Purpose Before Profit: Julie Quenneville Of UHN Foundation On The Benefits Of Running A Purpose-Driven Business
An Interview With Chad Silverstein
Passionate staff: Surround yourself with the best people. Not only ones who are smart and capable of great work, but ones who are aligned in your mission. Find people who share your values, who are passionate about your goals, and who are emotionally connected to your mission.
In today’s competitive business landscape, the race for profits often takes center stage. However, there are some leaders who also prioritize a mission-driven purpose. They use their business to make a positive social impact and recognize that success isn’t only about making money. In this interview series, we are talking with some of these distinct leaders and I had the pleasure of interviewing Julie Quenneville.
Quenneville began her career as a journalist before transitioning to a decorated career in the healthcare sector, and in 2023, became CEO of UHN Foundation where she joins the #1 hospital in Canada in its mission to reimagine healthcare. Quenneville has been named one of Canada’s Most Powerful Women, one of Concordia University’s Top 50 under 50, winner of the Women We Admire Award in 2023 and 2024, and recipient of the Medal of the Quebec National Assembly. Quenneville is a change agent, a passionate advocate for innovative research, and a firm believer that advancing medicine is a global responsibility.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you tell us your “Origin Story”? Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
I grew up very close to my ultra-feminist grandmother who used to tell me she “didn’t walk the streets to give me rights just so I could waste them.” We were very poor, but she was generous and helped everyone in our neighborhood however she could. She lived her life on the belief that regardless of our status or position in life, it’s our responsibility to care for the less fortunate and to care for our community — it’s what initially led me to a career in journalism. I wanted to write stories to change the world, to help people, but I learned quickly that the change I wanted to create wasn’t happening, and it frustrated me.
The story that broke me was a series of articles that identified our community as having the highest level of brain tumours in North America — all linked to the use of pesticides on the three back-to-back golf courses close by. I wondered why nothing was being done about it especially considering that science had proven these pesticides to be toxic. It pushed me to re-evaluate my career and how I could serve my community in a more proactive way.
One of my mentors, Russ Williams, was a member of the National Assembly at the time. He said to me “if you really want change to occur, join us in politics and lead the change.” He changed the course of my life and career by giving me an opportunity on his team. I was then recruited into the Office of the Minister of Health and Social Services as Associate Chief of Staff. It gave me the opportunity to see healthcare from the policy side and from a national perspective. It was truly inspiring to see how much positive change could be made under courageous leadership. I was blessed with the opportunity to contribute to some of the transformative change led by Premier Jean Charest, like banning smoking in all public places and measures to improve access to people living with disabilities. Our Government also banned those pesticides.
From Government, I moved to a decade in senior management at the McGill University Health Centre, where I helped to transform academic medicine as we prepared to move into a new 2.3 million square foot hospital. Moving into philanthropy was the logical next step for me; it was the vehicle through which I could continue to bring about change, only much faster. I was truly inspired when I realized how quickly philanthropy could bring about change. Philanthropy is quick and agile, we unite generous donors who want to support change with brilliant minds ready to lead it. Inspired by my grandmother’s lessons all those years ago, I am driven by my purpose to change the world of healthcare, help cure disease, improve diagnostics, and reduce suffering.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company or organization?
There have been so many incredible moments, but one that stands out to me is the generosity of one Myrna Daniels, who donated a historic $52 million to elevate the standard of emergency care for seniors across the country and world. Her donation is more than just philanthropy. It was her way of responding to the challenges she faced while acting as a caregiver for her husband. She saw firsthand the difficulty older adults face when having to visit the emergency department and wanted to make a difference — not only for herself, but for the millions of older adults who visit every day.
The Myrna Daniels Seniors Emergency Medicine Centre at University Health Network (UHN) is currently under construction and will be Canada’s first emergency department purpose-built for seniors. Every element, from the lighting to the non-slip floors, will be designed to address the unique, most complex needs of older adults. All patients will see a social worker and receive a review of their medications. And all because a donor saw an unmet need in the system and decided to push for the necessary change.
What strikes me the most is that her gift will not only fund the construction of a physical space, but will support a model of geriatric care that will go on to become the gold standard around the world. This is the beginning of a whole new era of medicine, and it’s inspiring to see.
