Dr. Mila Mulroney serves as Chancellor of St. Francis Xavier University (StFX) in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, and is the recipient of honorary Doctor of Laws degrees from St. Francis Xavier University (2004), St. Thomas University, and Ontario Tech University. (2021). StFX is also home to the Brian Mulroney Institute of Government and the Mila Mulroney Chair in Women, Policy and Governance Leadership. A distinguished Canadian public figure and philanthropist, she is widely recognized for her enduring contributions to children’s welfare, health, and community well-being.

Born Milica Pivnicki in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia, Dr. Mulroney immigrated to Canada in 1958 at the age of five with her mother and brother to join her father, Dr. Dimitrije Pivnicki, who was pursuing graduate studies in psychiatry at McGill University. Trained in medicine in Dusseldorf, Germany and speaking seven languages, he went on to build a distinguished career in Canada at the Allan Memorial Institute of the Royal Victoria Hospital, where he practiced for many years. His life’s work—rooted in care, discipline, and a deep understanding of the human condition—left a quiet but lasting influence that is reflected in Dr. Mulroney’s own lifelong commitment to compassion and service.

Dr. Mulroney played an influential and widely acknowledged role in the public life and political career of her late husband, the Right Honourable Brian Mulroney. As the spouse of the Prime Minister, Dr. Mulroney helped redefine the role—bringing a modern, engaged, and highly visible presence to public life. Through her leadership in philanthropy and social advocacy, she advanced causes of national importance and set a new standard for public service grounded in fairness, inclusion, dignity, and purpose.

Her longstanding commitment to volunteerism has focused particularly on children and vulnerable communities. As a member of the Board of Cystic Fibrosis Canada, she has been instrumental in raising national awareness and generating millions of dollars in support of research. She is also a dedicated volunteer with Chez Doris, a women’s shelter in Montreal. For more than 16 years, Dr. Mulroney served as Co-Chair of the annual Taste of the Nations Gala, helping to fund school nutrition and after-school mentoring programs for children across Montreal. In recent years, she has also supported advances in medical research through the establishment of the Mila and Brian Mulroney Philanthropic Chair in Diabetes at the Montreal Clinical Research Institute (IRCM), further reflecting her enduring commitment to improving health outcomes for Canadians.

Her extensive leadership in governance and community service includes board roles with Astral Media, Le Cercle Entreprendre, the Foundation of The Hospital for Sick Children, the McGill School of Music, Frontier College (now United for Literacy), and Les Grands Ballets Canadiens.

Together with her family, Caroline, Ben, Mark and Nicolas – Dr. Mulroney’s lifelong commitment to public service, compassion, and community leadership stands as a defining part of the Mulroney legacy—one that continues to inspire and is fittingly recognized through the 2026 Changemaker Award.