Master of Ceremonies
Catherine Clark, President, Catherine Clark Communications Inc.
Catherine Clark is a nationally respected broadcaster, emcee, and co-founder of The Honest Talk, an online media platform for women which includes a leading podcast featuring conversations with some of Canada’s most remarkable female leaders. Catherine is also the President of Catherine Clark Communications and Special Advisor to Syntax Strategic, providing communications counsel to individuals and corporations.
Keynote Speakers
The Honourable Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario
Premier Doug Ford is a builder. As a businessman, he built a successful company. As a Toronto city councillor, he championed building subways and kept costs down for families. As premier of Ontario, he is building roads, highways and transit for a growing province. He’s building a stronger economy with 750,000 more jobs and is attracting game-changing investments to build electric vehicles and batteries right here in Ontario.
The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Canada’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change
The Honourable Steven Guilbeault was first elected as the Member of Parliament for Laurier—Sainte-Marie in 2019. He has previously served as Minister of Canadian Heritage. Minister Guilbeault is a prominent advocate in the fight against the climate crisis, and has been leading the charge from Laurier—Sainte-Marie for years. Minister Guilbeault’s commitment to environmental issues started at the age of five, when he climbed a tree to protect it from real estate developers who were about to cut down the woods behind his home in La Tuque. Twenty-five years later, he scaled the CN Tower in Toronto to call for Canada to ratify the Kyoto Protocol.
Flavio Volpe, C.M., President, Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association
Flavio Volpe is an internationally recognized champion of Canada’s automotive industry and a Member of the Order of Canada. Since 2014, he has proudly led the APMA, representing 200+ suppliers to the worldwide automotive industry. Working closely with officials in Ottawa, Washington & Mexico City during the 2017-19 NAFTA renegotiations, he led the effort to secure an unprecedented increase in Regional Content for suppliers in the new USMCA. In 2022, he was named to the Ontario Premier’s Council on US Trade & Competitiveness.
Douglas Porter, CFA, Chief Economist and Managing Director, BMO Financial Group
Douglas Porter has over 30 years of experience analyzing global economies and financial markets. As Chief Economist at BMO Financial Group and author of the popular Talking Points, he oversees the macroeconomic and financial market forecasts and co-writes the firm’s weekly flagship publication, Focus. Mr. Porter manages the team that has won numerous forecasting awards. Most recently, Douglas led the team to a #1 ranking for Top U.S. Forecaster among 60 global firms in the 2023 Focus Economics Survey, and #1 for Top Canadian Inflation Forecaster among 28 firms. Also, his team took the #1 spot in the StarMine Awards for Most Accurate Forecasters for Canada in 2022.
Martin Imbleau, President and CEO, VIA High Frequency Rail
Martin Imbleau brings a wealth of experience in developing and implementing major infrastructure projects. Prior to joining VIA HFR – VIA TGF Inc., Martin was President and CEO of the Montreal Port Authority.
Previously, he was Vice-President of Corporate Strategies and Business Development at Hydro-Québec. He has also held senior vice-president positions at Énergir, where he was responsible for business development, renewable energy, community relations, corporate strategy and operations.
Joseph Barr, Director of Network Development East, Amtrak
Joseph Barr is the Director of Network Development-East for Amtrak, where he is responsible for coordinating and advancing network and service expansion projects throughout the eastern United States from Quebec to Florida. He is also leading Amtrak’s efforts to improve the immigration and customs inspection process for passenger trains crossing the USA-Canada border, as part of Amtrak’s overall program to improve and expand cross-border passenger rail services.
Don Guy, Business Owner, Pollara Strategic Insights
Don Guy operates a team of Canada’s most experienced and capable researchers at Pollara Strategic Insights, one of Canada’s oldest and most respected public opinion and market research firms. Don started on the phones at Pollara in 1986 and grew into roles of increasing responsibility, leading Macleans magazine to describe him as “legendary strategist” for his work in designing winning campaigns for political and corporate clients.
Fireside Speakers
Tom Clark, Consul General – New York, Canadian Government
Prior to being appointed Consul General in New York by Prime Minister Trudeau, Tom Clark served as Chair of Global Public Affairs, one of the largest public affairs and strategic communications firms in Canada. His private sector clients included senior executives in Canada and internationally who sought public policy and strategic communications advice on key business and investment decisions. He was a frequent speaker to business groups and associations across the country as well as a sought after advisor to governments, both in Canada and abroad.
Baxter Hunt, Consul General – Toronto, U.S. Government
Baxter Hunt, a career diplomat in the Senior Foreign Service, began serving as U.S. Consul General in Toronto in October 2023. He is delighted to be back in Canada following his posting at the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa from 2001 until 2004. His most recent overseas assignment was at the U.S. Embassy in Santiago, Chile, where he served as Chargé d’Affaires and Deputy Chief of Mission between 2017 and 2020. Mr. Hunt’s other postings include the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan; the U.S. Consulate General in Durban, South Africa; and at the U.S. Embassy in Warsaw, Poland.
