Dave Williams

With a passion for innovation, leadership, healthcare and risk management, prior to entering the Canadian Space Agency’s astronaut program, Dr. Dave Williams worked as an emergency physician and later as director of emergency services at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto.

Dave joined an exclusive club when he blasted into space aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia, and again on Shuttle Endeavour where he walked out into the great beyond. Having also lived and worked in the world’s only underwater ocean laboratory, he became Canada’s first dual astronaut and aquanaut. The veteran of two space shuttle missions, he has logged more than 687 hours in space, including three spacewalks, the highest number of spacewalks performed by a Canadian astronaut. Between his two space missions he was an executive with NASA when the agency appointed him as director of the Space and Life Sciences Directorate, making Dave the first and only non-American to hold a senior management position.

Today, Dave is the CEO of Leap Biosystems, an innovator in the development of new augmented reality technologies and AI-enhanced diagnostic devices. His commitment to leading change in healthcare has taken him into a number of different leadership positions including Director of the McMaster Centre for Medical Robotics, President and Chief Executive Officer of Southlake Regional Health Centre and Chair of the Ontario Health Innovation Council.

In addition, Dave is a cancer survivor – he lost his pilot’s license and ability to be an astronaut as he struggled through the disease…then he earned it all back and flew for a 2nd time in space after making his recovery.

Dave is the bestselling author of a series of children’s books, a memoir, Defying Limits: Lessons from the Edge of the Universe, and his newest book is Leadership Moments from NASA: Achieving the Impossible.  He has unmatched experience with high risk and peak performance environments and knows the importance of creating psychological safety environments, while creating efficient systems, and a culture of innovation.

He is a member of the Canadian Aviation Hall of Fame and is the recipient of six honourary degrees, the Order of Canada, and the Order of Ontario.