SPEAKERS

Jane Taber

Senior Vice President | NATIONAL Public Relations, Atlantic

Jane Taber is a former Globe and Mail political journalist who spent more than 25 years covering Parliament Hill and Queen’s Park.

During her tenure on Parliament Hill with the Globe, Jane was also co-host of CTV’s Question Period – and she has spent more hours than she can count on campaign buses and planes following the leaders during federal election campaigns. She’s interviewed the country’s main political players, covered leadership contests, trade deals, international summits and the important issues of the day.

She also worked as communications director to the former Premier of Nova Scotia.

Jane specializes in media training, having coached CEOs of major Canadian companies, the heads of national law firms and senior cabinet ministers and MPs.

In addition to media training and coaching, Jane is also focused on moderating panels and conferences, media relations and speech writing, crisis communications and post-secondary labour issues. Jane is a graduate of Carleton University’s journalism program and was appointed to the Carleton University Board of Governors in June 2019 and re-appointed to another three-year term in 2022. Jane also served as a mentor to the Public Policy Forum’s Action Canada leadership fellows.

Jon Atkinson

Senior Project Manager and Director of Business Development for Hydropower and Dams | Hatch

Jon Atkinson is a Senior Project Manager and Director of Business Development for Hydropower and Dams at Hatch. He provides leadership in both project delivery and business development initiatives with more than 24 years of consulting experience in the design and delivery of hydropower projects and the leadership of multidisciplinary engineering teams. His experience spans all phases of project development, from concept through commissioning, and includes due diligence reviews and independent engineering assessments.

Simon Arseneau

Technical Director, Geostructural and Heavy Civil Engineering | GHD

Simon D. Arseneau is Technical Director, Geostructural and Heavy Civil Engineering at GHD in Montreal, Quebec. With more than 18 years of experience, Simon specializes in the planning, design, and delivery of complex civil infrastructure, including dams, hydraulic structures, foundations, tunnels, and major earthworks projects. He is recognized for integrating geotechnical, geostructural, and heavy civil engineering solutions to address complex technical challenges while balancing project risks, constructability, environmental considerations, and stakeholder needs.

Cherie Babineau

Senior Engineer | GHD

Cherie Babineau, P.Eng., PMP is a Senior Engineer, Project Manager, and GHD Associate with more than 14 years of experience leading complex decommissioning, demolition, closure planning, and environmental projects across Canada. She specializes in helping clients transition aging industrial and utility assets through strategic closure planning, environmental assessment, stakeholder engagement, risk management, cost estimating, procurement support, and project delivery.
Cherie has managed multidisciplinary closure projects for clients in the power, mining, industrial, and pulp and paper sectors, including hydroelectric facilities, thermal generating stations, mine sites, industrial plants, and large-scale contaminated sites. Her experience spans the full closure lifecycle, from feasibility studies and closure planning through detailed design, procurement, construction support, and post-construction monitoring.

For the Milltown Dam decommissioning project, Cherie served as GHD’s Project Manager, coordinating GHD’s multidisciplinary team and supporting project planning, design, environmental, regulatory, and construction-phase activities for one of Canada’s most significant recent hydropower decommissioning and river restoration projects.

François Berset

Sales Manager | MC-monitoring SA

François Berset, Dipl. Eng. HES and Executive MBA, is Sales Manager at MC-monitoring SA, a Swiss company developing and manufacturing condition monitoring systems for power-generating machinery. With a career spanning more than 30 years in engineering and technology, he brings a rare combination of deep technical expertise and commercial acumen to the global hydropower market.

Over the last 7 years, François oversees sales across a diverse portfolio of international territories — including India, France, Northen and Eastern Europe, Middle East, Southeast Asia, and recently Canada. Across these markets, he promotes with the help of local partners & distributors integrated condition monitoring solutions encompassing sensors, data acquisition systems, and software for power plant units, with a primary focus on the hydropower segment. He works closely with plant operators and OEMs to bring solutions to protect and optimize turbine-generator units through continuous vibration monitoring and machinery diagnostics.

Michelle Branigan

CEO | Electricity Human Resources Canada (EHRC)

Michelle Branigan (she/her) is an influential industry voice at the forefront of the electricity and renewable energy sector’s labour market intelligence and HR best practices.

