Meet our keynote speakers
Matt Giffen
Founder,
Bench Brewing Company
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Matt Giffen is the Founder of Bench Brewing Company located in Beamsville.
After a 24-year career in banking overseas and in Canada, Matt followed his passion for brewing and agriculture full time and created Bench Brewing Company in 2018 on 8 acres in the beautiful Niagara Benchlands. Matt and his family have been part of the Town of Lincoln community now for close to fifteen years, first growing grapes and now hops and apples alongside the brewery.
Situated in Ontario’s wine country, Bench crafts premium quality and award-winning IPAs, Ales, Lagers and Barrel-aged Sours. Surrounded by some of Ontario’s best agricultural land, Bench Brewing is a certified BCorp that focuses on sustainability and the environment in its brewing practices with a commitment to being a zero-wastewater footprint facility. Bench is certified Carbon Neutral with zero net GHG emissions by BMO Radicle Climate Smart.
Matt was born and raised in London, Ontario, and is a BComm graduate from McGill University. Married to Erin with three daughters Molly, Kate and Ella.
Mallory Rose
Vice President, Communications, Marketing and Student Success, Indspire
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Mallory Rose, a member of Curve Lake First Nation, is the Vice President of Communications, Marketing and Student Success at Indspire. She holds an Honours Bachelor of Business Administration from Wilfrid Laurier University and brings 15 years of leadership experience in Indigenous communications, marketing strategy, and digital storytelling.
Before joining Indspire, Mallory served as Director of Marketing and Communications at a national non-profit and Creative Director at Tribal Trade Co. Mallory has led high-growth marketing teams, expanded digital audiences of over 100,000, and trained more than 10,000 learners in Indigenous communications, culture, and reconciliation.
She has led communications projects with both national and international brands, including Procter & Gamble, Best Buy, Marsh McLennan, and Nielsen, to deliver genuine and impactful campaigns through strategic amplification of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis voices.
Featured speaker at TEDx, Indspire’s National Gathering, and the Assembly of First Nations, Mallory is now pursuing her Master of Business Administration (MBA) at Ivey Business School and is dedicated to transforming the narrative surrounding Indigenous leadership through education, empowerment, and innovation.
Danièle Sauvageau
General Manager, Montréal Victoire; Professional Women’s Hockey League
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A decorated and strategic sport executive, a trailblazer in international sport leadership, Danièle Sauvageau brings over four decades of impact at the highest levels of competition. With experience spanning 10 Olympic Games, more than 30 international tournaments, three national hockey programs and 33 years in law enforcement (RCMP and Montreal Police Service), Danièle is recognized globally as a strategic thinker, elite coach, and transformational mentor. Known for building high-performance cultures, she has led national and professional teams to historic wins while also serving as a ground-breaking hockey analyst and law enforcement leader.
Currently serving as General Manager of La Victoire de Montréal in the Professional Women’s Hockey League, Danièle’s influence in building winning teams and high-performance cultures continues. She also leads Team Italy, guiding the national program toward the 2026 Winter Olympics after their 2024 Division 1B World Championship win.
Danièle made history in 2002 as the General Manager and Head Coach of Canada’s Women’s Hockey Team, leading the nation to its first-ever Olympic gold medal in the sport. This landmark achievement followed her role as Assistant Coach at the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics, where women’s hockey debuted and Canada earned silver. Her leadership helped redefine the pathway for women's hockey in Canada and internationally.
In addition to her coaching and executive accomplishments, Danièle has also been a hockey analyst since 2002, breaking new ground as the first woman to serve in that role for both Radio-Canada and RDS (TSN French). Her insightful commentary and deep understanding of the game have made her a trusted voice in Olympic and professional hockey coverage for over two decades.
She has had the rare distinction of working with three national teams—Canada, France, and Italy—contributing to the growth and success of each program through coaching, mentoring, and strategic leadership, as well as the creation of the Université de Montréal women's hockey program, which has become one of the top-performing university teams in Canada.
A visionary in athlete development, she has led groundbreaking initiatives such as founding the High Performance Centre 21.02, and served on the Canadian Hockey League Independent Review Panel, focused on addressing issues of hazing, abuse, harassment, and bullying—a critical mandate to ensure safer environments across junior hockey. She also served as Co-Chair of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) Committee, working to eliminate gratuitous violence in the sport, and was a member of the Canadian Sports Review Committee (2003–2005)—now known as “Own the Podium”—tasked with reforming Canada’s sport system in advance of the 2010 Olympic bid for Vancouver.