We often learn the most from our mistakes. Can you share one that you made that turned out to be one of the most valuable lessons you’ve learned?
I spent the early portion of my career trying to blend into the room, even when I was in senior leadership positions. I had a closet full of black and navy pantsuits. I was quiet. I sat in the background, I let people who were less senior than me sit at the table and have a louder voice. I didn’t confidently embrace my power.
I’ve learned that confidence is not only about embracing my strengths, but also my sensitivity. When I started in my role as CEO at UHN Foundation, I was nervous. I felt anxious and insecure about being in a new city with a new team, but confidence isn’t about never feeling fear or doubt — it’s about acknowledging those feelings and moving forward despite them. By leaning into my vulnerabilities and allowing myself to be authentic, I discovered a deeper sense of resilience and capability. It makes me a better leader, a better mentor, and a better changemaker in my community.
As a successful leader, it’s clear that you uphold strong core values. I’m curious what are the most important principles you firmly stand by and refuse to compromise on. Can you share a few of them and explain why they hold such significance for you in your work and life?
For me, it always comes back to the sense of responsibility I feel to care for my community and reduce suffering. The core value of taking care is one of the biggest parts of me, and I think it’s an innately big part of many people. Working in healthcare philanthropy gives me the opportunity to help not only my own loved ones, but the most vulnerable members of our community, and there is no greater vulnerability than being faced with disease. Philanthropy is a powerful way to take back our power and fight against that disease, and to help look for better treatments and cures.
UHN is the #1 publicly-funded hospital in the world, and we have a responsibility to provide proactive, excellent care for the most vulnerable members of our community. UHN launched the Gattuso Centre for Social Medicine that aims to treat homelessness as a health issue. Research shows that chronically unhoused people live half as long as the general population, so what if we could prescribe housing as medicine? Later this year, we’ll open a first-in-Canada social housing project that will give 50+ people a home, and access to care and social support services — while also alleviating some of the pressure on our emergency departments, of which the unhoused are frequent visitors.
The Gattuso Centre for Social Medicine also created a new health profession: peer workers to help care for our homeless patients and support them through the system. This pilot project was so successful that we are now creating an education program at the UHN Michener Institute to bring peer workers in every major hospital in Canada.
What inspired you to start a purpose-driven business rather than a traditional for-profit enterprise? Can you share a personal story or experience that led you to prioritize social impact in your business?
I’ll share a story that I’ve only told once before that really highlights the importance of high-quality care, and is one of the driving forces behind what I do. When I 14 years old, I lost my eyesight in my right eye. I was misdiagnosed numerous times, and on one occasion, was incorrectly told that I had a brain tumour. I vividly remember sitting with my mother in the hospital cafeteria after receiving this (albeit incorrect) diagnosis. She was crying so much she couldn’t drive us home, and we were both in shock and terrified of what came next.
Thankfully, I didn’t have a brain tumour, and learned later that the doctor who misdiagnosed me had let her personal challenges impact her ability to deliver excellent bedside manner that day, something that is essential to the role of a caregiver. It struck me then, and still strikes me now, that every interaction we have with our hospitals and with our caregivers has a major impact on the lives of patients and their loved ones. We as caregivers have an immense responsibility to always provide excellent care each and every single day, because each interaction is a life, a child, a mother, a father. We strive for excellence because as patients, we demand excellence.
It was a turning point in my life, and a realization that life is short. I began to live with purpose. I got involved in my school, in my community, in political movements and started to get involved in healthcare as a volunteer. There is a 100% chance that we will be affected by disease, either for ourselves or for a loved one. Working in an organization that is leading global change in healthcare and impacting millions of lives around the world brings meaning to my own life. Our generous donors, our courageous patients, caring staff and our brilliant scientists give me hope.
Can you help articulate a few of the benefits of leading a purpose-driven business rather than a standard “plain vanilla” business?
Something I love about purpose-driven work, in my case, healthcare philanthropy, is that it’s a unifier. Everyone needs health care, everyone needs medicine, everyone wants to build a world free of disease — and you can feel it when you step through the UHN Foundation doors. Everyone is working together for a purpose that is more than a bottom line. I love that these spaces are traditionally dominated by women. I love that when we’re here, we can be human and be honest. At the end of the day, many of us are here because we have a personal experience in the hospital system that changed our perspective on healthcare and made us want to do something about it. It’s a somewhat vulnerable experience to work together and share these origin stories, but through doing so we realize that we all are fighting for the same thing regardless of what experience brought us here. I know my work has meaning — it has meaning to my colleagues, to the patients, to their families, and to people everywhere who will need care at one point or another.