His Excellency the Honourable Bob Rae, Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations
Bob Rae is the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Canada to the United Nations in New York. Mr. Rae served as Premier of Ontario from 1990-1995, and interim Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada from 2011-2013. He was elected to federal and provincial parliaments 11 times between 1978 and 2013.
Mr. Rae received his Honours B.A. in Modern History from the University of Toronto, an M.Phil in Politics as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University, and graduated from the University of Toronto Faculty of Law in 1977. He was named a Queen’s Counsel in 1984.
John McArthur, Senior Fellow and Director of the Center for Sustainable Development, Brookings Institution
John W. McArthur is senior fellow and director of the Center for Sustainable Development at the Brookings Institution. He co-founded and co-chairs the 17 Rooms initiative, a new approach to catalyzing action for the Sustainable Development Goals. Outside of Brookings, he is also a senior adviser to the United Nations Foundation, a member of Policy Horizons Canada’s Deputy Minister Steering Committee, and a member of the Novata ESG Advisory Council.
Amy Senter, Vice President, Global Sustainability, Martin Brower
Amy Senter is Vice President, Global Sustainability for Martin Brower. In this role, she sets the global sustainability strategy for Martin Brower across its 18 markets, including overseeing the execution of the company’s net zero commitments, renewable electricity and fleet conversion strategy, and circular waste solutions. She also oversees global sustainability data management and reporting.
Paul Sambanis, Vice President of Sustainability, Sloan
As the Vice President of Sustainability at Sloan, Dr. Sambanis is responsible for developing, managing, and constantly improving the sustainability program across the company. Specifically, this work includes leading global governance, processes, and systems to ensure the company is at the forefront of the industry in its socio-economic systems toward sustainability.
Dinner Speakers
Lisa Frizzell, Vice-President of Communications, Nuclear Waste Management Organization
Lisa Frizzell is a Vice-President of Communications at Nuclear Waste Management Organization. Before joining the organization in 2012, Ms. Frizzell worked in communications for a number of corporate, academic and government organizations in Canada and the United States. Her focus is in strategic communications and she brings extensive experience as a communications leader, primarily in the energy sector.
Mike Shoreman, Motivational Speaker
Mike Shoreman is a distinguished keynote speaker, educator, author, film producer, and columnist. In 2022, he and his team made history as he became the first person to cross the five Great Lakes by paddleboard, leading one of Canada’s largest individual mental health awareness campaigns. His achievements and contribution to mental health education and promotion have been honored by the Ontario Legislative Assembly, the House of Commons, and the Prime Minister.
Jody Grant, Nanticoke Refinery Manager, Imperial
Jody Grant currently manages Imperial’s Nanticoke Refinery, about two hours southeast of Toronto’s lakeshore. In her 25-year career with Imperial and ExxonMobil, Jody and her family have spent time in Edmonton Alberta, Fairfax Virgina and Baytown Texas. She has held numerous roles and accountabilities including technical, business analytics, supply and transportation and product specialties.
Plenary Panel Speakers
Eric Dixon, Vice President of Sustainability and Environmental Solutions, WM
As the largest environmental solutions company in North America, WM helps businesses waste less and operate more sustainably. Eric Dixon, Vice President of Sustainability and Environmental Solutions at WM, leads a team that strategizes with businesses and organizations across industries to identify, measure, address, manage and minimize the short- and long-term environmental impacts of their operations.
Adam Tindall-Schlicht, Administrator, Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation
Adam Tindall-Schlicht serves as the eleventh Administrator of the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (GLS), an operating administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation. Appointed by President Joe Biden on November 6, 2022, Administrator Tindall-Schlicht oversees the federal corporation responsible for the operation and maintenance of the U.S. portion of the St. Lawrence Seaway between Montréal and Lake Erie.
Sandy Skees, Executive Vice President, Global Purpose and Impact, Porter Novelli
For over 30 years, she has worked with global brands including Visa, State Farm, General Mills, Abercrombie & Fitch, eBay, and Panasonic, start-ups, and scale-up companies to align their purpose, sustainability (ESG), and diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI) with compelling communications.
Her work has focused on operationalizing purpose and sustainability to deliver growth and business imperatives progress across a wide range of departments, divisions and regions. She also specializes in understanding the changing drivers and behaviors of consumers at the intersection of brands and sustainable living.
Des Jones, Chief Strategy Officer, Juniper Park \ TBWA
For the last 22 years, Des has been leading brand strategy in the UK, South Africa and now Canada, and has been a global strategic partner to the TBWA\Worldwide network, most notably in Asia, UAE, Africa, and Europe. He has extensive experience working across multiple business sectors including technology, CPG, retail, NGOs, finance, and telecommunications.
