Dr. Danielle Paes is a pharmacist, healthcare strategist and recognized changemaker known for helping leaders navigate complexity with both boldness and heart. Named one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women in 2024, she has built a career at the intersection of health policy, innovation, equity, and person-centred care. As former Chief Pharmacist Officer at the Canadian Pharmacists Association, Dr. Paes served as a national voice for the profession, advancing initiatives in pharmacy practice transformation, workforce sustainability, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. As a trusted expert, she engages with media, policymakers and health organizations to advocate for health-system innovation, offering insights shaped by her diverse experience across community, hospital, academic, and industry settings. Dr. Paes contributes her expertise to numerous national advisory committees, providing strategic guidance on critical healthcare priorities including health equity. Her work has helped shape conversations on access to primary care, health-system innovation, and the evolving role of health professionals in Canada and beyond. Fueled by her passion for thoughtful-provoking, high-impact solutions, Danielle brings a grounded yet future-focused perspective to stage and room she steps onto. Currently, she serves as Chief Innovation Officer and VP, Global Affairs at AO.CO, where she builds cross-sector partnerships to support health leaders with sustainable, values-driven solutions in Canada and globally. She holds a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) and Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from the University of Waterloo, and a Bachelor of Science in Applied Pharmaceutical Chemistry from the University of Guelph.