The Honourable Jake Epp, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Health Partners International of Canada, is pleased to announce the appointment of Glen Shepherd as President and Chief Executive Officer of HPIC, an agency that provides medical assistance to the developing world.

The fluently bilingual Shepherd, who has been Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at HPIC since March 2008, replaces John P. Kelsall who retired December 31. Shepherd comes to HPIC from The Salvation Army where he was Chief Secretary (COO) for Canada.

"Glen Shepherd brings a very impressive background to the organization," notes Epp. "His commitment to fighting poverty and in restoring human dignity is rooted in his personal and professional background with The Salvation Army, both in Canada and France. We look forward to the important contribution Glen will make to HPIC as it continues to meet the growing needs of the developing world."

During his tenure with The Salvation Army, from 1981 to 2008, Shepherd served in many leadership capacities, both in Canada and France. His commitment to the work of the French organization, which he led for four years, was recognized by his investiture in 2003 as a Knight of the Legion of Honour (Légion d'Honneur) by the President of France, an award similar to the Order of Canada.

"The challenge of leading an organization such as HPIC is both challenging and inspiring," says Shepherd. "Witnessing the grinding poverty, the absence of basic social and material infrastructure, and the lack of access to essential human services in the developing world has a way of focusing the mind on what can and should be done. With the excellent reputation that HPIC has earned, it will now be our task to deliver the best programs to those we cannot afford to ignore."

His longstanding commitment to dealing with poverty is also reflected in his recent appointment by Order-in-Council to the National Council of Welfare, an advisory group to the federal government on issues of poverty reduction.

HPIC is a medical aid organization dedicated to improving access to healthcare and medicine in the developing world. Since its first shipment in 1990, HPIC has sent more than $285 million worth of medical aid to 116 countries. More information about HPIC can be found at www.hpicanada.ca.