Des’ unusual career path has armed him with a truly unique skill set. With a background in aeronautical engineering, education, strategic consulting and now, advertising, his strategic acumen is in high demand across the world.
Michelle Salim, NA Advanced Recycling Commercial Manager, ExxonMobil
Michelle joined ExxonMobil as a Chemical Engineer and has held a variety of technical and business roles over the last 25 years. Today, she leads external collaborations with municipalities, environmental organizations and industry partners to pilot models of plastic waste collection and sorting, including the Houston Recycling Collaboration.
R. Paul Herman, CEO and Founder, HIP Investor Ratings and Portfolios
R. Paul Herman, FSA, is an impact investor, investment advisor, and a rater of investments on impact, ESG, the UN SDGs, GHGs, and Climate to pursue positive impact and profit potential. Founded 18 years ago, HIP (Human Impact + Profit) Investor today produces and licenses 400,000 impact investment ratings of 14,000 global equities, 123,000 muni bonds, and 270,000 bond issuances, for investors, fund managers, families, foundations, and 401(k) plans.
Mark Stumpf, Chief Advisor, Projects – Americas, Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW)
Mark is on loan to the Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW) from ExxonMobil. In his current role he leads the team developing and implementing AEPW funded projects across the Americas. Previously, Mark was Vice-President, Chemicals and Refining for ExxonMobil’s affiliate in Saudi Arabia and prior to that, Manager, Chemicals for Imperial Oil, located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada where he was responsible for the Chemical business in Canada. He was also the chair of the board of the Chemistry Industry Association of Canada in 2015.
Ravinder Gill, Managing Director and Head of Sustainable Finance, RBC Commercial Banking Group
Ravinder is a purpose driven leader focused on reshaping the future. As the Managing Director and Head of Sustainable Finance for RBC’s Commercial Bank, Ravinder is responsible for integrating Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors into corporate debt solutions known as Sustainable Finance. She also spearheads client engagements focused on introducing ESG principles into business models to advance sustainable practices.
William Friedman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority
William D. Friedman became president and CEO of the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority in June, 2010. Under Mr. Friedman’s leadership, the Port of Cleveland has experienced a resurgence in maritime trade and diversification of cargo types. In 2014, the Port launched the Cleveland-Europe Express service, introducing container liner shipping to the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway and solidifying Cleveland’s position as its leading international hub. The Port has also taken the lead to resolve long-standing waterfront infrastructure challenges under Mr. Friedman’s tenure.
Stephen Beatty, Vice President and Corporate Secretary, Toyota Canada Inc.
Stephen Beatty is Vice President and Corporate Secretary of Toyota Canada Inc. (TCI), based out of the head office in Toronto, Ontario. He is responsible for the company’s Administration, Corporate Strategy & Innovation, External Affairs, Information Services, and Legal teams. Prior to joining TCI in 1998 as National Manager, Government and Public Relations, Stephen worked for 10 years as Executive Director of the Canadian Apparel Manufacturers Institute and the Canadian Apparel Federation, the Ottawa-based national trade associations for the clothing industry in Canada.
Ian Hamilton, President and CEO, HOPA Ports
Ian Hamilton is President & CEO of HOPA Ports (Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority). He assumed this role in 2017, after serving as the Port Authority’s Vice President of Business Development and Real Estate since 2008. Ian has been instrumental in developing working waterfronts in Hamilton, Oshawa, and Niagara by attracting new business and private investment, and creating an integrated marine network across Southern Ontario.
Rachael Graziotto, Compliance Manager, Reverse Logistics Group
Rachael brings over 6 years of remarkable experience within the Extended Producer Responsibility space across North America. Rachael specializes in sales operations and mobilizing programs for post-consumer materials, ensuring that materials make it to secondary markets, closing the loop, and making strides toward enabling the circular economy. She has designed and implemented cradle-to-grave, reverse supply chain infrastructure for post-consumer pharmaceuticals and sharps.
Guilliaum Dubreuil, Director, Government and External Affairs, CSL Group
Sarah Goldfeder, Director of Government Relations and Corporate Affairs, General Motors Canada
Bernard Swiecki, Vice President, Mobility and Research, Detroit Regional Partnership
Mona Eghanian, Assistant Vice President, OVIN
Raed Kadri, Head, OVIN
John de Boer, Senior Director, Government Affairs and Public Policy, BlackBerry Limited
Breakout Session Speakers
The Honourable Lisa Thompson, Minister of Rural Affairs, Government of Ontario
Lisa Thompson was first elected as the Member of Provincial Parliament for Huron – Bruce in October 2011, and was re-elected in June 2014, June 2018, and June 2022. On June 18, 2021, Lisa was proudly appointed Ontario’s 40th Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs by Premier Doug Ford. After her successful re-election in June 2022, Lisa was reappointed as Minister. During her time in this role she has accomplished great things for the industry, including releasing the ambitious Grow Ontario Strategy and signing the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership Agreement with the Government of Canada.
