Meet the President: John M. Rafferty
John M. Rafferty joined CNIB in March 2009 as the organization’s eighth president and CEO, with a goal of combining his business background with a strong desire to give back in his career. Vision loss had always played a role in Rafferty’s life, so when the opportunity arose to serve Canadians who are blind and partially sighted at CNIB, he jumped at it.
“Glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration are prevalent on both sides of our family,” he says today, explaining his connection to the organization. “And although my own vision is fine, I’ve had indications that because of my genetic inheritance, my eyes are not going to be healthy later in life.”
Achieving social equality for Canadians with vision loss is one of his passions. Rafferty has a particular interest in employment issues, and would like to see many more opportunities available for the people CNIB serves, calling the current 32 per cent employment rate for working-age Canadians who are blind or partially sighted “totally unacceptable.”
He also has a strong interest in prevention. “Every 12 minutes, someone in Canada develops significant vision loss, and 75 per cent of the time, it is avoidable,” he says. “Our government needs to treat this as seriously and proactively as they do other major health issues. I also want to encourage Canadians to be much more aware of steps they can take to protect their vision.”
Prior to joining CNIB, John served as the chief operating officer of Canpages Inc., an online and print directory company he co-founded in 2006. During his three-year tenure, he managed the company’s growth from $20 million to more than $100 million in revenue. He also oversaw Canpages’ expansion into major Canadian markets, opening new offices and creating hundreds of sustainable jobs.
Along with his track record in business leadership, John brings to CNIB an international perspective gained through years of living and working abroad. Born, raised and educated in England, John’s first job at Dun and Bradstreet brought him to Canada, where he progressed through the ranks to leadership roles in sales, marketing and training. In subsequent roles with British Telecom and Verizon Information Services, he was posted to the UK, Poland and China, navigating those organizations to success in vastly different business and cultural contexts.
John has been married for 23 years, and together he and his wife have two daughters, 20 and 17. In his spare time, he enjoys hiking – especially through BC’s coastal mountains. He’s a lifelong rugby fan, has been known to hit a golf ball or two and, while living in Shanghai, re-discovered his talents for table tennis and badminton.
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