Head, Canada Government Affairs & Policy at Johnson & Johnson
Lesia M. Babiak currently holds the role of Head, J&J Worldwide Government Affairs & Policy, responsible for Canada. In that role, she works with the six Canadian J&J businesses in Canada and Chairs the cross sector J&J Canada Government Affairs Council. She has been with Johnson and Johnson since 2000. She has been active in a number of committees and boards including: Member LifeScan Canada Inc Board, Chair, BIOTECanada Health Advisory Board; Member of various industry association committees and boards in the Life Sciences area including those within Rx&D and MEDEC; Chair, Ukrainian Care Center Board and a member of the Alliance Hospice Board. She is currently a member of the Ivan Franko Home Board. Previously, she served with Ministry of Health in Ontario as the Associate Director with the Drug Programs Branch. For a period of five years, her responsibilities included leading on a number of clinical initiatives and process redesign work and interfaces with key Ministry stakeholders such as the OMA, OPA and the industry. In 1995, Lesia served as a Health Advisor with the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). Her work focused on assisting Eastern European universities to revise their pharmacy curriculum, towards a more clinically oriented curriculum. During that time she served as the Medical lead for the Help Us Help the Children Project. In addition to leading the Medical Committee she was active in a number of the outreach ‘road trips’ to the orphanages of Ukraine. Prior to that, she worked for seven years with another life sciences company in a variety of Clinical Research positions. These included Head, Clinical Therapeutic Areas and Head, Pharmacoeconomic Research. She began her professional career working clinically at the Ottawa General Hospital as Team Leader for clinical services for Neurology and Family Medicine. Lesia holds a B.Sc.Pharm. from the University of Toronto, a Pharm.D. from Wayne State University, and an M.B.A. from the University of Western Ontario. She is a 2018 graduate of the Rotman School of Business Directors Education Program (DEP) and has secured the ICD.D designation. Lesia is married with one daughter, two stepdaughters, 4 grandchildren and 2 very active dogs.