Beyond the rink, Danièle is a keynote speaker, mentor, and advisor to coaches, executives, and institutions worldwide. Her signature leadership style—calm, instinctive, and empowering—continues to inspire the next generation of leaders in sport and beyond.
Meet our speakers
Renée Bowler
Assistant Deputy Minister, Food Safety and Environment Division, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness
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Renée Bowler (she/her) is the Assistant Deputy Minister for the Food Safety & Environment Division at the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness. With over 25 years in public service, spanning science, policy and operations, Renée has led transformative initiatives in food safety, natural resource management, and environmental health protection. Renée specializes in integrating science-based policy with operational delivery, risk management, and stakeholder collaboration.
A tireless advocate for advancing science-informed decision-making in the public interest, her leadership drives agricultural environmental stewardship programs that balance innovation with sustainability. Passionate about building resilient teams and promoting diversity, Renee brings deep expertise in strategic planning, governance and stakeholder partnerships to advance sustainable practices across sectors.
Renée holds a B.Sc.(Hons) In Environmental Toxicology from the University of Guelph and M.A.Sc. in Environmental Applied Science and Management from Toronto Metropolitan University.
Nenone Donaldson
Vice-President, Advancement and External Relations, University of Waterloo
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As Vice-President, Advancement and External Relations, Nenone leads the University of Waterloo's marketing, communications, events, alumni relations, and fundraising activities. With an expansive track record of building successful relationships and developing key connections, Nenone broadens our engagement, deepening our public impact and building lasting collaborations that benefit the University.
A Queen’s University graduate, Nenone is currently Chair of a not-for-profit board in the youth sector, Amici Children's Camp Charity.
Dilhari Fernando
Chief Sustainability Strategy Officer, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories
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Dilhari Fernando is the Chief Sustainability Strategy Officer at the Canadian Nuclear Laboratories where she oversees operational decarbonization and sustainability/ESG across the organization. Prior to this role, Dilhari held leadership roles at the PSP Investment Board and was the first head of sustainability at Canada Post. Dilhari is also a proud alumnus of the Government of Canada, where she held many roles in public policy and international affairs in the environmental and resources sector. She credits her attraction to sustainability as a direct result of her work for the federal Government where ESG factors were implicit in policymaking.
Currently living in Ottawa, Dilhari sits on the Board of Directors for the OECM and the Carleton Place Hospital Foundation.
Ethan Fraser
Student, Sustainability and Financial Management, University of Waterloo
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Ethan Fraser is a graduating student from the University of Waterloo's Sustainability and Financial Management (SFM) program, where he is part of the program’s inaugural class. He recently joined KPMG as a Staff Accountant.
Before joining KPMG, Ethan completed multiple internships with the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan on the Sustainable Investing team, focusing on integrating climate-related transition and physical-risk considerations into portfolio models. Earlier in his career, he worked as a Tax Analyst at Deloitte, gaining early exposure to client advisory work.
At the University of Waterloo, Ethan served as CEO and Senior Portfolio Manager of the Student Investment Fund and currently captains the University’s CFA Institute Research Challenge team. His professional interests centre on the role of institutional investors in advancing the global energy transition.
Vivek Goel
President and Vice-Chancellor, University of Waterloo
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Dr. Vivek Goel is the University of Waterloo's seventh President and Vice-Chancellor. He is a distinguished scholar with extensive achievements in research, teaching and leadership across both public and private sectors.
Before joining the University of Waterloo, Dr. Goel has held a number of senior leadership roles at the University of Toronto including Vice-President and Provost, and most recently Vice-President Research and Innovation. He served as founding President and CEO of Public Health Ontario from 2008 until 2014 and also as a founding scientist at the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES). Goel has served as Chief Academic Strategist with Coursera, a global platform that connects universities and learners with online courses.
Goel obtained his medical degree from McGill University and completed post-graduate medical training in Community Medicine at the University of Toronto. Dr. Goel obtained a master’s degree (MSc) in Community Health from U of T and a master’s degree (MS) in Biostatistics from Harvard University School of Public Health.