How has your company’s mission or purpose affected its overall success? Can you explain the methods or metrics you use to evaluate the impact of this purpose-driven strategy on your organization?
I can explain our strategy in so many ways. I could use charts or graphs, put together spreadsheets or stats to quantify it — but the most important, most impactful, and in my opinion, most effective tool we have to evaluate our impact is through the stories of our patients whose lives have been transformed through treatments and technologies that exist thanks to our fundraising.
For example, Fabio Dwyer is a patient who was diagnosed with early onset Parkinson’s disease when he was barely older than 40. He was a husband, a father, and a lifelong musician. Fabio moved to Canada from Brazil to pursue music; he opened a music school, played in a band, and was busy teaching children how to play when he began to lose control of his hands. He lost the ability to play the guitar and was robbed of his lifelong passion. Luckily, thanks to philanthropy, UHN is able to offer Deep Brain Stimulation, a type of treatment that works by implanting electrodes in the brain to combat the symptoms of Parkinson’s. Fabio began his treatment, and today, has regained more than 90% use of his hands. He is back up on stage.
Through stories like Fabio’s, it becomes abundantly clear that this is how we measure our success — through lives transformed. Through the gift of music restored. Through a patient, whose wife has a husband back, and whose daughter has her dad back. It’s incredibly powerful, and the root of what drives every one of us every single day.
Can you share a pivotal moment when you realized that leading your purpose-driven company was actually making a significant impact? Can you share a specific example or story that deeply resonated with you personally?
One great example is the global impact of the Ex Vivo Lung Perfusion System (EVLP). EVLP is a cutting-edge technology used to improve the quality of donated lungs before transplantation. By placing the lungs in a specialized machine that supplies them with oxygen and nutrients, the EVLP system can repair and enhance the organs — making more lungs available for transplantation. In just five years since implementing this technology, the number of lung transplants performed at UHN doubled. Now, UHN is the largest lung transplant centre in the world, and EVLP is a standard of care globally.
EVLP was first created thanks to a donation from a grateful patient. That donation allowed the team to launch the research project, prove its success, then apply for research grants, and move forward. EVLP has been a critical step to getting people off the transplant wait list and giving people their second chance at life, and is now being adapted for other organs as well. How cool is it that we get to be part of these monumental discoveries?
Have you ever faced a situation where your commitment to your purpose and creating a positive social impact clashed with the profitability in your business? Have you ever been challenged by anyone on your team or have to make a tough decision that had a significant impact on finances? If so, how did you address and reconcile this conflict?
In our organization, it’s not about profitability. Every penny we raise goes directly into supporting more innovation. We are not raising money for a bottom line but for the purpose of advancing medical breakthroughs and improving patient care. Our mission is to invest as much as possible in transformative projects at UHN.
There hasn’t been a conflict between our commitment to social impact and financial considerations because our primary focus is on maximizing the support we provide to the hospital. Our team is full of passionate, driven individuals who are clear and strong in this mission, and we make decisions that prioritize the advancement of medical innovations over any financial gains. This unified approach allows us to remain steadfast in our purpose and ensure that we are making the greatest possible impact with the funds we raise.
What advice would you give to budding entrepreneurs who wish to start a purpose-driven business?
The best piece of advice I can give is to find something that ignites your passion and chase it. Answer these questions: What is the impact I want to make on the world? Who do I want to help? Why? Once you have the answers, don’t stop until the changes you dream of become a tangible reality.
What are your “5 Things You Need To Create A Highly Successful Purpose-Driven Business.” If you can, please share a story or example for each.
1. Passionate staff: Surround yourself with the best people. Not only ones who are smart and capable of great work, but ones who are aligned in your mission. Find people who share your values, who are passionate about your goals, and who are emotionally connected to your mission.
2. A strong board: A board provides essential oversight and strategic guidance, ensuring that the organization stays true to its mission and values. Their diverse expertise and perspectives help navigate complex challenges and drive sustainable impact, fostering accountability and long-term success.
