Rob Peabody takes on role of board chair at Calgary Health Foundation

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Another good example of how corporate Calgary is such a good provider of leadership to this community is the announcement that Rob Peabody has accepted the role as board chair of the Calgary Health Foundation (CHF).

A very busy man in his professional career, most recently serving as president and CEO of Husky Energy before its merger with Cenovus Energy, he nevertheless committed much of his time and guidance to his strong interest in community and health.

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His leadership, demonstrated through his former membership in the Business Council of Canada and his service on numerous boards, is also shown by supporting diverse philanthropic efforts, particularly in health care. Peabody’s thoughtful approach to advancing health-care initiatives has been evident in his roles as CHF’s funding oversight committee chair and as chair of the Foothills Hospital Fund Development Council before joining the CHF board in 2022.

Born in Moncton, N.B., Peabody earned his bachelor of science in mechanical engineering at the University of British Columbia, and went on to obtain a master of science in management at Stanford University (Sloan Fellow). He held senior positions with BP before joining Husky Energy as COO in 2006, appointed president and CEO in 2016.

Peabody’s wealth of experience that has helped shape the landscape of the Alberta economy and his commitment to the Calgary community will now be focused on supporting the CHF’s current priorities, including women’s health, mental health, Indigenous health, neonatal intensive care and various innovative care delivery initiatives.

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Murray Sigler, president and CEO of CHF, expressed his enthusiasm for Peabody’s appointment. “Rob’s visionary leadership and passion for community well-being will undoubtedly drive our efforts to enhance health-care services for all Calgarians.”

Peabody recognizes the opportunity to use his experience and extensive business relationships to guide CHF in pursuing its goal of relentlessly advancing care, wellness and research in four hospitals, Carewest and community care. “I am honoured to serve as the board chair,” he says. “Together with our dedicated board members and partners, I look forward to building on the foundation’s successes and ensuring that every individual in our community has access to the best advancements in health care.”

His tasks will centre on bringing together donors, companies, governments and other stakeholders with diverse interests to enable extraordinary projects and initiatives to advance the delivery of real health benefits to Calgary and the region.

CHF is a philanthropic organization with the ambitious aim of revolutionizing health outcomes, raising funds in support of four hospitals — Foothills, Lougheed, Rockyview and South Health Campus — and Carewest, which has 12 long-term care facilities and numerous heath centres and programs.

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Sigler says his charitable foundation encourages all Calgarians to invest in ensuring patients and families receive the best care and attention. Good examples are in raising $650,000 in support of the creation of the South Health Campus Early Pregnancy Assessment and Maternal Triage space, and its support of the Alberta Registered Nurses education trust to inspire nurses to continue education to create a healthier Alberta.

The major method of raising funds is through its super successful spring and fall home lotteries. Always a sellout — the spring lottery deadline for tickets is May 3 — combined proceeds net the CHF around $15 million each year.

But several other events support better health, including the Shoppers Drug Mart Run for Women being held June 15 at Edworthy Park. In support of women’s mental-health initiatives, CHF is again the beneficiary that has raised $1.3 million over the past 11 years.

Peabody and his board have an exciting task in making sure Sigler and his staff have the tools to play a positive part in someone’s life-changing health-care story.

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Notes:

Thriving in Calgary’s franchise landscape, OPA! of Greece will open its 28^th city location on April 26 in the community of Legacy. Embracing its Canadian roots alongside its Greek heritage has been the catalyst for OPA!’s expansion and continued growth. With restaurants from Vancouver Island to Ontario, president and CEO Dorrie Karras can now boast of 113 locations across Canada in partnership with a diverse group of franchisees who have helped build up the company from its humble beginnings in Calgary more than 25 years ago.

David Parker appears regularly in the Herald. Read his columns online at calgaryherald.com/business. He can be reached at 403-830-4622.

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