Peter Johnson, Director, Sustainable Finance, Scotiabank Global Banking and Markets
Peter works within Scotiabank’s Sustainable Finance Team creating and implementing a wide range of Sustainable Finance products tailored to specific client needs and opportunities. Clients include governments, financial institutions and corporate clients from around the world. Peter also manages the Scotiabank $10B Affordable Housing Commitment which was made in 2021 in support of Canada’s National Housing Strategy.
Alan Martinez, Senior Manager, Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability, Cornell University
Alan Martinez leads sustainable finance partnerships at the Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability, where he brings his 20 years of global experience working in partnerships with financial institutions, investors, and philanthropy. His previous work includes leadership roles in fintech, financial services, impact investing, and consulting. Across more than forty countries, Alan has been at the forefront of pioneering financial products and programs that foster sustainability and bolster economic development.
Natalie Kinloch, Chief Executive Officer, Federal Bridge Corporation Limited
Ms. Natalie Kinloch is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of FBCL, a Canadian federal parent Crown corporation managing and overseeing four international bridge locations in Ontario (Sault Ste. Marie, Point Edward, Lansdowne and Cornwall). Combined this international bridge portfolio enables in excess of 9 million transits and $200B in trade annually. Ms. Kinloch was first appointed in 2019 to the role by Governor in Council on recommendation of the Minister of Transport and has in 2024 been renewed for a further five-year term.
Claude Griffin, Executive Director, United States Business Council for Sustainable Development
Claude Griffin is the Executive Director of the US Business Council for Sustainable Development (US BCSD), a globally recognized leader in sustainable development solutions, collaboration, and innovation. Current platforms focus on decarbonization, equity, water/ecosystem synergies, and material reuse in support of a circular economy. Among his goals as executive director, Claude is expanding upon the US BCSD’s strong social equity foundation.
Noelle Brigham, Director of ESG, A.O. Smith
Noelle is a licensed Professional Engineer with over 25 years of experience in Sustainability and Environmental Engineering in consumer products, manufacturing, and consulting industries. She is currently the Director of ESG for the A. O. Smith Corporation where she is leading all aspects of ESG across the company, including global strategy development and implementation. In her sustainability role at S. C. Johnson & Son, Inc., Noelle created global strategies and led international implementation plans for research, development and engineering for consumer product formulation and packaging.
Brian Bruce, President, Veolia North America, Municipal Water – Central Region
Brian Bruce is President for Veolia’s municipal projects and operations in the Central region of the U.S. He is responsible for managing and supporting operations, maintenance, and management (O&M) contracts for municipal water and wastewater systems.
Brian has more than three decades of industry experience, joining Veolia’s North American operations group in 2020. Prior to his current role, he was the Veolia General Manager for wastewater operations at the City of Richmond, California. He then served as Vice President for Veolia’s water and wastewater operations projects in the Gulf Coast region.
Anthony Eallonardo, Senior Technical Manager, Biodiversity and Ecology, Ramboll
Dr. Eallonardo is an ecologist leading multi-disciplinary projects addressing areas of ecological restoration, water quality and climate resilience. He has led ecological restoration, research and planning projects at Lake Michigan, Lake Erie, Niagara River, Lake Ontario, St. Lawrence River and the Hudson River. He led the development of New York State’s Comprehensive Invasive Species Management Plan and the development of New York’s first 12 Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) Action plans which have set forth a range of prevention and control strategies for invasive species and HABs, respectively.
Kurt Kornelsen, Director of Environment and Climate Change, Ontario Power Generation
Kurt C. Kornelsen is the Director of Environment and Climate Change at Ontario Power Generation. He has worked in and with the hydropower industry for almost a decade. Throughout this time Kurt has contributed to advancing practices in water resources, climate change, policy, planning, business development and research and development aligned with the organizational goals.
In his current role, he is responsible for OPG integrated Climate Change Plan, the Environmental Management Systems, the interactions and the interaction of these programs with OPG’s broader Environment, Sustainability and Governance (ESG) framework.
Shoshannah Lenski, Associate Director of the Center for Sustainable Systems, University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability
Shoshannah Lenski is the Associate Director of the Center for Sustainable Systems (CSS) at the University of Michigan’s School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS). For more than 30 years, CSS has pioneered systems science to accelerate real-world solutions to sustainability challenges across energy, transportation, the built environment, and food and water systems. CSS prides itself on collaborative work with stakeholders including industry, community groups, policymakers, and more. Shoshannah leads the Center’s engagement and outreach as well as Center operations.
Charl van Niekerk, CEO, Windsor Detroit Bridge Authority
Charl has a passion for leading teams and building communities through the delivery of infrastructure projects. Originally from South Africa with a background in engineering and business administration, he moved to Canada in 2014 to join Infrastructure Ontario. His first project was the delivery of the Rt Hon. Herb Gray parkway in Windsor, and since then he has been involved in 42 projects worth over $60 billion.