Under Michelle’s leadership, EHRC has grown to be the definitive source for the valued insights, programs and resources that drive industry solutions. EHRC is the only organization that brings together industry, academia, labour and government to tackle current issues, apply a business lens to workforce planning and to shape our industry’s future. Michelle is frequently invited to brief senior officials, economic think tanks and industry leaders on the in-depth research and industry insights impacting the industry’s growth and success.

Convener, collaborator and champion for advancing the priorities of one of the country’s most critical workforces, her tenure has seen the development of the Leadership Accord for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion—a groundbreaking initiative helping the sector advance and prioritize inclusive practices into their culture and operations.

Michelle contributes her expertise through board and advisory roles with organizations such as the Energy Council of Canada (ECC), Bruce Power Site Development Advisory Committee, ECAO HR Committee and Electricity Industry Newsweek’s editorial advisory board, among others. Her international perspective, shaped by her master’s degree in training and performance management from the University of Leicester (UK) and her PMP designation, brings a thoughtful and strategic approach to workforce development.

Michelle’s work has been recognized nationally and internationally, including being named a 2024 Impact Campaigner at COP29 for her leadership in the industry and dedication to promoting gender diversity and equity. She was recognized in 2022 as one of the 100 Canadian women leading Canada’s energy transition at COP27 and is the 2015 recipient of the distinguished WiRE Woman of the Year award from Women in Renewable Energy. Under her leadership, EHRC has grown to be the definitive source for the valued insights, programs and resources that drive industry solutions. EHRC is the only organization that brings together industry, academia, labour and government to tackle current issues, apply a business lens to workforce planning and to shape our industry’s future. Michelle is frequently invited to brief senior officials, economic think tanks and industry leaders on the in-depth research and industry insights impacting the industry’s growth and success.

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Carolyn Brown

Environmental Scientist and Toxicologist | Ecoreg Solutions

Carolyn has over 15 years of experience assessing environmental impacts, focusing on aquatic environments. After working for 10 years in environmental consulting, she returned to school to pursue a PhD. Her research focused on the improvements that can be made to the baseline and prediction phases of Environmental Impact Assessments to improve post-development monitoring, using the Mactaquac Hydroelectric Generating Station as a case study. Carolyn joined Ecoreg Solutions over two years ago and serves as a project manager and provides technical expertise to assist mining, nuclear, hydropower, and municipal clients with their projects. Carolyn is on the board for the Laurentian Chapter of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, actively participates in the Environment and Science Committee of the Ontario Mining Association, and recently joined the WaterPower Canada Fisheries and Environmental Affairs Working Group.

Laurent Bulota

Project Director | Hydro-Québec

Laurent Bulota, ing. is a project director with more than 20 years of experience in the hydropower sector. He currently leads the front-end planning and construction of new hydropower and pumped-storage projects in Quebec. Throughout his career, he has held roles ranging from turbine engineering to large-scale project management including strategic development of major hydropower projects.

Mark Chapeskie

Vice President of Programs | Electricity Human Resources Canada (EHRC)

Mark Chapeskie (he/him) is Vice President, Programs at Electricity Human Resources Canada (EHRC) and a nationally recognized leader in workforce strategy for Canada’s electricity sector. With more than 20 years of experience, he brings deep expertise in labour market intelligence, program leadership, and cross-sector collaboration to addressing the workforce challenges critical to Canada’s energy system.

At EHRC, Mark leads a national portfolio of workforce development initiatives focused on strengthening labour mobility, enabling career transitions, and expanding participation across the electricity value chain. Central to his role is convening and aligning employers, labour organizations, post-secondary institutions, and governments to develop practical, evidence-based solutions that respond to evolving skill requirements.

Mark also oversees EHRC’s labour market intelligence team, translating complex data into actionable insights that inform employer decision-making, public policy, and long-term workforce planning. His work helps ensure workforce strategies are aligned with electrification, infrastructure renewal, and decarbonization priorities, supporting a reliable and resilient electricity system.

A strong advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion, Mark embeds inclusive approaches across workforce programs, recognizing inclusion as essential to sector resilience and sustainability. He contributes sector expertise through the One Canadian Clean Economy Task Force and advisory roles across workforce development and education. Mark holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from St. Lawrence University and a Master’s degree in Human Security and Peacebuilding from Royal Roads University.

George Christidis

President and CEO | Canadian Nuclear Association

George Christidis is the President and CEO of the Canadian Nuclear Association. Before this role, he served as the Vice President of Government Relations and International Affairs at the same organization.

