Leonid McKay was appointed as the Executive Chairperson of the Authority for the Responsible Use of Cannabis in November 2022.
Mr. McKay has extensive experience in various social policy areas and held different top management roles in both public and non-governmental sector. He served as the Chief Executive Officer of the Housing Authority between 2018 and 2022 where he principally oversaw the implementation of various new rent reforms and innovative social housing projects. Previously, he occupied the position of Director of Caritas Malta between 2014 and 2018. During the same tenure he also held the role of Chairman of the Foundation for the Rehabilitation of Drug Abusers.
He has worked for Caritas Malta as from 2006 and has carried out wide-ranging social research on various social policy areas ranging from the minimum budget required for low-income families to be able to achieve an acceptable and a decent standard of living (Minimum Essential Budget for a Decent Living 2016, 2012); the adequacy of non-contributory welfare benefits (Minimum Income Schemes, 2014); labour market exploitation of migrants in Malta (Social Fieldwork Research 2014); integration efforts of People with International Protection (2013); geographic mapping of pockets of deprivation and study the social conditions of poor neighbourhoods in Malta (Master of Arts in Social Policy Dissertation, 2012).
Mr. McKay holds a Master of Arts in Social Policy degree and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Sociology from the University of Malta. Between 2012 and 2014, Mr. McKay was a lecturer at the Malta College of Arts Science and Technology and taught at the Institute of Community Services. He is married to Pauline with two children, Isaac and Emily.