Joshua Goodman
Head of Corporate Sustainability,
Sobeys
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Joshua Goodman is the Head of Corporate Sustainability at Sobeys. A leading national grocer, Sobeys sees sustainability as a critical element of its ambition to be the best retailer in Canada. In his role, Joshua is responsible for developing, implementing and overseeing sustainable business strategies and initiatives across the company’s approximately 1,600 stores in all 10 provinces. With nearly 20 years of experience, Joshua has held sustainability roles with several leading Canadian companies across multiple sectors, including retail, financial services, consumer product goods and real estate. Prior to that, he worked in the US and Europe focusing on national security policy. Joshua holds an LL.M. specializing in international economic regulatory systems from the University of Kent.
Josh Hasdell
Senior Manager, Strategy & ESG Advisory, KPMG Canada
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Josh is part of KPMG Canada’s nature strategy services practice and has been with the KPMG firm for nearly a decade, working across Canadian and European markets.
Josh works with clients across a range of sectors - including Digital & Technology, Telecommunications, Mining, Oil & Gas, Financial Services, Healthcare, Real Estate, Retail, Infrastructure and provincial & federal governments - by providing support in integrating climate and nature-related aspects into a company’s core operating and business processes. Josh also contributes to global databases of nature-related risk and opportunities for sectors and is part of the CPA’s nature steering group. Josh also leads KPMG international’s blue economy services and represents KPMG at Global Biodiversity events such as COP15 & 16.
Tim Hutzul
Legal and Business Advisor; General Counsel, Canada Soccer
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Tim Hutzul is a seasoned international lawyer and General Counsel with over 20 years of public and private company experience across a spectrum of industries including infrastructure, natural resources, sports and entertainment and tech. During the course of his career Tim has done or managed legal work on six continents and more than 35 countries. As legal and business advisor, Tim’s experience includes a wide spectrum of legal matters including extensive Health, Safety and Environmental (“HSE”) matters, and litigation management.
Tim has his own legal consulting practice and currently as General Counsel is helping Canada Soccer prepare to co-host a small tournament called the 2026 World Cup.
Tim also has extensive board and c-suite related experience having advised many C-Suite executives served as an officer, director and/or corporate secretary for more than 40 companies across the globe. He is currently a director, and chair of the Audit Committee for Pollution Probe, Canada’s oldest environmental NGO.
Melissa Ireland
Director, Indigenous Relations, University of Waterloo
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Melissa Ireland is the Director of Indigenous Relations at the University of Waterloo and a proud member of Curve Lake First Nation.
A leader dedicated to advancing reconciliation and Indigenous success in higher education, Melissa draws on more than twenty years of experience in strategic leadership, Indigenous inclusion, social work, and community development. Her work focuses on developing programs and practices that center Indigenous knowledge, promote decolonization, and foster ethical, reciprocal relationships. As a voice for systemic transformation, she works to ensure Indigenous worldviews and values are integral to the University’s commitments to sustainability, equity, and inclusion.
Through her vision and relational approach, in areas like the University of Waterloo's Indigenous Strategic plan 2023-2028, Melissa champions pathways for structural change—helping to shape a more just, accountable, and sustainable future for all.
Manasi Koushik
VP, Sustainability & Quality,
Dexterra Group
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Manasi is a senior executive recognized for her leadership in sustainability, governance, and operational excellence. As Vice President of Sustainability & Quality at a leading multinational organization, she drives integrated strategies that align environmental stewardship with business performance across diverse operations.
With a strong foundation in engineering and a Certified Registered Safety Professional (CRSP) designation, Manasi brings a systems-thinking approach to solving complex challenges. Her work bridges the critical connection between protecting people and the planet, ensuring safe, compliant, and environmentally responsible operations that also deliver measurable business value.
Named one of the Top Women in Safety 2022 by Canadian Occupational Safety, Manasi holds an MBA and has a proven track record of leading transformative initiatives that enhance process efficiency, reduce risk, and support sustainable growth.
A compelling and purpose-driven speaker, she has presented at national forums including the Canadian Sustainability Conference and the BCRSP NES Symposium. She also actively contributes to community organizations such as Junior Achievement Canada, Rotary, and Threads of Life.
Jennifer Livingstone
Vice President, Enterprise Climate Strategy, Royal Bank of Canada
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Jenn Livingstone oversees RBC’s efforts to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon and resilient economy. Since 2022, Jenn and her team have helped establish RBC’s enterprise-wide climate plan, formalized the bank’s approach to assess its energy clients’ plans and support their actions toward a net-zero future, and solidified the bank’s commitment to triple its lending to renewable energy by 2030 and allocate $1 billion to climate solutions.