George has extensive experience designing and implementing advocacy strategies and initiatives that support the Canadian nuclear industry domestically and internationally.

With over 20 years of experience collaborating with federal, provincial, municipal, and international government stakeholders, Mr. Christidis has held diverse roles in both the public and private sectors. His expertise includes providing strategic advice and recommendations to senior government officials and corporate decision-makers.

He has held key positions within the Canadian government, including serving as a policy advisor and former chief of staff for prominent ministers.

David Clark

Partner | Mathews Dinsdale & Clark

David Clark is a partner at Mathews Dinsdale & Clark and is a member of the firm’s Major Project Practice Group. Over the last 20 years, David has led teams in the development and implementation of Major Project Labour Strategies, which have included new-build hydro projects and refurbishments. David has also worked as a senior manager on new-build hydro projects. His responsibilities included labour risk management, management of site labour team, and providing legal advice to procurement, commercial contracts, human resources, Indigenous relations, and safety teams.

Pierre-Olivier Côté

Biologist | BBA Consultants

Pierre-Olivier Côté is a biologist with more than 20 years of experience in environmental consulting. As an environmental professional at BBA, his work has focused on aquatic ecosystems, environmental assessments, habitat compensation, and environmental monitoring. He has supported all phases of project development, from baseline studies and environmental impact assessment, to permitting and regulatory compliance.

As Aquatic Team Lead, Pierre-Olivier works closely with environmental specialists involved in projects throughout Québec while continuing to support projects as a project manager, director, and technical advisor.

His experience spans numerous small-scale dike and dam projects, as well as the three community-led hydropower projects developed in partnership with Indigenous communities in Québec in recent years: Onzième Chute (Mistassini), Val-Jalbert (Ouiatchouan), and Matawak (Matawin). He has also worked on a wide range of initiatives involving First Nations, including mining baseline studies, aquatic habitat compensation projects, and environmental monitoring programs.

Drawing on both his own experience and the collective expertise of multidisciplinary teams at BBA, Pierre-Olivier helps advance collaborative approaches to environmental management and First Nation participation. His work across different sectors has provided opportunities to work alongside First Nations in a variety of contexts, helping to broaden his perspective on effective engagement and knowledge sharing.

Robert Elder

Project Manager and Mechanical Engineer | KGS Group

Mr. Elder is a senior project manager and mechanical engineer with KGS Group with 30 years of utility experience in planning, procurement, design, execution, and commissioning of large multi-year capital projects/programs. Mr. Elder has also led the development and management of a multi-year corporate planning process and the corresponding performance management framework to ensure long term alignment to a strategic plan.

Leading the successful execution of Manitoba Hydro’s Bipole III Project Mr. Elder built and managed a large matrixed project team that developed a detailed scope for the project and a project execution plan which included preliminary design, site selection, project delivery strategy, vendor development and procurement, estimate/schedule development, project controls/risk plan, indigenous engagement, safety and environment plans.

Mr. Elder is currently the owners engineering project manager for the re-development of a 28 MW hydro-electric site in Northwestern Ontario which has included supporting the owner through procurement of the EPC contractor, Turbine & Generator supplier and then working through the front-end engineering development (FEED) process to define project requirements for executive approval. This project is currently in the construction phase and are looking forward to going in service in 2027.

Aaron Engen

President and Chief Executive Officer | Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO)

Mr. Engen has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO) since August 2024. He first joined the AESO in 2020 as a member of its Board of Directors.

Prior to assuming his current role, Mr. Engen spent 25 years in investment banking, most recently as Vice Chair, Investment & Corporate Banking at BMO Capital Markets. He co-headed the firm’s Power & Energy Infrastructure group, focusing on energy infrastructure transactions across North America, including power generation, transmission and distribution, natural gas midstream, and energy storage. He also co-led BMO’s Energy Transition group, focusing on emerging sectors such as hydrogen, carbon capture and sequestration, low-carbon fuels, critical minerals, renewable power, and sustainable finance.

Earlier in his career, Mr. Engen was a partner at McCarthy Tétrault, where he practiced corporate and securities law largely in the energy and utilities sectors.

Mr. Engen serves on the Board of Directors of the Canada Growth Fund. He holds an MBA and LL.B. from the University of Alberta and a Bachelor of Arts and Science from the University of Lethbridge.

