After 28 years with the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) group of companies, Tim Smith has announced he will be stepping down as CEO at the end of the year.
Serving in the CEO position since 2015, Mr. Smith has made significant changes to the 150+ year-old organization, including revamping its governance structure and ensuring its financial sustainability to support its short- and long-term strategic objectives under Impact 2040.
Under his leadership, the CMA has focused on the major issues affecting the medical profession and Canadians, from helping to secure the largest federal health funding increase in two decades to calling for federal anti-harassment legislation to protect health care workers and successfully advocating to reverse proposed changes to tax-saving mechanisms for incorporated physicians.
"Tim has been a fearless leader for physicians and the patients they care for, never shying away from the big problems that need fixing in health care. Thanks to his strategic thinking and keen ability to collaborate, he has positioned the CMA as a leader in driving positive health change in Canada."
— Dr. Suzanne Strasberg, chair of the CMA Board of Directors
A search committee has been established to identify a replacement to carry on this work, comprised of current and past CMA board members, and chaired by Ms. Janet Ecker.
Supported by executive recruitment firm Boyden, the committee will be conducting extensive outreach to ensure it considers candidates with a wide range of expertise and backgrounds, in keeping with the CMA’s commitment to promoting equity and diversity, reconciliation and inclusion in its leadership.
The new CEO is expected to assume their role in January 2025.