Elizabeth Sheppard, CPA, Manager ISC and Agriculture Strategy, McCain Foods
Elizabeth Sheppard is an accomplished finance professional with experience in regenerative agriculture financing, internal audit, financial planning and analysis, and treasury. She has led the development of a first-of-its-kind financing partnership between McCain Foods and Farm Credit Canada and drove the execution of the McCain: McDonald’s Future of Potato Farming Fund.
Laura Devoni, Director of Strategy, Corporate Affairs, and Sustainability, Algoma Steel Inc.
Laura has been with Algoma Steel Inc. for 19 years. She began her management career in Marketing then moving to Trade and Economics, then Government Affairs and Environment, which lead to her current position as Director of Strategy, Corporate Affairs and Sustainability.
James Nowlan, Executive Director, Environment and Climate, City of Toronto
James Nowlan is the Executive Director of Environment and Climate at the City of Toronto, where he oversees the team responsible for the development of corporate environment and climate policies, such as TransformTO, the City’s strategy to be net-zero by 2040, the Net-Zero Existing Buildings Strategy and the Electric Vehicle Strategy, working with many City of Divisions, agencies and external partners in the community.
Birgit Matthiesen, Director, North American Manufacturing, ArentFox Schiff LLP
Birgit brings ArentFox Schiff a deep understanding of trade policy and its implications for the corporate sector. That insight can be read in her numerous articles and media interviews over the years but is truly demonstrated in corporate conference rooms across North America. In short, Birgit and her team untangle the tangle of US trade rules.
Alan Gilden, Vice President, Global Quality, Watts Water Technologies
Alan joined Watts in 2017 as Vice President, Global Quality, and has helped lead the transformation of the Watts Quality System ensuring that we as a team consistently deliver superior quality, service and value to our customers. Alan leads Environmental Sustainability at Watts from concept to the broad based and maturing program Watts has today.
Anthony Kane, President and CEO, Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure
Anthony Kane is President and CEO of the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure in Washington, DC where he oversees the organization’s overall operations and leads the development of the Envision framework for sustainable infrastructure. He is also a commissioner on the Washington DC Commission on Climate Change and Resiliency.
K.N. (Guna) Gunalan, Senior Vice President, AECOM
Kancheepuram. N. Gunalan (Guna) graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering and master’s degree in Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering from the oldest engineering school in India namely College of Engineering, Guindy in Chennai, India. He obtained a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from Texas Tech University and started with a small geotechnical and material testing firm in Lubbock, Texas and moved on to managing the regional office of a national geotechnical/ environmental/ material testing firm in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Ashish Sharma, Climate and Urban Sustainability Lead, Discovery Partners Institute, University of Illinois System
Dr. Ashish Sharma is the Climate and Urban Sustainability Lead at the Discovery Partners Institute, University of Illinois System. He is a faculty in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He holds a joint appointment as a Climate Scientist at Argonne National Laboratory. He is the Director of the NSF-UKRI joint-funded Global Center on Clean Energy and Equitable Transportation Solutions (CLEETS). He is named to Crain’s Chicago Business’ 40 Under 40 class of 2023.
Dan Ujczo, Senior Counsel, Thompson Hine LLP
Dan is a senior counsel in Thompson Hine LLP’s International Trade and Transportation law practice groups. He provides end-to-end counsel across clients’ Canada-U.S., North American and global supply chains. This trade counsel includes customs classification and compliance, utilization of preferential trade agreements such as the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), tariff mitigation and exclusions, procurement issues such as Buy America/Buy American, and anti-dumping/countervailing duty issues.
Mike Williams, Manager, Conservation PRO, Ducks Unlimited Canada
Born and raised on the prairies of Manitoba, Mike is long-serving employee with Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC). He began his career in northern Alberta in 1990 as the Area Biologist for the Grande Prairie office and remained there until 1997 when family and the allure of a warmer climate pushed him eastward.
Alexis Harley, Senior Vice President and Chief Risk and Resiliency Officer, New York Power Authority
Alexis sets the Power Authority’s strategic risk management and resilience vision and implements, oversees and monitors all risk management and resilience activities. She is responsible for determining NYPA’s risk tolerance and instituting associated strategic plans, including oversight of the Sustainability team, which is responsible for the development and implementation of NYPA’s Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) strategy.
Marta Leardi-Anderson, Executive Director, Cross Border Institute, University of Windsor
Ms. Leardi-Anderson has over 20 years of experience providing strategic policy and operational advice to the most senior levels of public and private sector organizations, leading large-scale projects and initiatives. As Executive Director of the Cross Border Institute, she provides expert operational and policy recommendations in the movement of goods, people and services between Canada and the U.S. From 2014 to 2018 she was Executive Vice President for P3 Procurement and Policy for the Gordie Howe International Bridge Project.