Daniel Giesbrecht

Senior Mechanical Engineer | KGS Group

Mr. Giesbrecht is a Mechanical Engineer at KGS Group. He has over 15 years of experience providing mechanical design for gates, hoists, balance of plant and turbine systems for hydroelectric and industrial projects. His experience includes the installation and commissioning of turbine, generator and gate systems, as well as overhauls, dam safety reviews and turbine performance testing.

Jana Hanova

Senior Vice President, Energy Utilities | AECOM Advisory

Jana Hanova is a senior advisor to utility and infrastructure executives facing some of the industry’s toughest challenges: growing demand, reliability challenges, affordability constraints, regulatory limitations, aging assets, workforce transitions, and the delivery of increasingly large and complex capital programs. As Senior Vice President, Energy Utilities at AECOM Advisory, she works with leaders on strategic initiatives informed by and in collaboration with a deep technical bench of AECOM’s engineering talent. She helps organizations improve reliability, strengthen resilience, and deliver critical infrastructure with confidence. Drawing on experience across previous mandates as a Big 4 Consulting Partner, and previous roles in infrastructure, investment, innovation, and major project transformation, Jana brings a practical perspective on what it takes to turn ambitious and complex plans into affordable and reliable energy systems.

James “Jake” Heron

Chief Negotiator | Northwest Territory Métis Nation

James A (Jake) Heron is an Indigenous Metis born and raised in Fort Smith, NWT. He has a wide range of project and economic development experience includes appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of the first Pan-Territorial birthright economic development corporation, the NWT Metis Development Corporation. Some the early joint venture activities included being a 25% shareholder with the Denedeh Development Corporation that acquired a 50% interest in Shehta Drilling Ltd with ESSO Resources on the expansion of the Norman Wells oilfield. He also had a long career in senior management with the Government of Northwest Territories (GNWT), where he held various senior-level positions including President of the NWT Housing Corporation, Deputy Minister of the Department of Personnel and Assistant Deputy Minister in the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations. For the past decade he has assisted the Northwest Territory Métis Nation on a variety of important files, including as Chief Negotiator for Land and Resource and Self Government Negotiations, and technical advisor for the advancement of the Taltson Hydro Expansion Project.

Terence Hubbard

President | Impact Assessment Agency of Canada

Terence Hubbard was appointed President of the Impact Assessment Agency (IAAC) on November 28, 2021. In his role, he is responsible for leading all reviews of major projects under the Impact Assessment Act, in cooperation with other Government of Canada regulatory agencies, as well as provinces and territories and Indigenous groups.

Prior to joining IAAC in 2018, Terence was Director General of the Petroleum Resources Branch with Natural Resources Canada. In this role, he had responsibility for Canada’s oil and gas policy, including overseeing the development and implementation of Canada’s pipeline safety and offshore oil and gas regulatory regimes as well as serving as Canada’s representative on the Governing Board of the International Energy Agency.
He is a graduate of the University of Saskatchewan where he obtained both his Bachelor and Master of Arts degrees in economics and now lives in Ottawa.

Inna Kremza

Senior Specialist | Voith Hydro

Inna Kremza is a senior specialist at Voith Hydro North America with extensive expertise in hydroelectric power systems. Over her 30-year career in the industry, she has held a range of engineering and leadership roles at Voith Hydro, contributing to electrical modernization projects, technology transfer, manufacturing support, and project improvements initiatives in Canada, Germany, and Brazil.

As Director of Voith Hydro School in North America, she leads technical and leadership training programs for clients and employees across multiple organizations and regions.

Michael Ladha

Vice-President, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary | Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro

Michael Ladha is the Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary at Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro. He is responsible for oversight of our legal, governance and supply chain matters. After graduating from Memorial University in 2006 with a Bachelor of Business Administration, Michael went on to receive his Bachelor of Laws from the University of New Brunswick in 2009. Michael is currently an elected Bencher of the Law Society of Newfoundland and Labrador and a member of the Executive of the Newfoundland and Labrador Chapter of the Institute of Corporate Directors. He currently serves on the Canadian Law Awards Advisory Panel and was appointed King’s Counsel in 2022. Michael is a strong advocate for the advancement of diversity, equity and inclusion through his governance and volunteer work and has extensive experience serving on boards of non-profit, member-based, community-based and professional organizations. Michael’s hard work and passion were recognized as the 2020 recipient of the Canadian Corporate Counsel Association’s Up and Comer Award and as an Honoree of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 in 2021.