Jenn brings over 15 years of international experience in Climate, Finance, and ESG to RBC. She has a Masters in International Affairs from Columbia University, a Bachelors of Commerce from Queens University, as well as a CMA designation.
Jennifer Lynes
Professor, School of Environment, Enterprise and Development (SEED), University of Waterloo
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Dr. Jennifer Lynes is associate professor at the University of Waterloo in the School of Environment, Enterprise and Development. Her area of expertise is at the intersection of sustainability and marketing, with a particular focus on how organizations communicate information about climate change. She holds an advisory position with the Privy Council’s Program of Applied Research on Climate Action.
For over two decades she has demonstrated leadership in sustainability through her research, teaching and long-standing support of community initiatives. This includes 10 years as a board member for REEP Green Solutions and six years as director of Canada’s leading program in the environment and business. Her work has been featured in the Nature Energy, the Globe and Mail and on CBC’s The Current.
Andrew McLaughlin
VP Legal Affairs, General Counsel and ESG Lead; Major Drilling Group International
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Andrew is the VP–Legal Affairs, General Counsel and Sustainability Lead at Major Drilling Group International Inc. (TSX:MDI), the largest global drilling services provider to the mining industry. He previously served as a diplomat at the Canadian embassies in Havana and Mexico City, and was a Canadian foreign service officer from 2006-2015.
Andrew is on the Board of New Brunswick’s economic development agency, ONB (a Crown corporation), where he serves as the Vice Chair, and is an Editorial Board member of Canadian Lawyer Magazine. Andrew has been making the case for lawyers to lead the charge on sustainability in their organizations through numerous speaking engagements and publications. This includes his recent book “Building the Case: How Lawyers are Leading on Sustainability” (Springer, co-edited with Conor Chell), and various articles in Canadian Lawyer Magazine, among others. His op-eds have been published in The Globe and Mail on sustainability reporting and in The Hill Times on Canada’s critical minerals strategy. His submission on the future of Canadian Diplomacy was cited in the Canadian Senate’s final report on this topic and was cited in the National Post. In 2024, he was the Canadian General Counsel Award Winner (Mid-Market Excellence). In 2023, he chaired the ESG Summit that brings together leading sustainability executives from across the country. In 2018, he was named a Lexpert Rising Star for leading Canadian lawyers under 40, and as part of the Banff Forum’s “Emerging Canadian Leaders Under 40”.
Andrew holds a BComm from Mount Allison University, an LLB from the University of New Brunswick, and an LLM in International Business Law from the University of London (QMUL/UCL).
Mike Morrice
Founder, Sustainable Waterloo Region and Green Economy Canada
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Frustrated with watching the federal government ignore climate promises and let down his community, Mike was first inspired to run to represent Kitchener Centre more than a decade after he started Sustainable Waterloo Region – a non-profit social enterprise that helps businesses work together to reduce their environmental impact. Building on the momentum of his first run in 2019 – and with the support of hundreds of volunteers and donors – Mike made history by becoming the first Green MP ever elected in Ontario when he ran again and won in 2021.
While serving as MP, Mike collaborated across party lines to ensure Kitchener Centre’s priorities were reflected in the House of Commons. His legislative work presented solutions to the housing, affordability, and climate crises, and he played a huge role advocating alongside Canadians with disabilities to ensure the new Canada Disability Benefit came to fruition.
Now, he’s using his platform to amplify our community’s concerns and support local charitable organizations through mentorship and coaching to help them maximize their impact.
Social media: @morricemike on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
Claire Purvis
Associate Director, Hub for Sustainability Integration, University of Waterloo
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Claire is an Assistant Professor at the University of Waterloo, and Associate Director at the Hub for Sustainability Integration.
She is a seasoned sustainability professional, management consultant and skilled project manager, with over 15 years of direct industry experience in the sustainability space. She holds a Masters in Environmental Studies from the University of Waterloo, and also holds the Sustainability and Climate Risk (SCR) certification.
Claire leads the Hub for Sustainability Integration, and will be building out the student consultancy course in collaboration with the School of Accounting and Finance (SAF) and the School of Environment Enterprise and Development (SEED).
Tori Rooney
Sustainability Analyst,
Blue Mountain Resorts
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Tori Rooney is the Sustainability Analyst at Blue Mountain Resort, where she combines her passion for the environment with her academic foundation — a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Environmental Science from Queen’s University. In her role, Tori leads initiatives that advance the resort’s sustainability goals, from reducing environmental impacts to enhancing long-term operational efficiency.