Scott MacKenzie, Director, Corporate and External Affairs, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada Inc.
Scott MacKenzie, Director of Corporate & External Affairs is responsible for all External Affairs functions for Toyota’s Manufacturing and Sales operations across Canada, as well as several corporate functions specific to our manufacturing operations, including Strategic Planning and Corporate Governance. Prior to assuming this position, Mr. Mackenzie has held various positions in both technical and administrative roles across both companies.
Aarti Singh, Professor and Director of the U.S. NSF AI Institute for Societal Decision Making, Carnegie Mellon University
Aarti Singh is Professor in the Machine Learning Department at Carnegie Mellon University and Director of the U. S. NSF AI Institute for Societal Decision Making. Her research focuses on designing principled interactive algorithms for learning and decision making with application to scientific and societal domains. Her work is recognized by an NSF Career Award, a United States Air Force Young Investigator Award, A. Nico Habermann Faculty Chair Award, Harold A. Peterson Best Dissertation Award, and multiple paper awards.
David Morley, Vice President, National Government Relations, Pomerleau
David is focused on infrastructure partnerships with the public sector as national government relations lead for Pomerleau. This involves engagement with governments and industry stakeholders on legislation, budgets, policies and projects for infrastructure, housing and renewables. He is also a member of the senior management advisory committee on Environment, Sustainability and Governance.
Sanjiv Sinha, Chief Executive Officer and Board Member, CIS
Sanjiv Sinha, Ph.D., is the Chief Executive Officer & Board Member of CIS. CIS is a national leader in urban infrastructure/greening programs, having overseen the implementation of hundreds of green stormwater infrastructure projects totaling nearly $450 million across the Mid-Atlantic, Great Lakes and West Coast regions.
Jay Walsh, Vice President for Economic Development and Innovation, University of Illinois System
Jay Walsh became the University of Illinois’ Vice President for Economic Development and Innovation in May 2020. He is a professor of bioengineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Dr. Walsh oversees the Illinois Innovation Network, a collaboration among the state’s 12 public universities that drives inclusive and integrated research, innovation, and economic development across Illinois; he also serves on the executive committee of the Great Lakes Higher Education Consortium, a collaboration among six universities in the U.S. and Canada that promotes academic excellence, innovation, research, and education to inclusively enhance the public good for all people and areas of the Great Lakes.
Dr. Deval Pandya, Vice President and Head of AI Engineering, Vector Institute
Dr. Deval Pandya is a recognized leader in AI and applications in energy transition and climate.He is the Vice-President and Head of AI Engineering at the Vector Institute, where he works in enabling, amplifying and applying AI breakthroughs. He holds expert positions at the UN Economic Commission of Europe – Task Force for Digitalization in Energy and is a Technical Steering Committee Director at Moja Global, and he is passionate about innovation and advises multiple startups as well as serves as Investigator in Climate and Energy Stream of Creative Destruction Lab.
Amy Winn, Director, Blue Water Bridge, Michigan Department of Transportation
Amy has been the Blue Water Bridge Director since July of 2017. As Bridge Director, Amy oversees the engineering, tolling, finance, and maintenance operations of the five-building Blue Water Bridge complex as well as the Port Huron Welcome Center and BWB Transportation Operations Center.
David Adams, President and CEO, Global Automakers of Canada (GAC)
David Adams has more than 35 years of experience in the Canadian automotive industry. He brings a unique perspective to the industry being the only individual to have served in executive roles with both of Canada’s leading automotive industry associations.
Laurie Isley, Owner, Sunrise Farms and Farmer-Director, United Soybean Board
Laurie and Jim Isley, along with their son, Jake; own and operate Sunrise Farms in southeastern Michigan. They are fifth generation farmers and have implemented many conservation practices to improve productivity and protect their soil and water resources. Laurie also serves as a farmer- director on the United Soybean Board. The Isley’s are committed to sharing their knowledge and experience in sustainability with others.
Jack Hughes, Senior Vice President, Planning and Operations, Business Council of Canada
Jack Hughes is Senior Vice President, Planning and Operations of the Business Council of Canada. Jack manages the operations of the Council, including strategic planning, and liaises with the Board of Directors. He assists in the development of the Council’s policy priorities, the oversight of financial and human resources, as well as membership development.
Heather Brown, Vice President, Environment, Health and Safety, Ontario Power Generation
Heather Brown is the VP, Environment, Health and Safety for Ontario Power Generation (OPG), where she is leading a team of professionals to support excellent performance across a fleet of hydroelectric, nuclear and thermal generating stations. Heather also oversees the Climate Change Plan and Biodiversity Programs for OPG, which includes striving for long term net zero as well as maintaining third party Wildlife Habitat Council Certifications for strategic sites on Lake Ontario.