Nicolas Lalonde

Senior Project Manager | SGJV

Nicolas Lalonde is a senior project manager with more than 17 years of experience leading complex energy and infrastructure projects across Canada. With a unique combination of engineering, construction, and business expertise, he specializes in Front-End Engineering Design (FEED), project governance, scope development, risk management, and the successful transition from planning to execution.

Throughout his career with major contractors, Nicolas has led multidisciplinary teams in the development and delivery of large-scale capital projects, helping owners align technical requirements, budgets, schedules, and stakeholder expectations. His experience spans project management, engineering coordination, constructability reviews, cost and schedule optimization, stakeholder management and contract administration.

Most recently, Nicolas served as Senior Project Manager during the FEED phase and first year of execution for the Kakabeka Falls Generation Station Life Extension Project in northern Ontario. In that role, he led integrated teams of engineers, construction professionals, subject matter experts, and project controls specialists to refine project scope, manage risk, optimize execution strategies, and establish the foundations for successful project delivery.

Nicolas holds a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering from McGill University, a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Queen’s University, and an MBA from HEC Montréal. He is a Professional Engineer in Québec and Ontario and a certified Project Management Professional (PMP). Passionate about delivering clean energy infrastructure, he is committed to advancing collaborative approaches that improve project outcomes and create long-term value for owners and stakeholders.

Etienne Lecompte

Managing Director | LCAB

Etienne is a recognized cleantech entrepreneur who’s been in the renewable energy, software development and regulatory compliance space for about 15 years. During those years he has created and grown several companies. He believes strongly that renewable energy projects, CCUS and H2 are part of the solution and that there’s a strong need to manage regulatory programs pragmatically and proactively. Etienne & LCAB are working on over 60 projects claiming ITCs in Canada and has been involved at all stages of the projects. Etienne is a graduate from McGill University and holds an MBA from INSEAD.

Drew Leyburne

Assistant Deputy Minister, Energy Systems Sector | Natural Resources Canada (NRCan)

Drew Leyburne is Assistant Deputy Minister for Energy Systems at Natural Resources Canada (NRCan). Prior to this, he served in various senior executive roles at NRCan, worked at the Privy Council Office, and was an Associate with McKinsey & Co. in Toronto. Drew holds degrees from Oxford University and Bishop’s University.

Anthony Martiniello

Managing Director of Power and Utilities | Techne PMC

Anthony Martiniello is a project and operations leader with 20 years of experience delivering complex power generation and dam infrastructure projects across Canada and international markets. Beginning in design engineering, he progressed through leadership roles spanning from engineering management and multidisciplinary project delivery to client portfolio and program management.

Throughout his career, Anthony has overseen a portfolio of more than 400 projects and provided leadership to project managers responsible for delivering major capital projects. He brings extensive experience in project setup, governance and full lifecycle execution, with a focus on quality, commercial performance and client satisfaction. He is also adept at mentoring project leaders and supporting organizational growth through effective team development and strategic initiatives.

As Managing Director of Power and Utilities at Techne PMC, Anthony leads operations and business growth across the organization while helping clients achieve key project and commercial objectives from early inception to approval stages, and ultimately execution.

Lindsay Melvin

Director of Integrated Resource Planning | Manitoba Hydro

Lindsay Melvin, MBA, M.Sc., P.Eng., FEC is the Director of Integrated Resource Planning at Manitoba Hydro, a position she has held since 2023. In this role, she leads Manitoba Hydro’s Integrated Resource Planning Division, which is responsible for developing long-term plans for Manitoba’s energy system to meet the evolving needs and expectations of Manitobans. Lindsay has more than two decades of experience with Manitoba Hydro, having held increasingly senior roles across resource planning, energy markets, distribution, and business performance. She holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA), a Master of Science in Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, all from the University of Manitoba. She is a Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) registered with Engineers Geoscientists Manitoba.

Albert Mikhail

Turbine Performance Testing Specialist | KGS Group

Albert Mikhail has over 48 years of experience in the hydropower sector and has performed over 600 turbine operational and performance acceptance tests. He specializes in pre- and post-unit rehabilitation performance comparisons, applying a range of analytical methods – many of which he developed himself – to assess hydroelectric unit performance.  Albert was also involved in developing the testing methods for the International Water Sharing Agreement between Canada and the United States at Niagara Falls.

