stroke Recovery. In this role, she led the organization’s national expansion and supported the development of a pan-Canadian clinical trials network and research training platform. Previously, she spent 12 years as Executive Director of the Canadian Stroke Network, where she oversaw the Canadian Stroke Strategy and Canadian Stroke Congress.

Katie has extensive governance experience, including serving as Chair of the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute Board and as a Governor of The Ottawa Hospital. She is also an entrepreneur and co-owner of Watson’s Pharmacy and Compounding Centre. As a Trustee of The Royal, Katie brings expertise in health research, strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, governance and system transformation.