Stephan Jou, Sr. Director, Security Analytics, OpenText Cybersecurity
Stephan Jou has been an industry veteran for analytics and AI for over two decades. He is currently Sr. Director of Security Analytics at OpenText Cybersecurity, where he leads efforts to apply AI and analytical methods for various cybersecurity use cases. Jou was CTO and co-founder of Interset, where he developed a leading-edge cybersecurity and In-Q-Tel funded project that uses machine learning and behavioral analytics, prior to being acquired by Micro Focus and then OpenText.
August Wichert, Environment and Climate Sustainability Lead, UN Global Compact Network Canada
August Wichert is the Environment and Climate Sustainability Lead at the UN Global Compact Network Canada, where he oversees the organization’s national environment and climate programme portfolio. He holds a BSc and MEng from the University of Toronto, and has past work experience in environmental assessment, corporate services, scientific fieldwork, and the federal public service.
Surranna Sandy, Chief Executive Officer, Skills for Change
Surranna Sandy is the Chief Executive Officer of Skills for Change (SfC), a registered charity serving 20,000 Immigrants, Refugees, and underserved groups across Canada annually. In her role, she is committed to bridging the gap between potential and opportunities for Skills for Change’s clients’ success. Recognizing the importance of collaborative efforts in this endeavour, she is committed to creating partnerships and fostering a supportive organizational culture that aligns with and amplifies this mission.
Andreanne Simard, Senior Natural Resource Manager, BlueTriton Brands Canada
Andreanne Simard manages the spring water sources for Blue Triton Brands in Canada where she is responsible for the sustainable management and development of existing spring sources as well as leading BlueTriton’s Canadian long term monitoring program. She also investigates new spring sources and associated resource valuation and due diligence for the future growth and sustainable development of BlueTriton.
Patrick Tammer, Senior Investment Director, Scale AI
Patrick Tammer is a Senior Investment Director at Scale AI, the AI impact investing fund of the Canadian Government, where he oversees a $100M+ portfolio of AI innovation projects. As an advisor to business executives, startups and the Canadian Government, he is directly working on the transformative impact of AI on our economy and society. He is also a Steering Committee Member of the Canadian Centre for the Innovation Economy (CCIE) and an Editor for the Journal of Business and Artificial Intelligence.
Tech Breakfast Pitch Participants and Exhibitors
Derek Davy, CEO, Econse Water Technologies Inc.
Derek is the CEO of Econse Water Technologies Inc. He has over fifteen years of experience with international business development and technical sales for global manufacturing. Derek has become an advocate for cleantech solutions and water sustainability, which led him to help found Econse.
Corey Morrow, Enterprise Account Executive, Intuitive AI
Corey Morrow is a seasoned business partnerships and development expert. With 20 years of experience, he has built a reputation for future proofing businesses, guiding strategic decision making, and facilitating effective organizational change. Through this work, Corey has developed a passion for sustainable business practices and, in particular, technologies that reduce environmental impact.
Michael Arens, Founder and CEO, Clean Earth Rovers
Michael Arens is the founder and CEO of Clean Earth Rovers, an Ohio and California-based clean water startup. Clean Earth Rovers automates waterway monitoring and management. We focus on providing real-time water quality data to stakeholders through the DataPod™ smart buoy, and water cleaning solutions through our “Roomba” for the waters.
Natalija Vojno, Director of Business Development, RainGrid
Natalija Vojno works at the intersection of water policy and positive peace. Whether as an environmental campaigner, speechwriter for Ontario’s Minister of the Environment, or facilitating environmental multi-stakeholder dialogues in the Great Lakes or abroad, she enjoys creating space for more liveable futures to emerge.
Moderators
Deborah Wilson, Vice President, Communications and Public Affairs, PortsToronto
Deborah Wilson is Vice President Communications and Public Affairs for PortsToronto. An accomplished business strategist and communications executive, Ms. Wilson has worked in a range of industries including broadcasting, banking, professional services and technology for such companies as Astral Media, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Scotiabank and American Express.
Roy Brouwer, Professor of Economics and Executive Director of the University of Waterloo’s Water Institute
Roy Brouwer joined the University of Waterloo in 2016. His research focuses on sustainable water management and circular economy of water. He is Editor-in-Chief of the journal Water Resources and Economics and member of the International Scientific Advisory Committee of the Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences and the Socio-Economic Analysis Committee of the European Chemicals Agency in Helsinki.
Ryan Jeffrey, Senior Managing Director, Sustainability, gener8tor
Ryan Jeffery is an experienced entrepreneur, investor and advisor who helps leaders and organizations do their best work. With over 15 years of experience founding and building high-growth organizations, Ryan is now focused on supporting early-stage companies at the forefront of our climate and environmental crisis as the Senior Managing Director of Sustainability at gener8tor.