Christine Monette

Principal Engineer and Leader of the Centre of Competence for Turbine Structural Analysis | ANDRITZ

Christine Monette is currently Principal Engineer and leader of the Centre of Competence for Turbine structural analysis within the global R&D organisation of ANDRITZ. She is also the leader for turbines mechanical analysis group in Montreal, Canada. She has been working in hydraulic turbine mechanical engineering through different technical assignments within ANDRITZ since 2005. She graduated with a master degree in mechanical engineering in 2003 from École Polytechnique de Montréal. Her special interests are static and dynamic stress calculations, fatigue life prediction and fracture mechanics.

Brent Mossop

Fisheries Biologist | BC Hydro

Brent is a fisheries biologist with 25 years of experience addressing environmental and fisheries issues associated with hydropower development and operations across the BC Hydro system. He has applied lessons learned from existing facilities to the design, environmental assessment, and construction of the 1,200 MW Site C Clean Energy Project in northeastern British Columbia.

Site C incorporates an integrated suite of fish and fish habitat mitigation measures, many of which are unique in Canada, including large-scale habitat enhancements in the Peace River and future reservoir, upstream fish passage facilities, and extensive monitoring to evaluate project effects and mitigation effectiveness. These initiatives supported engagement with regulatory agencies and Indigenous Nations and contributed to obtaining the Fisheries Act Authorizations required for the construction and long-term operation of Site C.

Liam Nazar

Mechanical Engineer | KGS Group

Mr. Nazar is a Mechanical Engineer at KGS Group. He has 5 years of experience providing mechanical engineering support for gates, hoists, balance of plant, turbine systems, and energy dissipation systems on hydroelectric projects, including design reviews, owner’s engineering, and site support. His experience includes factory acceptance testing of turbines, as well as factory acceptance testing, installation, and commissioning of gates and hoists, along with supporting dam safety reviews.

Emmanuel Ngue

President & CEO | EN Solutions Hydro

Emmanuel Ngue is a licensed professional engineer in Quebec and Manitoba and President & CEO of EN Solutions Hydro. He holds a Master of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering applied to hydropower from Polytechnique Montréal and the Maintenance Management Professional (MMP) designation from PEMAC. His experience includes turbine design, site quality, hydro service engineering and consulting roles with Andritz Hydro, GE Vernova, Kleinschmidt and Tetra Tech, as well as major refurbishment and new-unit projects across Canada and the United States. His work now focuses on digital maintenance, asset management and AI-enabled hydropower resilience.

Samuel Nimako-Boateng

Deputy CEO – Engineering, Operations & Technical | Bui Power Authority (Ghana)

Samuel Nimako-Boateng is a Mechanical Engineer with more than 20 years of experience in the power and energy sector and currently serves as Deputy CEO, Engineering, Operations and Technical at Bui Power Authority, Ghana. He provides leadership across power generation, engineering, operations, maintenance and technical services. His experience includes the 404 MW Bui Hydroelectric Power Project, hydro-solar hybrid developments, floating solar, battery energy storage and micro-hydropower projects. His professional interests include hydropower operations, renewable integration, asset management, energy storage and advancing innovative, sustainable energy solutions across Africa.

Carolyne Northover

Sr. Environmental Specialist | Manitoba Hydro

Carolyne Northover is a Sr. Environmental Specialist at Manitoba Hydro, a position she has held since 2009. She has dedicated the majority of her career to environmental monitoring and mitigation of major hydroelectric developments. She started as a summer student with Manitoba Hydro and now has nearly three decades of experience understanding and addressing environmental impacts of hydro generation to achieve regulatory compliance and fulfill licensing commitments. She holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Manitoba and a Master of Environmental Design in Environmental Science from the University of Calgary.

Bhargav Pandya

Program Coordinator/Advisor – Southeast Operations, Renewable Generation (Hydro) | Ontario Power Generation (OPG)

Bhargav Pandya is a Program Coordinator/Advisor at Ontario Power Generation, supporting the Southeast Operations Renewable Generation (Hydro) portfolio. His work focuses on asset management governance, long-term asset investment planning and the application of value-based decision frameworks to support capital investment decisions. He contributes to the development of structured asset planning, maintenance strategies and governance practices intended to strengthen the reliability, performance and long-term sustainability of hydropower assets. His experience brings a utility perspective on balancing technical condition, risk, investment priorities and long-term portfolio needs.