An avid trail runner, hiker, and snowboarder, Tori’s love for the outdoors fuels her commitment to making the ski industry more sustainable and resilient in the face of climate change.
Amanda St. Marie
Environment Indigenous Initiatives Manager, Faculty of Environment, University of Waterloo
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Amanda St. Marie is the Environment Indigenous Initiatives Manager in the Faculty of Environment at the University of Waterloo, where she works to create meaningful opportunities for reconciliation, learning, and relationship-building.
A proud member of Matachewan First Nation, she grew up in Kitchener-Waterloo and draws on her lived experience, community connections, and stories to guide her work. After earning a BA in Communication Studies from Wilfrid Laurier University, she built a career in tech, insurance, post-secondary education, and consulting, specializing in marketing strategy, content creation, and brand development. Now, she brings that breadth of experience into her role, blending creativity and strategic thinking with cultural insight to create spaces where learning, understanding, and action can take root.
Alexie Tcheuyap
Dean, Faculty of Arts,
University of Waterloo
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Dr. Alexie Tcheuyap joined the Faculty of Arts as dean on July 1, 2024. Prior to joining the University of Waterloo, he was Associate Vice-President and Vice-Provost of International Student Experience at the University of Toronto (2021-2024). Previous academic leadership roles at U of T include Vice-Dean, Academic Life and Equity, Faculty of Arts and Sciences (2019-2021); Chair, Department of French (2017-2019); and Associate Chair, Undergraduate Studies, Department of French (2016-2017). He holds a BA in Bilingual Studies and two graduate degrees, Maîtrise and Doctorat de Troisième Cycle, in African Literature from the University of Yaoundé. He completed his PhD in French Literature at Queen’s University in 2000 and subsequently held faculty positions at the University of Calgary from 2000 to 2006.
Dr. Tcheuyap is a scholar of African literary, cinema and media studies, with particular focus on sub-Saharan Africa and Cameroon, the country in which he was born and educated. He has investigated, published and taught about issues relating to madness and literature, film adaptation, African cinematic productions, politics and media. His scholarship crosses several disciplines, spaces, and illustrates how postcolonial experiences lend themselves to global canons and theoretical investigations. His books include Postnationalist African Cinema (Manchester UP, 2011) Autoritarisme, presse et violence au Cameroun (Karthala, 2014), Avoir peur. Insécurité et roman en Afrique francophone (with Hervé Tchumkam, 2018), and African Documentary Cinema (2024). Dr. Tcheuyap was a Senior Fellow of the European Institute for Advanced Study ( 2017, Collegium de Lyon)and was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (FRSC) in 2021.
Patrick Taylor
Managing Partner and CFO, Renewable Power & Transition, Brookfield Asset Management
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Patrick Taylor is a Managing Partner and Chief Financial Officer of Brookfield’s Renewable Power & Transition Group. In this role, Mr. Taylor directs all capital markets activities for the business, including accounting, financial reporting, treasury, taxation and investor relations on a global basis.
Mr. Taylor joined Brookfield in 2011, and since then has held a number of senior finance roles across the organization including Chief Financial Officer of its European infrastructure group based in London and Chief Financial Officer of an integrated logistics portfolio company in the U.K. and mainland Europe. Previously, Patrick was a longstanding member of the infrastructure finance leadership team in Toronto, where he held various roles across financial reporting, fund finance and operations and portfolio management. Prior to joining Brookfield, Mr. Taylor was in the audit group at KPMG.
Mr. Taylor holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Wilfrid Laurier University and is a Chartered Professional Accountant.
Jason Thistlethwaite
Professor, School of Environment, Enterprise and Development (SEED), University of Waterloo.
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Jason Thistlethwaite is a Professor in the School of Environment, Enterprise and Development (SEED) at the University of Waterloo. He investigates the economic dimensions of climate change risk, with a focus on flood risk, extreme weather, and the governance of property and infrastructure resilience.
Dr. Thistlethwaite’s scholarship bridges academic and policy communities, with sustained engagement across insurance, banking, real estate, hazard modeling, and infrastructure sectors. This work generates spatially explicit flood risk scenarios, assesses interdependencies among infrastructure systems, and evaluates governance strategies that support adaptation. The results are identifying both areas where risk management is critical but also opportunities for investment and economic growth. His work provides policy-relevant evidence for strengthening the legitimacy, efficiency, and effectiveness of climate resilience initiatives.
