“Digital transformation is essential for non-profits,” said Lesa O’Brien, chief information officer (CIO) at the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS). “It helps us increase our fundraising capabilities, reach more people, and have more impact.”
But in a sector where every dollar must stretch further, executing that transformation requires a rare mix of business acumen and mission-driven empathy.
Recently recognized as the CanadianCIO CIO of the Year in the not-for-profit category by the CIO Association of Canada, O’Brien has led a technology transformation that unifies systems and changes how one of Canada’s largest national health charities uses data.
The changes underway at the Canadian Cancer Society mirror challenges faced by many organizations rethinking how systems, data, and people connect. In Canada’s current innovation landscape, where resources are tightening and impact is under scrutiny, that balance is becoming a defining skill.
Linking people, data, and purpose
The scale of transformation O’Brien would eventually lead was already taking shape when she arrived.
Joining the Canadian Cancer Society through its merger with the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, she was leading digital marketing and solutions. That merger, and the later integration of Prostate Cancer Canada, left the organization operating across multiple systems and databases.
CCS began merging 17 separate CRM systems into a single platform, improving efficiency and giving staff a clearer view of who they serve.
While O’Brien wasn’t responsible for the initial consolidation, her team has since continued the work, integrating more programs and data to strengthen CCS’s digital foundation.
“We didn’t have that 360-degree view of our constituents,” O’Brien said. “Now we can see if someone is a volunteer who’s also used our lodges, or a donor who’s also received support. That in itself is a benefit, but it also means stronger privacy and better security because we know who has access to what.”
This continued consolidation enabled faster, data-driven decisions while reinforcing CCS’s commitment to trust and transparency.
“We’re able to deliver personalized experiences for the people that we serve and make more strategic business decisions,” she said.
Cultivating a culture of strategic partnership
O’Brien began her career at SickKids Hospital in the IT department. She later expanded into marketing, communications, and fundraising roles at Plan International Canada, continuing in that stream when she joined the Canadian Cancer Society. She returned to IT leadership about four years ago. That combination of technical and communications experience now shapes her approach.
“At the end of the day, it’s all about relationships,” she said. “I’m able to translate technology and technical jargon into what our business needs are.”
One of her goals was to shift perceptions of IT from a support function to a strategic partner.
“I prefer a culture where technology teams are seen as strategic business partners and not as support or order takers,” she said. “At CCS, that’s the role my team plays.”
To turn that mindset into practice, she led the development of a three-to-five-year digital roadmap. This plan included shared digital principles co-created with representatives from mission delivery, fundraising, and operations.
The principles were established to help staff understand how technology decisions are made and why organizational alignment is essential.
Focused on collaboration, efficiency, and decisions that serve the whole organization (not just one department), the digital principles became a cultural turning point. The technology team gained credibility as co-leaders in shaping organizational change.
“This isn’t a technology project,” O’Brien said. “This is an organizational initiative.”
Harnessing AI responsibly for non-profit value
With its digital foundation in place, the Canadian Cancer Society is now using AI to amplify impact.
“We’ve leveraged predictive AI to develop models that drive our fundraising growth strategy,” O’Brien said. “Having centralized data allows us to do that and identify new opportunities.”
But O’Brien’s approach to AI is deliberate and governed.
For an organization that handles deeply personal information, the stakes are especially high.
O’Brien said human oversight must remain central to any use of AI, and that transparency about how it is used is essential. Because CCS supports people with cancer, their caregivers, and healthcare professionals, she noted that the organization has to approach AI ethically and responsibly, with safeguards that reflect the sensitivity of its data and the trust people place in CCS.
“We’re still in the early stages of developing our AI strategy,” she said. “We’ve created an AI policy, we’re setting up a governance board, and we’re making sure there’s always a human in the loop.”
O’Brien’s team approaches new technology with excitement, but also with restraint. Innovation, she said, has to make sense for the mission and the budget. Every experiment must demonstrate clear value to CCS’s clients, donors, and volunteers.
“Every dollar matters,” O’Brien concluded. “We want to be cost-effective and efficient, but we also need to make sure we’re using AI responsibly.”
The future of mission-driven innovation
When accepting her award, O’Brien credited her team and leadership for their commitment to change.
“We will continue to innovate, continue to transform the Canadian Cancer Society, and continue to deliver on our mission,” she said. “Because we know that’s one step closer to creating a future without cancer.”
Her story reflects a broader shift in Canada’s innovation landscape, where non-profits are embracing technology to reimagine what efficiency, accountability, and empathy can look like.
O’Brien’s leadership shows that digital transformation extends beyond changing workflows in non-profits. Her approach demonstrates how aligning people, data, and processes can improve decision-making, build trust, and increase impact.
These lessons suggest that organizations across sectors need to pay attention not just to technology, but to how it is embedded in culture and practice.
Final shots
- The non-profit sector is showing that digital transformation can scale impact without losing purpose.
- Consolidation enables efficiency gains while helping organizations build trust through better data and stronger privacy protections.
- Technology teams earn influence as they move from service providers to business partners.
- Digital roadmaps work best when they’re co-created across departments, not handed down from IT.
Digital Journal is the national media partner for the CIO Association of Canada.