Chantalle Peñalosa

Director of Estimating | Techne PMC Consultants

As Director of Estimating at Techne PMC, Chantalle Peñalosa combines deep technical expertise with strategic cost engineering across 23 years of North American infrastructure delivery. Her career spans hydroelectric developments, thermal power plants, clean energy transitions, and mining. Fluent in English and French, Chantalle is recognized for her focus on delivering capital certainty, robust estimation, and cost governance from early development through execution.

Tino Sciortino

Project Manager | Techne PMC Consultants

Tino Sciortino is a Project Manager at Techne PMC Consultants with more than 10 years of experience in project controls, project management, and the delivery of complex capital projects. Throughout his career, he has successfully led multidisciplinary teams in executing challenging projects for both public and private sector clients. His expertise spans project integration, design and construction coordination, cost control, estimating, planning, and stakeholder management. Tino is recognized for his ability to bring diverse teams together, foster collaboration, and drive successful project outcomes across all phases of project development. A licensed engineer in Québec, Tino is a dynamic and results-oriented leader known for his strong communication skills in both English and French, as well as his commitment to delivering measurable value for client organizations.

Abe Schneider

Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer | Natel Energy

Abe Schneider is co-founder and CTO of Natel Energy. He leads the hydraulic design of Natel’s FishSafe turbines, in addition to contributing to R&D and external affairs. Before starting Natel in 2009 with his sister, Gia, he was a mechanical engineer at The Timken Company and Makani Power. He earned his undergraduate and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering from MIT. In his free time Abe enjoys surfing, climbing, fly fishing, and beekeeping with his wife and children in San Francisco.

Camilo Serna

Senior Vice President, Strategy and External Engagement | NERC

Camilo Serna serves as senior vice president of Strategy and External Engagement. In this role, he oversees NERC’s external engagement and communications activities, including outreach to and engagement with federal, state, and provincial agencies and associations in the United States and Canada, NERC’s Member Representatives Committee, and the broader industry stakeholder community. He also leads the Reliability Analysis and Performance Analysis program area. Finally, Mr. Serna leads the development of multi-year strategies—working with the NERC Board of Trustees, chief executive officer, and the Executive team—to ensure NERC meets its reliability and security vision and mission.

Prior to joining NERC in 2024, Mr. Serna served as vice president of Rates and Regulatory Affairs for FirstEnergy, leading the development and implementation of federal and state regulatory strategies across the company’s five-state footprint. Prior to that, Mr. Serna worked for DTE Energy, first as vice president of Corporate Strategy and then as vice president of Regulatory Affairs. Before DTE, he also worked at Eversource Energy as vice president of Strategy and Policy. In his prior roles, he led the development and implementation of strategic, corporate development, and energy policy initiatives.

Mr. Serna began his career in management consulting firms—primarily with Oliver Wyman—where he helped utilities and energy companies in Europe, Latin America, and North America with the development of strategic and operational initiatives. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from Los Andes University (Bogotá, Colombia) and a master’s degree in Business Administration from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

Matt Sikstrom

Director of Strategic Programs | Ontario Power Generation (OPG)

Matt Sikstrom graduated from the University of Toronto with a degree in Electrical Engineering. He has worked in the Ontario electricity industry for over 20 years, where he has spent the majority of this time developing and executing large renewable generation projects with Ontario Power Generation. Matt has been involved with in-servicing over $3 billion worth of generating assets, most of which has been in Northern Ontario. He is currently a Director of Strategic Programs in OPG’s Enterprise Project Organization, and is actively involved with advancing industry excellence in large capital project execution through his work with various industry associations.

Robby Sohi

Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice-President of Markets & Reliability | Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO)

Robby Sohi, Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice-President of Markets & Reliability at the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO). In this role, Mr. Sohi is responsible for the reliable and efficient operation of the province-wide power system, the administration of Ontario’s real-time electricity markets and the continued development of electricity market designs.

Mr. Sohi previously served as Senior Vice President, Corporate Business Development and Strategy at Ontario Power Generation (OPG), where he was accountable for commercial business functions including business development, acquisitions and electrification. As part of his focus on implementing OPG’s long-term strategic plan, he and his team delivered a growth strategy aimed at broadening OPG’s business within Ontario and beyond.

In addition to his SVP role at OPG, Mr. Sohi also served as President and CEO of Global First Power, leading Canada’s first Small Modular Reactor project. He joined OPG’s predecessor company, Ontario Hydro, in 1991. Over the years, he held roles of increasing responsibility in several technical functions, corporate functions, asset management, high-voltage substation operation and maintenance, and hydroelectric plant operations at locations across Ontario.

