Ulric Adom

Chief Financial Officer, Aluminum, Rio Tinto

Ulric was appointed Chief Financial Officer, Rio Tinto Aluminium, based in Montreal, in May 2023. Rio Tinto’s Aluminium business is the largest aluminum producer ex-China, a vertically integrated global business comprised of bauxite mines, alumina refineries, smelters producing primary and secondary aluminum certified as responsible, hydropower plants and port and rail facilities.
A seasoned finance executive with a wealth of experience across various industries, Ulric joined Rio Tinto in 2018 and his tenure with the company has included serving as CFO for both the Business & Technology Support and Growth & Innovation function, supporting the growth and decarbonization agenda of the company as well as its Finance function transformation drive.
Before joining Rio Tinto, Ulric spent 14 years at the French pharmaceutical company Sanofi, where he notably held the position of CFO for its Japan and Pacific operations. Prior to his time at Sanofi, Ulric began his career as a Management consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers consulting. He has lived and worked in Europe, Africa, Japan, Australia, the US and now Canada.
A graduate from Sciences Po Paris, Ulric possesses a diverse skill set that spans operations, research and development, exploration, technology, strategy, and innovation. His leadership and change management capabilities have been demonstrated in complex and multicultural environments, enabling him to successfully manage various business integrations and transformations.
Ulric brings a unique perspective and strategic vision to his role. He is committed to driving organizational growth and success through financial excellence and innovation.

David Atkin

Chief Executive Officer, UN PRI

David Atkin is the CEO of the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI). The PRI is a UN-supported organisation, with more than 5,000 signatories who collectively represent over US $121 trillion in AUM. He is responsible for the PRI’s global operations. David previously served as the Deputy CEO for AMP Capital and prior to that spent almost 13 years as the CEO for Cbus Superannuation Fund, where he saw membership grow from 500,000 to over 750,000 and AUM rise to AUD $55 billion. David has received the Distinguished Alumni Award from La Trobe University for his work in the sustainable finance field, was awarded the Fund Executives Association Ltd (FEAL) Fund Executive of the Year in 2017 and was presented with an Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA) Life Membership in 2020.   

Lorraine Audsley

Senior Vice-President and Chief Risk and Sustainability Officer, Export Development Canada (EDC)

Lorraine Audsley was appointed Chief Sustainability Officer in January 2023. In this capacity, Ms. Audsley oversees the integration of environmental, social and governance into EDC’s strategy and culture, as well as in EDC’s support for Canadian companies.  

Prior to her current role, Ms. Audsley was the Chief Risk Officer, Global Risk Management, where she oversaw the financial, operational and strategic risks of the Corporation, including the Compliance & Ethics, Risk Quantification, Enterprise Risk Management, Credit Adjudication and Portfolio Oversight functions. Ms. Audsley also provided oversight of EDC’s climate scenario analysis. Beginning in April 2015, she served as Vice-President and Chief Credit Officer where she was responsible for Credit Adjudication, Special Loans, Risk Transfer, and Risk Quantification.   

Previously, Ms. Audsley was Vice-President, International Financing, where she led a group which underwrote financing solutions for small and mid-market Canadian exporters and investors, and Vice-President, Business Intelligence & Innovation, where she led the corporate centres of expertise on Operational Excellence, Business Architecture and Enterprise Information Management. Ms. Audsley has held other roles throughout her career at EDC, primarily in the financing underwriting and risk management fields.  

Ms. Audsley has a Master of Finance from the Henley Business School of the University of Reading in England. In 2022, she completed the Advanced Management Programme at INSEAD Business School in France.  

Grégoire Baillargeon

President, BMO Quebec and Vice Chair, BMO Capital Markets

Appointed President of BMO, Quebec and Vice Chair, BMO Capital Markets, in November 2022, Mr. Baillargeon has been with the Bank of Montreal since 2004. A trained lawyer working as a business banker for nearly 20 years, Grégoire has been actively involved in our community, including as past Chair of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Club of Montreal and as a member of the Board of Directors of the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal and Finance Montréal’s Board of Governors. Grégoire also supports many organizations working to reduce social and economic inequality, including as a Board member for Centraide of Greater Montreal and Chair of the Board of academic perseverance organization Youth Fusion.

