Chief Executive Officer

Waterloo Regional Health Network Foundation; Waterloo; On-site; CAD 325,000 - 375,000; Full time

Job summary

A new regional health foundation based in Waterloo is seeking an experienced President & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to lead fundraising efforts for a transformative hospital network. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in healthcare philanthropy and proven leadership in change management. This role offers a competitive salary range of $325,000-$375,000 with benefits and the potential for performance pay. The Foundation values equity, diversity, and inclusion and encourages a wide range of applicants.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Comprehensive benefits

HOOPP pension plan

Relocation assistance

Qualifications

• Proven ability to inspire and motivate teams, donors, and stakeholders.
• Successful history of securing major and transformational gifts.
• Experience leading teams through transformational growth.
• Demonstrated success across all aspects of fundraising.
• Exceptional skills in cultivating and maintaining relationships.
• Track record of innovative fundraising strategies for revenue growth.
• History of developing and leading high-performing teams.
• Experience building fundraising infrastructure and KPIs.
• Ability to support a Board of Directors with comprehensive reporting.
• Skilled at recruiting, coaching, and motivating senior volunteers.
• Outstanding oral and written communication skills.
• Understanding of philanthropic trends to inspire innovation.
• Proven ability to work effectively across functional teams.
• Advanced problem-solving skills and innovative solutions.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Foundation with a compelling vision for its future.
• Oversee fundraising efforts for major capital projects.
• Inspire trust and foster collaboration across teams.
• Build a shared culture of excellence in revenue generation.
• Engage with diverse stakeholders to advance the Foundation's mission.

Skills

Inspirational and Visionary Leadership

Philanthropy & Campaigns

Growth & Change Management

Innovation in Fundraising

Relationship Building

Strategic Risk-Taking

Team Leadership

Fundraising Infrastructure Development

Board Engagement

Volunteer Leadership

Communication Excellence

Sector Trends & Innovation

Cross-functional Collaboration

Problem-solving & Decision-making

Commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Anti-Racism

Education

University degree in fundraising, business management or related field

Job description

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Waterloo Regional Health Network Foundation is seeking a visionary, innovative, and inspirational President & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to lead the newly amalgamated Foundation into an exciting future. This pivotal leadership role offers the unique opportunity to shape the philanthropic strategy for a transformative new hospital network, which will modernize and expand healthcare facilities and services for the Kitchener-Waterloo region and beyond.

In May 2025, St. Mary’s General Hospital Foundation and Grand River Hospital Foundation amalgamated following the recent merger of their respective hospitals. The new WRHN Foundation has a dedicated team of 35+ professionals and a combined annual revenue of over $35M through a variety of philanthropy programs including major gifts, annual giving, events and lotteries.

As the inaugural CEO of the WRHN Foundation, you will report to the Board of Directors and oversee this newly amalgamated team. The Board has set ambitious goals for the Foundation such as to significantly expand fundraising capacity to support several major capital projects, including the development of a new hospital. This ambitious multi-phase campaign is expected to unfold over 15 to 20 years, requiring bold innovation, broad donor and community engagement and sustained momentum.

The ideal candidate will bring proven expertise in healthcare philanthropy, exceptional change leadership skills, and a forward-thinking approach to fundraising diversification and innovation. As a unifying leader, you will inspire trust, foster collaboration across teams, and build a shared culture of excellence that leverages both traditional and innovative revenue-generation strategies. Your ability to take informed risks and embrace new opportunities will be instrumental in driving the success of this historic initiative.

This is a rare opportunity to lead a new and innovative hospital network Foundation into an era of unprecedented growth and impact. The successful candidate will live in or embrace the chance to relocate and immerse themselves into our vibrant community while making a lasting contribution to healthcare excellence in our region. Compensation for this role includes a competitive salary range of $325,000–$375,000 with performance pay potential up to 15%, comprehensive benefits, and participation in the HOOPP pension plan.

QUALIFICATIONS & COMPETENCIES

• Inspirational and Visionary Leadership: Proven ability to inspire and motivate teams, donors, and stakeholders by articulating a compelling vision for the future of healthcare philanthropy. Innovative thinker, with proven ability to use out of the box, visionary thinking and lead teams to enact the vision.
• Philanthropy & Campaigns: Deep understanding and experience in philanthropy with a successful history of securing major and transformational gifts, as well as experience participating in significant institutional campaigns.
• Growth & Change Management: Experience leading teams through transformational growth and a significant change mandate. Experience with mergers or amalgamation of services an asset.
• Innovation in Fundraising: Demonstrated success across all aspects of fundraising, including transformational campaigns, major gifts, and leveraging emerging technologies to achieve strategic objectives.
• Relationship Building: Exceptional skills in cultivating and maintaining strong relationships with hospital leadership, donors, volunteers, and community partners to advance the mission of the foundation.
• Strategic Risk-Taking: A track record of taking informed and innovative risks in fundraising strategies that lead to sustainable revenue growth and enhanced donor engagement.
• Team Leadership: History of developing and leading high-performing teams that thrive on collaboration and share a commitment to advancing healthcare in the community.
• Fundraising Infrastructure Development: Experience building robust fundraising infrastructure, including policies, processes, and KPIs that drive measurable outcomes.
• Board Engagement: Proven ability to support a Board of Directors through comprehensive reporting on strategic goals, operational performance, and risk management.
• Volunteer Leadership: Skilled at recruiting, coaching, and motivating senior volunteers directly involved in major gift cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Communication Excellence: Outstanding oral and written communication skills with the ability to inspire diverse audiences and increase engagement across stakeholders.
• Sector Trends & Innovation: Strong understanding of philanthropic trends with the ability to leverage this knowledge to inspire innovation and advance organizational goals.
• Cross-functional Collaboration: Proven ability to work effectively across functions within complex organizations to meet strategic objectives.
• Problem-solving & Decision-making: Advanced problem-solving skills with the ability to address challenges methodically, develop innovative solutions, and mitigate risks effectively.
• Commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Anti-Racism: Demonstrated experience fostering an inclusive workplace that values equity, diversity, inclusion and practices anti-racism.
• Educational Background: A university degree or equivalent experience in fundraising, business management, or a related field is required; CFRE certification is an asset.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

KCI Search + Talent has been retained to conduct this search on behalf of Waterloo Region Health Network Foundation, the new Foundation created by the recent amalgamation of St. Mary’s General Hospital Foundation (SMGHF) and Grand River Hospital Foundation (GRHF).

For more information about this unique and exciting philanthropy leadership opportunity, please contact Tara George at KCI Search + Talent by email at [e-mail]

All inquiries and applications will be held in strict confidence. Interested candidates should send resume and letter of interest to the email address listed above by August 20, 2025.

To view full executive brief, please visit www.kcitalent.com

The Foundation is committed to fair and equitable employment practices during the recruitment and selection phases of this search. We strongly believe in inclusion and diversity within our organization and welcome all applicants including but not limited to those from racialized communities, all religions and ethnicities, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ2S+ persons, Indigenous people, and all others who may contribute to the further diversification of our Hospital and Foundation communities.

Accommodations are available during all stages of the recruitment process. Candidates who require accommodations are asked to please notify the Search Consultant.