“Be Kind and Make a Difference.”
Anthony Levitt has dedicated more than four decades to advancing healthcare through visionary leadership, clinical innovation, scientific research, and compassionate service. As one of Canada’s most respected academic psychiatrists and healthcare executives, he has built a career that bridges medicine, research, education, philanthropy, and organizational leadership. His work has consistently focused on improving patient outcomes by designing better healthcare systems, strengthening clinical programs, and creating innovative models of care that improve access for vulnerable populations. Guided by his personal philosophy, “Be Kind and Make a Difference,” Anthony has earned a reputation as a thoughtful leader who combines scientific rigor with deep compassion for patients, families, healthcare professionals, and the broader community.
Throughout his distinguished career, Anthony has served as Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto while simultaneously holding numerous senior leadership roles within Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. His leadership has included serving as Chief of the Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program, Medical Director of the Family Navigation Project, Research Director, Psychiatrist-in-Chief, and Chair of several major clinical and academic initiatives. These positions have allowed him to influence healthcare policy, clinical excellence, research strategy, and organizational development at one of Canada’s premier academic health sciences institutions. His appointments reflect decades of trusted leadership and an extraordinary ability to unite clinicians, researchers, educators, administrators, and community partners around a common vision.
One of Anthony’s most significant accomplishments has been leading the Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program at Sunnybrook, where he oversaw the integration of psychiatry, neurology, neurosurgery, neuroradiology, ophthalmology, and otology into a unified interdisciplinary program. Under his leadership, the organization successfully conceived, designed, and secured philanthropic funding for a landmark 120,000-square-foot Brain Sciences facility that transformed neurological and mental healthcare delivery. His ability to align physicians, researchers, donors, government agencies, architects, and healthcare executives demonstrated exceptional expertise in healthcare system design, strategic planning, capital development, and philanthropic fundraising.
Anthony has also become internationally recognized for creating and leading the Family Navigation Project, an innovative nonprofit initiative that helps young people and their families successfully navigate the often-complex mental health and addictions system. The program has become a model for healthcare navigation by connecting families to timely assessments, treatment resources, and coordinated support while strengthening relationships across healthcare providers and organizations. Under his leadership, the Family Navigation Project has earned multiple national and international recognitions, including Accreditation Canada’s Best Practice designation and numerous competitive research grants totaling millions of dollars to expand evidence-based navigation services.
Beyond his executive leadership responsibilities, Anthony has established himself as one of Canada’s leading physician-scientists. Over the course of his career, he has authored more than 200 peer-reviewed publications, book chapters, and scientific works while serving as principal investigator and collaborator on numerous groundbreaking clinical trials involving depression, bipolar disorder, suicide prevention, healthcare navigation, and youth mental health. His extensive experience designing randomized controlled trials, securing major research funding, mentoring investigators, and translating scientific discovery into clinical practice has positioned him as an internationally respected authority in psychiatric research and healthcare innovation. His work continues to influence clinical guidelines, healthcare policy, and evidence-based treatment practices throughout Canada and internationally.
Anthony’s influence extends well beyond hospitals and universities into the broader healthcare ecosystem through governance, advisory leadership, and national service. He has chaired the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Randomized Controlled Trials Committee, served on numerous federal and provincial advisory panels, contributed to Accreditation Canada initiatives, and currently serves on the Board of Directors of Stella’s Place while advising Eli’s Place, organizations dedicated to supporting youth experiencing mental health challenges. His governance experience reflects a commitment to improving healthcare systems not only through direct patient care but also through thoughtful policy development, organizational oversight, research governance, and community partnerships.
A gifted educator and communicator, Anthony has spent decades mentoring physicians, researchers, healthcare leaders, and trainees while delivering hundreds of keynote presentations, scientific lectures, educational seminars, fundraising events, and public information sessions throughout Canada and internationally. His teaching extends from university classrooms to community physicians, healthcare executives, donors, policymakers, and patient advocacy groups. His ability to translate highly complex scientific and healthcare issues into practical, understandable solutions has made him a sought-after speaker, mentor, and advisor across both academic and healthcare communities.
Anthony’s leadership philosophy emphasizes thoughtful systems thinking, collaborative problem solving, and practical innovation. Having led complex multidisciplinary organizations while balancing research excellence, financial stewardship, philanthropy, infrastructure development, and clinical operations, he understands how successful organizations create sustainable value by aligning people, strategy, and mission. Following a decade as Program Chief of the Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program, he intentionally stepped away from executive operational responsibilities to pursue corporate and advisory board opportunities where he can apply his extensive leadership experience to organizations seeking growth, transformation, innovation, and effective governance. He is particularly interested in healthcare, medical technology, healthcare system design, clinical innovation, philanthropy, and organizations seeking leaders who understand both mission-driven impact and organizational performance.
Today, Anthony brings an exceptional combination of executive leadership, scientific credibility, governance experience, fundraising expertise, healthcare system design, clinical innovation, and strategic thinking to every boardroom he enters. His career reflects an uncommon ability to improve organizations while never losing sight of the people they ultimately serve. Whether leading major healthcare institutions, designing groundbreaking clinical programs, securing philanthropic investment, mentoring future leaders, or shaping healthcare policy, Anthony consistently demonstrates that sustainable success is achieved through integrity, collaboration, curiosity, and compassion. Organizations seeking an experienced board member capable of navigating complex challenges while creating meaningful and measurable impact will find in Anthony Levitt a seasoned executive whose lifetime of service continues to shape the future of healthcare.
Character:
Anthony leads with humility, compassion, and an unwavering commitment to improving the lives of others. His guiding philosophy of kindness and service is reflected in every leadership role, research initiative, and community partnership he undertakes.
Knowledge:
With more than forty years of experience spanning academic medicine, clinical research, healthcare administration, and system innovation, Anthony possesses extraordinary depth of expertise. His extensive scholarly contributions and leadership of major research initiatives demonstrate both intellectual rigor and lifelong learning.
Strategic:
Anthony excels at designing complex healthcare systems, building multidisciplinary organizations, securing philanthropic investment, and leading transformational initiatives. He approaches challenges with analytical discipline while balancing innovation with practical implementation and long-term sustainability.
Communication:
An accomplished educator, mentor, public speaker, and collaborative leader who communicates effectively with physicians, executives, researchers, donors, policymakers, and community stakeholders. His ability to translate complex ideas into clear, actionable strategies enables him to build consensus, inspire confidence, and lead meaningful organizational change.