Passionate about the energy transition and the fight against climate change, Mr. Baillargeon recently joined the advisory board of Volt-age: Electrifying Society, a research program at Concordia University, and also serves on Carbon Removal Canada’s advisory board. Under his leadership, BMO became the first bank to join the Montréal Climate Partnership, as well as the launch of conVERTgence, two movements aimed at accelerating decarbonization and integrating sustainable business practices in the city.

Selin Bastin

Chief Legal Officer, Canada Growth Fund Investment Management, PSP Investments

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Jason Bell

Director, Sustainability Solutions, Engie Impact

Jason has over 15 years of operations and project management experience related to energy policy and sustainability management. He has expertise in helping manufacturing clients initiate, implement, and navigate their facilities’ energy management programs and policies.

Saloua Benkhouya

Vice-President Private Equity and Impact Investing | Services, Fonds de solidarité FTQ

With the Fonds de solidarité FTQ since 2022, Saloua Benkhouya is Vice-President, Private Equity and Impact Investments, and responsible for the Services portfolio. She leads a team that invests in companies in the financial services, marketing, technology, consulting engineering and business services sectors.

She holds an MBA and a B.Sc in Mathematics from McGill University. Saloua completed executive programs in Fintech and Artificial Intelligence at MIT and Harvard. She began her career internationally, notably as Vice-President, Investment Banking and Global Markets at HSBC,

before joining SNC Lavalin as Senior Director, Structured Finance and Infrastructure Projects. In 2012, she joined Royal Bank of Canada, holding several positions in Capital Markets in Toronto and New York, before joining the Personal & Commercial Banking group in 2016 where she held various management positions of increasing responsibility.

Member of the Governor General's Canadian Leadership Conference 2022, and winner of the rising star awards from Women in Finance in Quebec, Saloua was appointed to the Finance Committee of McGill’s Board of Governors. She also sits on several boards of directors, including the Association of Québec Women in Finance (AFFQ), Robotique First Quebec and Montrusco Bolton Investments. She also sits on several boards of directors, including Robotique First Québec, Montrusco Bolton Investments and the Association of Québec Women in Finance (AFFQ), as President. Mother of three young children, an EDI champion and a mentor, Saloua has been involved in women's leadership development and investing in innovative women-owned businesses and funds for many years.

Caroline Bergeron

Global head of ESG and Impact Solutions, Innocap

As Global head of ESG and Impact Solutions, Caroline is responsible for Innocap’s ESG and impact business offering. She leads and develops strategic initiatives targeted to assist Innocap’s clients to invest constructive capital in order to generate growth while contributing to a more sustainable world. Caroline strives to have a meaningful impact on asset owners and asset managers as well as on all stakeholders of the ecosystem.

Caroline was previously Managing Director, Investor Relations and Business Development at Innocap. In that role, she developed powerful partnerships with Innocap’s institutional clients, lead for two years Innocap’s business development efforts in Europe and in the US and was the instigator for our ESG and Impact Solutions product offering. Caroline has over 13 years of experience working in the finance industry. Caroline began her career at Innocap as legal counsel where she helped design and build dedicated managed account platforms for sophisticated investors around the world. She received her Bachelor of Laws from the Sherbrooke University, she holds a Master’s degree in International Trade Law (LL.M.) from Cape Town University (South Africa) as well as the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) and Sustainable Investment Professional Certification from Concordia University.

