Over nearly five decades in health care, Michael Villeneuve has served as a clinician, educator, researcher, executive, consultant and health policy leader. He was CEO of the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) 2017-2022, where he led a major transformation of the organization, expanded its membership, and launched the Canadian Academy of Nursing. A recognized national leader, Mike advanced key policy initiatives during COVID-19, represented nursing in the review of Canada’s first MAiD legislation and development of its next revision, helped secure major funding for anti-racism work in nursing, and regularly ranked among Ottawa’s top health lobbyists.

Mike holds academic appointments at the University of Toronto and McGill University and has served with global and national organizations including the OECD in Paris, and Canada’s federal Office of Nursing Policy. Mike has delivered presentations around the world, is widely published, and was author of Canada’s first textbook focused on nursing policy. To honour his contributions to nursing and health care in Canada, he was appointed as a Member of the Order of Canada in 2025. He is a Fellow of the American and Canadian Academies of Nursing, the Royal College of Nursing in the UK, and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. To launch Nursing Week 2026, Mike will speak with the CARE Centre community about the critical importance of leadership in nursing, sharing examples from his own career in health care.