Who is Kristin Kennedy? What Windsor Regional’s next CEO brings to the role

CTV’s Travis Fortnum speaks to the new incoming CEO for Windsor Regional Hospital and the outgoing CEO.

When Kristin Kennedy steps into the president and CEO role at Windsor Regional Hospital in the spring, she’ll be doing so at a moment of transition — for the hospital, the health-care system, and the people leading it.

Kennedy was formally announced this week as the hospital’s next CEO. But for Windsor-Essex, she’s a familiar face.

Born and raised in the region, Kennedy previously worked at Windsor Regional Hospital and has spent the last five years leading Erie Shores HealthCare as president and CEO.

“We’ve accomplished a lot over the last five years,” Kennedy said of her time at the hospital in Leamington. “It’s time for a new opportunity.”

Kennedy stepped into the role at Erie Shores just as the COVID-19 pandemic began — a trial by fire that would define much of her leadership experience.

In Essex County, the impacts were immediate and intense.

“As many will remember, we in Leamington were one of the hardest hit regions with the agro sector,” Kennedy said.

She says she worked closely with staff and physicians during the pandemic and later through a major cyberattack in 2023. They were experiences she says shaped how she leads.

“Although it was a challenging time, I wouldn’t trade the experience of it and the camaraderie it built with the staff,” she said.

Kennedy says those moments forced quick decision-making, constant adaptation and collaboration, and believes those skills will be critical as she takes on the top job at Windsor Regional Hospital.

Already involved in what comes next

While she doesn’t officially take over until April 2026, Kennedy’s already been involved in some of the hospital’s biggest upcoming projects.

Through her role at Erie Shores, she has sat on planning committees and advised as a regional hospital partner as Windsor Regional Hospital moves toward a rebrand and the construction of a new acute-care hospital.

She says those initiatives are about maintaining momentum and respecting the work that’s already been done.

A leadership handoff — and a retirement

Karen Riddell, who stepped into the interim president and CEO role in 2024, announced last year that she would retire in the spring.

She has worked at Windsor Regional Hospital since 1999 and has nearly four decades of experience in health care.

“You start contributing to a pension plan and you’re thinking, ‘Oh, 2026, that’s forever,’” Riddell said. “And then the last few years have just blown by so quickly. And I’m sure the next few months will as well.”

Riddell has described the CEO role as unpredictable, requiring flexibility through everything from pandemics to cyberattacks, and says stability has been key during the transition period.

As Windsor Regional Hospital prepares for its next chapter, Riddell says she’s confident about the leadership handoff.

“It’s an exciting time for the organization,” she said.

Riddell says she’s looking forward to more time with family, including her son, daughter and two grandchildren.

She says she’s also looking forward to fewer late night phone calls.

Clear-eyed about the challenges ahead

As Kennedy prepares to take over, she says she’s realistic about the pressures facing hospitals across Ontario, including rising patient volumes, sicker patients in emergency departments and ongoing financial strain.

Still, she says the task ahead is one she’s ready to take on.

“It’s a delicate time,” Kennedy said, “but I’m anxious to get started and be able to make my imprint on that in a positive way.”

Kristin Kennedy officially takes over as president and CEO of Windsor Regional Hospital in April 2026.

She will remain at Erie Shores HealthCare through the end of March, as that organization prepares for its own transition. Its board is expected to name an interim CEO as the process moves forward.