KINGSTON — The charitable foundation that supports Kingston’s major hospitals announced its new president and chief executive officer on Wednesday.
Paul McIntyre Royston is a veteran philanthropic leader who has raised hundreds of millions of dollars for hospitals and other public institutions across Canada, the organization said in a media release on Sept. 2.
McIntyre Royston officially joined the foundation on Aug. 17 after “an extensive national search,” UHKF stated.
“Paul is an exceptional leader whose commitment to philanthropy stood out throughout the search process,” Brett Patterson, past chair of the UHKF board of directors and chair of CEO search committee, said in a supplied statement. “His track record of building strong organizations and engaging communities made him the ideal person to lead UHKF into its next chapter.”
Most recently, McIntyre Royston, who has more than 20 years of fundraising and leadership experience, served as president and CEO of Grand River Hospital Foundation in Waterloo, where he “led the organization through a period of remarkable growth,” transforming it into a $25-million-per-year fundraising foundation.
“During his tenure, the foundation secured more than $100 million to enhance patient care and support plans for a new regional hospital,” the release from UHKF stated. “He has also held senior leadership roles with Hamilton Health Sciences Foundation, Canadian Olympic Foundation and the Calgary Public Library Foundation.”
Health care belongs to all of us.
Paul McIntyre Royston
Incoming president and chief executive officer for University Hospitals Kingston Foundation
McIntyre Royston, his wife and five daughters will be relocating to Kingston for his new role.
In a supplied statement, the new CEO said that the chance to work with an outstanding team and a passionate community to create a new hospital for Kingston “is a tremendous and critical opportunity.”
“Health care belongs to all of us,” he said. “Our role as a foundation is to help people connect their experiences with the opportunity to make things better. When a community comes together around a common cause, the impact can be truly transformational.”
McIntyre Royston’s vision for the future is yet to be determined. For now, he said, his first priority will be “listening to the community, donors and supporters, health leaders and partners, and the foundation team both staff and volunteers.”
“I don’t have a list of fixed priorities yet,” he said. “My focus is going to be immersing myself in the organization and the community and building on the incredible foundation that’s already here.”
McIntyre Royston succeeds Tom Zsolnay, who retired at the end of August after seven years as UHKF’s CEO.
“During his tenure, Tom successfully guided the foundation through the COVID-19 pandemic, implemented a new strategic plan and helped significantly increase philanthropic investment in support of Kingston Health Sciences Centre (KHSC) and Providence Care,” the organization stated.