Kevan Thompson
National Senior Vice President, Construction, Contractors & Real Estate, Axis Insurance
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With over two decades of industry experience, Kevan Thompson is a nationally recognized authority in construction risk management. His expertise spans a comprehensive range of commercial insurance solutions, including project-specific insurance programs, contract review and modeling, contract surety, and subcontractor default insurance (SDI).
Kevan launched his career at the world’s largest global construction brokerage, where he spent a decade managing major construction accounts and driving business development. He subsequently joined one of Canada’s premier brokerage firms, serving on the leadership team and directing the construction and surety division. He later assumed dual leadership roles as Head of Fenn & Fenn and Vice President of Construction at HUB International, where he oversaw one of Canada’s largest roofing programs as a Lloyd’s of London coverholder and managed strategic construction accounts nationwide.
Currently, Kevan serves as National Senior Vice President, Construction, Contractors & Real Estate at Axis Insurance, where he continues to lead innovative risk solutions for complex construction portfolios.
Kevan has held several prominent industry board positions, including Chair of the Surety Association of Canada (SAC), and currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Grand Valley Construction Association (GVCA).
A sought-after speaker and panelist, he has shared his insights with the Ontario Bar Association, municipal bodies, construction associations, and leading construction organizations. Notably, he contributed to the sub-committee that advised the Attorney General of Ontario in drafting the Construction Act, which came into effect in 2018.
Sarah Thompson
Managing Director, Global Head of Sustainable Finance, RBC Capital Markets
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As head of the Sustainable Finance Group, Sarah works closely with institutional, corporate and government clients globally who are integrating Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) considerations into their organizational strategies, investment processes, and external disclosures.
Since joining RBC in 2011 as the bank’s first Green IT Manager, Sarah has held several sustainability roles including overseeing RBC’s enterprise-wide operational footprint reduction initiatives, producing ESG disclosures, and supporting business units with the development of sustainable finance products, services, and advice. She was instrumental in the establishment of RBC’s Green Bond Program in 2019 and RBC’s Sustainable Commercial Paper Program in 2022.
Sarah represents RBC Capital Markets on the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) Investor Advisory Group (IIAG) and the Government of Canada’s Sustainable Finance Action Council (SFAC) Taxonomy Technical Expert Group (TTEG).
Sarah is based in Toronto, Canada. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Economics from McGill University and an MBA in Sustainability from York University’s Schulich School of Business.
Adam Vitalis
Director, Hub for Sustainability Integration, University of Waterloo
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Professor Vitalis is currently an associate professor in the School of Accounting and Finance at the University of Waterloo. He holds a PhD from The University of Wisconsin-Madison and a CPA certification from Minnesota. Professor Vitalis brings deep experience from over thirteen years in various industry roles, including Senior Manager at Deloitte, Director of Enterprise Risk Management at U.S. Bank, and production accountant in the film and television industry.
Professor Vitalis specializes in researching how cognitive limitations affect risk processing and information cues in audit and financial reporting. His work, at the intersection of economics, behavioural science, and information processing, aims to deepen understanding of audit and climate change decision-making. He focuses on the impact of factors such as incentives, norms, personal traits, and regulations on information processing, seeking to challenge established norms and enrich policy, theory, and practice. He has published in numerous journals, including Contemporary Accounting Research, The Accounting Review, the Journal of Sustainable Finance & Investment, Auditing: A Journal of Practice and Theory, International Journal of Auditing, and Accounting Perspectives.
Barbara Zvan
President and CEO,
University Pension Plan (UPP)
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Barbara Zvan is recognized globally for her leadership in sustainable finance and as an ambassador for defined benefit pensions. As President and CEO of University Pension Plan (UPP), and former Chief Risk & Strategy Officer at the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan, her experience in integrating environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors into investment decisions is both pioneering and influential.
She is also a member of the Government of Canada’s Expert Panel on Sustainable Finance. Barbara is the co-founder of the G7 Investment Leadership Network and a board member for the Global Risk Institute and the Responsible Investment Association. She is an experienced advisor for the Institute of Sustainable Finance at the Smith School of Business and the Investing to Address Climate Change university charter. Notably, she is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries and the Canadian Institute of Actuaries and holder of the Institute of Corporate Directors designation (ICD.D). Barbara is an Honouree of Canada’s 2020 Clean50 and 2008 Top 40 under 40.