At the Mental Health Commission of Canada, Lili-Anna applies 30 years of global, national, and local experience to one of society’s most urgent priorities: reducing barriers to quality mental health care through evidence-informed policy change and collaborative system transformation.

Her lifelong commitment to community service has taken her from classrooms in Malawi to developing transportation solutions that improved access to rural health facilities in Burkina Faso, and to the humanitarian frontlines in Bosnia and Herzegovina. These experiences shaped her deep understanding of human rights, which she later championed as Executive Director of Amnesty International France.

Returning to Canada, she combined her international perspective with home-grown approaches, guiding community agencies like YWCA Montréal before expanding her impact during eight years at Centraide/United Way of Greater Montreal. It was during this time that her dedication to removing barriers to mental health services deepened. Most recently, as President and CEO of the McConnell Foundation, she directed philanthropic resources toward innovative, community-led solutions addressing Canada’s most pressing societal challenges.

A lifelong learner, Lili-Anna’s work with equity-seeking groups strengthened her conviction that effective strategies arise from the lived experience of those closest to the context. Inspired by Indigenous teachings, she fosters relationships built on trust to advance sustainable change.

Her contributions have earned numerous distinctions, including knighthood in the National Order of Quebec, an honorary doctorate from the University of Montreal, and recognition as a Fellow of Engineers Canada. She holds an engineering degree from École Polytechnique de Montréal and graduate degrees in management from McGill University and political science from Sorbonne University in Paris.