3. Mentorship: Find a mentor and learn from them. I am a huge advocate for mentorship and the invaluable guidance, support and insights they offer. Their experience and wisdom can accelerate your professional growth, providing you with the tools and confidence needed to achieve your goals. Then, as you advance, turn around and become a mentor to the next generation of leaders and changemakers who will follow in your footsteps.
4. Strong stewards of donor dollars: Being good stewards of donor dollars is crucial in a fundraising organization, as it ensures that every contribution is used wisely and transparently, building deep trust and confidence among our generous supporters. This careful and heartfelt management honors the spirit of giving, allowing us to maximize the impact of each donation and truly bring our mission to life.
5. Pride: Having pride in your work, and making sure your team shares that pride, might be the most important of all. Share your passions, tell the stories of impact that fuel you, and celebrate every win no matter how small. Igniting people’s pride through storytelling plays a pivotal role in humanizing our mission, conveying the profound impact of donations, and inspiring a shared sense of purpose that will drive you forward on your path.
I’m interested in how you instill a strong sense of connection with your team. How do you nurture a culture where everyone feels connected to your mission? Could you share an example or story that showcases how your purpose has positively influenced or motivated people on your team to contribute?
At UHN Foundation, we take care to make sure everyone can see how their work contributes towards changing the world of healthcare. We share stories, outcomes, and real-life examples of how our work changes lives. Here, everyone is a fundraiser. Whether you’re on the finance team, writing team, administrative team or anything in between, everything little bit of work has an impact. We want everyone to not only know that, but believe it.
Earlier this year we launched our first-ever brand campaign: UHNITED. Through it, we highlighted teams across UHN who work every day to advance health care. We built it as a team, launched it as a team, celebrated it as a team, and continue to live the spirit of the UHNITED slogan as a team: “no one ever changed the world on their own.” When we foster a sense of togetherness and teamwork, we can achieve anything.
Imagine we’re sitting down together two years from now, looking back at your company’s last 24 months. What specific accomplishments would have to happen for you to be happy with your progress?
Success for UHN Foundation is when the hospital delivers a new innovation, a new cure, a new technology and helps to change the system. Our metrics for success are not only funds raised and funds disbursed, but impact in healthcare.
For the next few years, we will be working toward an ambitious $300M fundraising goal to build a new surgical tower at Toronto Western Hospital — a project that will revolutionize surgical care at UHN and beyond. It’s eye-opening to think that only a few decades ago, minimally invasive surgery was considered the newest, most cutting-edge thing in health care. This new tower will help us with our global leadership role in developing and testing robotic surgery, augmented reality and artificial intelligence. UHN handles some of the most challenging surgical cases in the country — so this tower will enable us to have an impact not only on our community, but on Canada and beyond. And perhaps the most important thing: the tower was designed with patients and their loved ones in mind. Nobody wants to have surgery, but our new space will help make every part of a patient’s journey as comfortable and efficient as possible for as long as they are in our care.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
I hope to inspire each and every person to donate a small amount each year and help care for their community. People often feel their small donation cannot have big impact, and that could not be farther from the truth. Every donor, every donation, every penny — it matters. Imagine how far we could go if everyone donated just $25 — think about the incredible ways we could advance research, the cures we could find, the ways we can change the world. Movements are started when everyone seizes their power and takes action.
How can our readers further follow your work or your company online?
If you’d like to make a donation or learn more, you can visit UHNfoundation.ca
You can follow us on Instagram at @uhn.foundation and on LinkedIn
This was great. Thanks for taking time for us to learn more about you and your business. We wish you continued success!
About the Interviewer: Chad Silverstein, a seasoned entrepreneur with over two decades of experience as the Founder and CEO of multiple companies. He launched Choice Recovery, Inc., a healthcare collection agency, while going to The Ohio State University, His team earned national recognition, twice being ranked as the #1 business to work for in Central Ohio. In 2018, Chad launched [re]start, a career development platform connecting thousands of individuals in collections with meaningful employment opportunities, He sold Choice Recovery on his 25th anniversary and in 2023, sold the majority interest in [re]start so he can focus his transition to Built to Lead as an Executive Leadership Coach. Learn more at www.chadsilverstein.com
Purpose Before Profit: Julie Quenneville Of UHN Foundation On The Benefits Of Running A… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.