David Ceolin, Corporate Director and Partner, Innovation Grade Ventures
David founded Innovation Grade Ventures, a seed stage investment fund, focused on early stage companies. Previously, David was the founder of Digital Cement, a digital CRM company that was successfully acquired by a Fortune 500 company. David is also the author of a best-selling book about entrepreneurship and growth (The Idea Guide: the step-by-step guide for planning and running your own business).
Ilse Treurnicht, Managing Partner, TwinRiver Capital
Ilse Treurnicht’s career spans science, health and cleantech firms, innovation ecosystems, venture capital and public policy. She is an impact investor (TwinRiver Capital and North South Ventures), chair of the Public Policy Forum and a director of the Equality Fund and Zentek. Ilse served as CEO of MaRS Discovery District, and is an advisor to technology firms, governments, non-profits and international organizations.
Daniel Hoornweg, Associate Professor, Energy Systems Engineering, Ontario Tech University
Dan is an Associate Professor in Energy Systems Engineering at Ontario Tech University. For almost 20 years Dan was with the World Bank, including as Lead Advisor overseeing Sustainable Cities and Climate Change programs. Dan was the Chief Safety and Risk Officer for the Province of Ontario 2012-2020. Dan began his career in waste management working with City of Guelph and Region of Peel in Ontario and Government of Bermuda. He has worked with more than 400 governments on waste management and resource issues.
Mark Fisher, President and CEO, Council of the Great Lakes Region
Mark Fisher became the President and CEO of the Council of the Great Lakes Region (CGLR) in 2014, which comprises CGLR Canada, CGLR USA, the CGLR Foundation, and the CGLR Canada Foundation. Immediately prior to joining CGLR, he served as a foreign policy advisor in the Privy Council Office, which supports the Prime Minister of Canada and the federal Cabinet, where he focused on advancing Canada’s interests in North America and the Asia-Pacific region.
Jordan Sinclair, Vice President, Strategy, ALUS
Jordan leads ALUS’ ecosystem services quantification and carbon quantification and credit issuance workplan. She is the former Vice President of Data Insights at Deveron, where she developed methodologies for field scale research which empowered farmers to utilize their own data to inform more efficient and sustainable management decisions. Prior to her work at Deveron, Jordan spent several years in academia doing research and modeling various ecological systems.
Rumina Dhalla, Board Chair, UN Global Compact Network Canada
Rumina Dhalla, MBA, PhD is an Associate Professor in the Gordon S. Lang School of Business and Economics and the Founding Director of the Institute for Sustainable Commerce at the University of Guelph. She is also a Special Advisor with the United Nations Institute for Teaching and Research (UNITAR).
David Paterson, Ontario’s Representative in Washington DC
David Paterson is Ontario’s Representative in Washington co-located at the Embassy of Canada to the United States in Washington, D.C. During his 30 years in business, he served as the Chair of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and served on the boards of the Canadian American Business Council, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, The Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers Association and the Canadian Journalism Foundation.
Xavier Delgado, Research Associate, Canada Institute
Xavier Delgado is a Research Associate at the Canada Institute. Having previously worked for the Embassy of Canada and for a political office in his hometown Vancouver, British Columbia, he frequently writes and comments on issues concerning national security, North American economic integration, and bilateral innovation.
David Lapp, Associate, Climate Risk Institute
David is a professional engineer who graduated with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Geological Engineering from the University of Toronto in 1978. Following a career of nearly 20 years in consulting engineering, David joined Engineers Canada in 1997 and for the next 23 years he assumed a variety of roles in international affairs, engineering qualifications and international affairs, co-authoring several national and international practice guidelines related to sustainability, environmental stewardship and climate change.
Jane Humphreys, Founder, Beyond Borders Policy Consulting
Jane is a policy consultant skilled in sustainable growth strategies for North American trade, security, and transportation. Before moving to Canada, Jane was a senior analyst at the U.S. Federal Reserve, where she focused on financial services regulation and subprime foreclosures. Throughout ten years as an Economic Specialist at the U.S. Consulate in Toronto, she helped devise and implement frameworks for the safe and efficient cross-border movement of people, goods, services, and capital.
John Wilkinson, President and CEO, Wilkinson Insight Incorporated
John Wilkinson is the President and CEO of Wilkinson Insight Incorporated and a Board member of the Council of Great lakes Region. An experienced corporate director, he serves on the Board of Greenfield Global, the Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy, Life Sciences Ontario, the Ontario Arts Foundation and is Chair of the Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance.
Sandra Pupatello, Board Chair, PortsToronto
Sandra Pupatello is the PortsToronto Board Chair and is the President of Canadian International Avenues Inc., a management consulting firm she founded following a distinguished career in the public sector. There she served as an Ontario Cabinet Minister for eight years, six as the Minister of Economic Development and Trade. She was a member of the Ontario Legislature for 16 years. She holds her ICD.D certificate, and is a corporate director of Martinrea International Inc.
