Rhowena Martin, MHA, RN, CHE
Chief Impact OfficerRoles and responsibilities
Rhowena provides operational leadership and direction in implementing the organization’s mandate to address substance use and addiction. She gives ongoing strategic leadership and advice to the CEO, while using strong business and operational planning to cultivate organizational excellence and efficiency. She also oversees the Public Affairs and Communications, Information Systems and Web Services, Quality and Performance Measurement, Human Resources, Knowledge Mobilization and Research divisions.
About Rhowena
Rhowena Martin is the Chief Impact Officer of the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA). In this role, she cultivates partnerships and collaborations across jurisdictions — nationally and internationally — to support the wellness of individuals and communities across the substance use health continuum. CCSA’s commitment to Indigenous reconciliation and equity and diversity is a focus for Rho as she champions a culture of inclusion across our areas of work. Rho is also focused on advancing measurable impact through her oversight of evaluation, performance measurement, organizational risk management and process excellence for CCSA. She also promotes advancements in technology to support the substance use field and, internally, to optimize organizational efficiencies and digital security.
Before her appointment to Chief Impact Officer, Rho served as the Chief Operating Officer at CCSA. She has also served as Deputy CEO and Vice-President, Operations and Strategies, and led the Partnerships and Priorities division and the Information Systems and Web Services division. During her 17 years with CCSA, she has been committed to making a difference in the lives of people affected by substance use harms and growing collective action to drive meaningful change.
A nurse and performance measurement expert by training, she worked in integrated health systems in Ontario and British Columbia, prior to joining CCSA. She specialized in performance improvement, utilization, patient safety, nursing education, neonatal intensive care and pediatric oncology.