Mr. Sohi has a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Electrical Engineering from McMaster University. He serves as a Director on the Board of the Northeast Power Coordinating Council (NPCC) and has also served as a council member of the Generation Sector Council at the Electrical Power Research Institute (EPRI) and a member of the Thermal Generation Interest Group (TGIG) at the Centre for Energy Advancement through Technological Innovation (CEATI).

Peggy Trousseau

Hydraulic Engineer | Hydro-Quebec

Peggy Trousseau is a hydraulic engineer who has been working at Hydro-Quebec for over 25 years. After spending several years working on dam safety studies, she transitioned to river management where she discovered the fascinating world of production planning.

Since the early 2000s, the energy sector has undergone significant transformation, and Hydro-Québec has evolved along with it. Actively involved in the energy transition, Peggy set up a working group to better understand the implications of integrating large volumes of wind energy into the power system. With this multidisciplinary team, experts examined issues related to the electrical grid, capacity expansion, and wind generation, while Peggy and her colleagues focused on the operational challenges facing Hydro-Quebec’s hydroelectric generation fleet.

Alex Truby

Solutions Strategy Lead, North America, HydroForecast | Upstream Tech

Alex is the Solutions Strategy Lead for HydroForecast in North America, bringing over a decade of experience at the intersection of water resources, energy, and climate technology. She works with utilities, hydropower operators, and public agencies to apply advanced hydrologic forecasting to complex water management and operational challenges. Before joining Upstream Tech, Alex held data science and product-focused roles across climate technology startups and nonprofits, collaborating with organizations ranging from international NGOs to enterprise clients. Earlier in her career, she worked in water resources and engineering roles within the energy sector. Alex holds a B.S. from the Colorado School of Mines and an M.S. in Water Engineering and Management from the University of Colorado Boulder.

Copeland Tucker

Director of Public Affairs | National Hydropower Association

Copeland Tucker serves as the Director of Public Affairs at the National Hydropower Association in Washington, D.C., helping to promote the work of the organization throughout the media and inform and inspire new audiences about water power. He brings many years of experience in communications and public affairs, previously serving as an aide for renewable energy champions in the U.S. Congress.

Lonny Tulk

Project Director | Ontario Power Generation (OPG)

Mr. Tulk is a senior energy professional with more than 25 years of experience at Ontario Power Generation OPG, where he has held progressively responsible roles across Engineering, Supply Chain, Asset Management and Project Management. Over the course of his career, he has supported nuclear, hydroelectric, and thermal operations, developing a broad and multidisciplinary perspective on asset performance, operational excellence, and the delivery of complex capital programs.

Mr. Tulk holds a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering from Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador and a Master of Business Administration from Wilfrid Laurier University. Mr. Tulk currently leads a project portfolio that includes the Kakabeka Generating Station Redevelopment, DeCew Refurbishment, Sir Adam Beck 1 Canal Refurbishment, and SCADA Fleet Upgrade. His previous project experience includes the Little Long Dam Safety Project, Smoky Falls Dam Safety Project, and the Frederick House Lake Dam Rehabilitation. His work reflects a sustained commitment to the safe, reliable, and strategic advancement of OPG’s generating assets and infrastructure.

Jackie Wells

Manager of Environment, Churchill River Development | Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro

Jackie is an environmental professional with extensive experience supporting the planning and development of complex energy and infrastructure projects. With a career spanning environmental science, research, education and major-project development, Jackie brings a practical understanding of the connections between technical project requirements, regulatory processes and stakeholder interests. Her previous experience includes environmental research with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and as a high school science teacher in Labrador City.

Jackie holds a Master of Science in Biology, a Bachelor of Education and a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Biology from Memorial University of Newfoundland.

Christian Winkler

Senior Sales and Business Development Manager | Bridge Executive Renewable Solutions Ltd

Christian Winkler is a senior industrial engineer, having graduated from the University of Applied Sciences Munich, Germany in 2008. He started working at Fella Maschinenbau GmbH in 2007, focusing on the DIVE-Turbine for his final thesis. He has been involved in the sales, project management and realization of more than 70 projects with DIVE-Turbines globally ever since. He played a major role in the establishment of DIVE Turbinen GmbH & Co. KG in 2012, since then he has held the position of Senior Sales and Business Development Manager.