As the 14th Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Honourable Dr. Andrew Furey’s bold leadership style was instrumental in guiding the province through unprecedented challenges. This included a global pandemic, a nearly $2-billion deficit that saw the province teetering on bankruptcy, and an antiquated healthcare system in desperate need of upgrading. With a tenure defined by decisive action under pressure, Furey shares essential leadership principles for navigating high-stakes environments and offers unique political insights into Canada-US relations, energy transformation, and healthcare innovation.
A passionate orthopaedic trauma surgeon and an educator with Memorial University’s School of Medicine, Furey served as Premier from 2020 to 2025. During this time, Furey was an instrumental figure in negotiating a new hydroelectric development deal with Quebec that will see the province receive more than $200 billion dollars over the life of the contract. His government also reimagined healthcare through a 10-year plan that will improve outcomes throughout the province and negotiated a $500 billion rate mitigation plan with Ottawa to help control electricity rates that were set to double.
Leadership is a hallmark of Furey’s career. In 2010, he helped create Team Broken Earth to provide medical relief after the devastating earthquake in Haiti. The charity has since expanded in size and scope. Now known internationally, it has more than 1,500 volunteers from across Canada, the US, and the UK, and has participated in medical missions in countries around the world, including Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Guatemala, and Nicaragua. Furey’s book, Hope in the Balance, details the raw and vivid emotions he experienced during his time in Haiti.
Furey has a diverse education, which includes a diploma in organizational leadership from Oxford University and a master’s degree in clinical epidemiology from Memorial University. His strong work ethic has earned him many local, provincial, and national awards and honours. He was named Humanitarian of the Year by the Canadian Red Cross and awarded the Governor General of Canada’s Meritorious Service Cross and the King Charles III Coronation Medal.
