I am pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Jarrod Nichol to the newly created role of Senior Advisor, Operational Performance and Priorities, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS), McGill University, effective November 27, 2023.
Jarrod holds an MBA from Concordia University and is recognized for his expertise in continuous improvement, change management and organizational development. He most recently held the position of Director of Administration and Operations – Comparative Medicine and Animal Resources Centre (CMARC) at McGill, overseeing a staff of more than 100 employees and 1,000 research personnel. Prior to this, he held consecutive positions in CMARC, first as Continuous Improvement Program Manager, then as Associate Director. During this time, he was responsible for the successful restructuring of CMARC into four operational units.
In the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, Jarrod helped establish a cross-function process to allow multiple people back on campus in a safe and sustainable way. He created multiple process flows that highlighted inefficiencies, allowing for better streamlining and improvements.
His professional certifications include Lean Six Sigma Black and Project Management Professional, and he also serves as President of the Vivarium Operational Excellence Network, an international biomedical research consortium.
In his new role as Senior Advisor, reporting to the undersigned, he will provide strategic planning and project management support related to operational performance, analytics and process improvement across the FMHS. He will support and advise on performance indicators and provide expertise and guidance to develop a performance measurement strategy, including objectives and key results, dashboards and Key Performance Indicators, to ensure an effective monitoring and evaluation mechanism for the Faculty’s operational performance at tactical and strategic levels, and in alignment with FMHS and institutional priorities, goals and objectives.
Jarrod’s responsibilities will also include linking academic and administrative strategic objectives with each FMHS unit to ensure the alignment of key metrics with the Faculty’s strategic direction. He will also work closely with unit and department managers, to advise on the process of defining and adopting metrics, planning and implementing change.
Please join me in congratulating Jarrod on this appointment and wishing him every success in this new role.
Demetra Kafantaris, MBA
Executive Director, Administration and Operations
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences