Avril Benoit

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Avril Benoît
Born
Ottawa
CitizenshipCanadian
EducationUniversity of Toronto, Cape Breton University
Occupation(s)Humanitarian, journalist, broadcaster
Employer(s)Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Médecins Sans Frontières
TelevisionHere and Now (Toronto)
FamilyPierre Benoit (uncle)

Avril Benoît is a Canadian[1] nonprofit executive and humanitarian.

She is a former journalist and broadcaster who worked as a radio host and documentary producer for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Benoît has worked in operational and senior leadership roles at Médecins Sans Frontières, and is the CEO of Doctors Without Borders USA.

Early life, family, and education

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Benoît was born in Ottawa and has lived in Toronto, Montreal,[2] and New York City.[1]

She has two children[2] and is the niece of former Ottawa Mayor Pierre Benoit.[3]

In 2004-2005, Benoît was a Southam Journalism Fellow at Massey College, University of Toronto.[4] Her research focussed on human rights, global governance and official development assistance. She has a Masters of Business Administration in community economic development from Cape Breton University.[1]

Career

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Benoît's journalism career started at an AM country music radio station in rural Ontario.[5] She has been an editor of The Record newspaper in Sherbrooke[6] and worked as a freelance.[7] Her reporting covered the 1990–91 Haitian general election[7] and appeared in The Globe and Mail newspaper.[5]

Benoît worked for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) as a documentary producer and radio host.[8][9] Her CBC career television broadcasting in Montreal in 1996 and worked on This Morning radio program in 1997.[10] Between 1999 and 2004, Benoît hosted and produced Here and Now and CBC Radio One's newsmagazine weekday afternoons on CBC Radio One in Toronto.[11][3]

In 2006,[9] Benoît became the communications director for Médecins Sans Frontières Canada,[12] before working as the director of communications and development for the organization's Swiss headquarters.[8] In 2019, she became the CEO[13] of Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières in the United States (MSF-USA).[9] Benoît worked in the humanitarian response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake,[7] and was a senior leader of the organization's humanitarian work in Mauritania, South Sudan, South Africa,[8] Ukraine, Sudan, Chad, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.[9]

In 2024, Benoît described the United States' repeated vetoing of ceasefire proposals at the United Nations Security Council as "unconscionable."[14] In 2025, Benoît announced her impending departure from MSF-USA, noting that she had reached the six-year term limit of the organization.[9] In September 2025, MSF-USA announced that Benoît would be replaced by Tirana Hassan.[15]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Profile: Avril Benoît". Forbes. Retrieved 2025-09-26.
  2. ^ a b Worboy, Martha (2011-06-01). "Big talker becomes big doer - Streets Of Toronto". Retrieved 2025-09-26.
  3. ^ a b Benoît, Avril (September 30, 2000). "Politics fun? Who'd have guessed it". Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on 2007-09-30. Retrieved 2025-09-26.
  4. ^ Montpetit, Jonathan (2022). "At 60, Southam Fellowships still giving journalists what they crave most: time" (PDF). The Owl.
  5. ^ a b Archer, Bert. "Worldwise: Doctors Without Borders USA Executive Director Avril Benoit's Favorite Things". Barron's. Retrieved 2025-09-26.
  6. ^ A 100-YEAR RECORD: THE HISTORY OF THE SHERBROOKE DAILY RECORD, Susan C. Mastine, 29 October 1997
  7. ^ a b c Benoît, Avril (1 April 2012). "Haiti: Aid alone will not fix a broken country". Policy Options. Retrieved 2025-09-27.
  8. ^ a b c "New executive director of Doctors Without Borders USA". Doctors without Borders USA. June 24, 2019. Retrieved 2025-09-26.
  9. ^ a b c d e Poinski, Megan. "Doctors Without Borders USA's CEO On Leadership And Smooth Transitions". Forbes. Retrieved 2025-09-26.
  10. ^ "CJAD-AM – The History of Canadian Broadcasting". Retrieved 2025-09-26.
  11. ^ "Benoit to host afternoon radio show". Saskatoon StarPhoenix, August 6, 1999.
  12. ^ Collier, Roger (2010-07-13). "Médecins Sans Frontières refugee camp spreads the word". CMAJ. 182 (10): E439 – E439. doi:10.1503/cmaj.109-3264. ISSN 0820-3946. PMID 20501786.
  13. ^ "Doctors Without Borders CEO Stunned By ABC's Bizarre Question On Gaza Starvation". HuffPost via Yahoo News. 2025-08-04. Retrieved 2025-09-26.
  14. ^ Fassihi, Farnaz; Vinograd, Cassandra; Fuller, Thomas (21 February 2024). "U.S. STANDS ALONE IN REJECTING CALL FOR GAZA TRUCE" (PDF).
  15. ^ "Doctors Without Borders USA names Tirana Hassan as new CEO". Doctors Without Borders - USA. 12 September 2025. Retrieved 2025-09-27.
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