Liver Canada is proud to welcome three new members to our Board of Directors: Anna Balinsky, Kristen Wilson, and Leslie Keays-White. These individuals bring a powerful combination of professional expertise and lived experience, strengthening our collective ability to advance liver health across Canada. With backgrounds in governance, law, public health, finance, and community development, each member offers a unique perspective rooted in a shared commitment to improving outcomes for all Canadians affected by liver disease.
Kristen L. Wilson, ICD.D
Kristen is a visionary leader with over 25 years of experience in technology operations, cybersecurity, fintech, strategy, and governance, including more than a decade supporting credit unions across Canada. She is known for driving transformational change and aligning innovation with sustainable outcomes.
A founding board member of Fintechs of Canada, Kristen has played a key role in shaping national open banking and payments modernization efforts, while also serving on boards such as Celero’s Audit Committee. Her ICD.D and ESG designations underscore her commitment to responsible governance.
Anna Balinsky
Anna is a corporate and commercial lawyer with deep expertise in mergers and acquisitions, real estate joint venture and private equity structuring. She advises clients across industries and supports regulated professionals with business formation and expansion strategies.
Her legal practice includes negotiating complex agreements—from joint ventures and limited partnerships to asset/share sales—and navigating clients through entry into the Canadian market. With a strong track record and board experience, Anna will bring a pragmatic, business-minded approach to Liver Canada’s Board of Directors.
Leslie Keays-White
Of Cree-Métis descent, originally from Alberta and now based in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Leslie brings a vital Indigenous voice and decades of public health experience to Liver Canada. Bringing personal experience of living with liver disease and overcoming hepatitis C, Leslie offers deep insight into the realities of liver disease and its treatment.
After enduring multiple rounds of treatment before achieving a cure for hepatitis C through an experimental therapy in 2014, Leslie continues to manage stage four liver fibrosis and neuropathy, a testament to his resilience and advocacy. Over a 29-year career—22 of those spent in public service—he worked alongside federal and provincial governments, NGOs, and Indigenous communities to advance public health and build lasting partnerships rooted in trust and cultural understanding.
We are truly honoured to welcome these remarkable individuals to Liver Canada’s Board of Directors. Our directors bring together a diverse group of leaders whose professional expertise and lived experiences reflect the urgent realities of liver disease in Canada. Standing together with a shared commitment to advancing liver health, the Board plays a vital role in shaping our future — championing collaboration, equity in care, and bold investment in prevention, research, education, and awareness of liver disease in Canada. Their insights and leadership are essential to building a future where all Canadians can live healthier lives, free from liver disease.
