Lisa Kearns - EXPERIENCED

A strong corporate professional, Lisa reflects, “previously I was a proud employee of LifeLabs LLP for nearly a decade. Spending each day building a healthier Canada and committed to values; Caring, Customer Driven, Agile, and One Team. A hard worker and always stepping up to task, my career advancement indicates this exceptional business acumen and success as a national strategic procurement leader.” says Lisa. LifeLabs is a Canadian-owned company that has been serving the healthcare needs of Canadians for more than 50 years. Today, LifeLabs performs more than 100 million laboratory tests every year, helping healthcare providers diagnose, treat, monitor and prevent disease in patients. 

TEAM LEADERSHIP

In 2013, LifeLabs completed the purchase of competitor CML to for its diagnostic laboratory testing operations at a cost of $1.2 billion. As Purchasing Manager from 2013 – 2015, Lisa was a key driver to integrate the acquired purchasing function into the LifeLabs family. This included contractual synergies, system harmonization, operational divestures, and centralizing the purchasing team. She recalls; “I introduced myself by asking the team what they thought about our strengths and opportunities, from there we worked to bridge the teams and processes. Integration was successful - ahead of budget, forecast and schedule, all while earning respect during the difficult process of restructuring”.

RESPONSIBLE MONEY MANAGEMENT

In previous roles, Lisa was tasked with strategic sourcing, contract negotiation, technology planning, capital budget cycles and continuous improvement initiatives. She has harnessed over $100m of spend under Strategic Business alignment through the review initiative she created and implemented. This formalized the partnerships of LifeLabs key suppliers, drove capital planning, budget cycle optimization and strengthened overall business relationships. 

CORPORATE CITIZENSHIP

Lisa personally engages in volunteer events, environmental initiatives, and partnership opportunities at the corporate level, building a more vibrant Canada through our community engagement and environmental sustainability. 

WORKING WITH CITIES

In her years with Titan Outdoor, which was the largest Transit Advertising company in North America, reporting annual sales of up to $800 million and presence across the top American Transit Authorities, Ireland, and Canada. Following a merger, Titan was then acquired by a consortium of investors led by Alphabet Inc. (Google’s Sidewalk  Labs) in 2015. 

Following a presentation to the Toronto City Council in 2007 that showcased her ability to navigate municipal processes and delegate effectively led to her recruitment as Titan’s New Business Development and Government Relations Manager.  In that role, her achievements include stakeholder representation with OMAC (Outdoor Marketing Association Canada) on the new Toronto Sign Bylaw, re-negotiation of contracts during the economic downturn in 2008, unlocking new revenue streams worth 5% of the operating budget, and breaking into new markets. She forged relationships across Canada with local BIA’s, most impressively as a speaker for the Downtown Vancouver BIA Art Tile Beautification Project with local businesses.

She notes, “one of the things I am most proud of from my time with Titan was the ability to showcase Local Artists as part of our community initiative. We were overwhelmed with amount of talent across Canada and sought to work directly with local artists on creative installations, murals, experiential advertising and fabrications”, many of these artists have gone on to create beautiful public art across the country.  

ATTENTIVE AND ENGAGED

Experienced in healthcare, manufacturing and advertising she is apt to bringing core skills across a variety of industry. The anchor has been in finding rewarding work which improves lives and drives value for many people. Reporting into HealthPRO as a Manager of Procurement Services, she worked at Toronto Grace palliative care hospital to leverage aggregated purchasing power for the member hospital while supporting their unique procurement needs.  Here she truly felt a sense of engagement while driving value and savings out of the national healthcare budget. HealthPRO is Canada's healthcare procurement services organization that collectively brings together the most significant purchasing power ever assembled amongst Canada's hospitals – by taking pressure off the goods and services budget, healthcare funds to be optimized to invest in support staff, physicians and care givers.

BUSINESS ACUMEN

Her first professional experience included an unprecedented acceleration from Accounts Payable to Purchasing at Stelco in Hamilton; then acquired by US Steel for $1.9 billion following Companies’ Creditor Arrangements Act (CCAA) filed in 2004. She recalls, “this role really taught me business acumen; working with a cross section of professionals, union representatives, new owners and established vendors.  The dynamic of managing major vendor portfolios while legally unable to pay for rendered goods and services demanded tact, empathy and the utmost professionalism during a historic time.”

ALREADY WORKING HARD FOR YOU

Recently known as one of the founders of Engaged Citizen’s of Burlington, she has been described as one of the more impressive delegators at City Hall and helped create a space where residents work within the civic process to address issues that affect the City as a whole. One resident said, “Having experienced Lisa’s well-thought out speeches at ECoB meetings and delegations at City Hall, I see a candidate who is aware of the issues downtown and ready to tackle the problems with transparency and accountability in our city as a whole.” With her candidacy, she has stepped away to ensure the integrity of the organization as the focus turns to their work, including development appeals and municipal election coverage. 

Residents and council will benefit from her professional approach as someone who both listens intently and communicates effectively. She is apt at wisely spending under strict public budgets and can quickly navigate the importance of using taxpayer funds to get the best results and most value.  Above all, her sense of character is firm in being respectful, welcoming, diligent, and insightful.

CREDENTIALS DON'T HURT EITHER

Most recently in 2021, Lisa became a Certified Corporate Director (ICD.D) throught the Institute of Corporate Directors at UofT Rotman School of Business. In the current, evolving business and governance landscape, the ICD.D designation helps directors be better at what they do, and ultimately, create better boards and better business. Granted by the Institute of Corporate Directors after completing the ICD-Rotman Directors Education Program and an examination process conducted by seasoned directors, the ICD.D designation represents a lifelong commitment to excellence in the boardroom, a desire to stay current, and to be a more effective director.
She was also elected as DEP89 Class Representative.

A graduate from the University of Western Ontario (UWO), she holds an Honours degree in Political Science, uplifted by business stream curriculum. Academic focus included Public Administration/Policy, Business Administration, Business Ethics, Organizational Psychology, Program Policy and Evaluation, Economics, and Law. 

Not one to rest on her laurels, Lisa turns to University of Toronto Continuing Studies for ongoing course work including; Negotiation, Effective Communication, and Accounting for Business classes.