Marie-Annick Bonneau

Senior Vice-President, Investor Relations, Capital Management, Sustainability and Public Affairs, iA Groupe Financier

Marie-Annick Bonneau est avocate et titulaire d'un MBA de l'Université Laval à Québec. Elle a rejoint iA Groupe financier en 1995. Elle est aujourd'hui vice-présidente principale, responsable des relations avec les investisseurs, gestion du capital, durabilité et affaires publiques. Mme Bonneau dirige l'ensemble du programme de durabilité de iA Groupe financier en Amérique du Nord, qui comprend des objectifs en matière de finance durable. Par exemple, sous sa direction, l'entreprise a fixé son premier objectif de réduction des GES et sa stratégie climatique (incluant son rapport de performance), a émis sa première obligation durable, et s'est engagée à établir des relations progressives avec les communautés autochtones. 

André-Martin Bouchard

Global Director, Earth & Environment, WSP

André-Martin Bouchard has 30 years experience in the environmental industry. He currently holds the position of Global Director Earth & Environment / Global Executive Director ESG at WSP Global, a firm he joined back in 2006. Mr. Bouchard leads a team of c. 20,000 environmental experts and ESG professionals from over 35 countries. Moreover, he is responsible for leading the design and the execution of the Global Earth & Environment Sector Strategy at WSP, including major clients, organic growth strategy, acquisitions, and sector’s positioning. He also leads the WSP global ESG program, linking the work WSP does for clients, with WSP’s own corporate ESG initiatives. Mr. Bouchard is a Professional Environmental Engineer and Consultant since 1993, and held all level positions from Project Manager, to Global Director roles.

Max Boucher

Senior Manager, Research & Engagements, Biodiversity, FAIRR

Max is the Senior Manager of Research & Engagements leading FAIRR’s Biodiversity and Oceans workstream since joining the organisation in 2021. He focuses on helping investors better assess the materiality of nature-related risks and opportunities, and on leading collaborative engagements with companies. 

Ariane Bourassa

Head of Sustainability and ESG Strategy, TMX Group

Ariane Bourassa leads corporate sustainability for the TMX Group, who owns and operates the Toronto Stock Exchange, TSX Venture Exchange and the Montreal Exchange. Her work focuses on integrating ESG and climate considerations to the overall enterprise strategy, while supporting publicly-listed companies and other market participants in their sustainability journey.  Ariane believes that sustainability leadership is essential to long-term economic growth and that both are possible with thoughtful dialogue between stakeholders.  

Prior to this, Ariane worked as a public policy professional lending her advocacy skills to the finance, construction and energy sectors. Ariane also holds a Master in Environmental Sciences from Université du Québec a Montréal and spent a decade evolving as an environment specialist in the energy sector. 

Amy Brachio

Global Vice Chair, Sustainability, EY

Amy is the EY Global Vice Chair for Sustainability. In this role Amy leads EY’s sustainability and climate change agenda globally.  She works across all of EY to support the design and delivery of services to help EY clients achieve their sustainability agenda, provide EY professionals with the opportunity to upskill and engage around the topic of sustainability and oversees the organization’s environmental strategy targeting a 40% reduction in carbon emissions by 2025.  

In 2022, Amy joined the EY Global Sustainability team as Deputy Vice Chair, focused on developing EY’s skills and capabilities to support clients to create value from their sustainability strategy for their business, their people and the planet, and to accelerate their net zero progress. Amy has over 25 years of experience in supporting large financial institutions on their consumer protection agendas and advising leaders on risk, resilience and transformation. 

Amy is an active leader focused on the advancement of diversity and inclusiveness.  Amy was recognized as Ernst & Young’s 2013 Working Mother of the Year, selected as one of Profiles in Diversity Journal‘s 2017 Women Worth Watching winners,  spotlighted by Source Global Research as part of their Women in the Profession series and a recipient of Consulting Magazine’s Global Leaders in Consulting award for 2019. 

Amy currently serves on the Board for Junior Achievement North in Minneapolis and is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council focused on energy transition. 

François Brais

Quebec Region Managing Partner, Fasken

François Brais is the firm’s Managing Partner for the Québec Region. He oversees all strategic activities and heads a team of over 300 lawyers. François brings a very current perspective to the industry, focusing on cooperation, developing the next generation and fostering continuing education. His approach aims at ensuring Fasken’s client service excellence and the efficiency of our processes, such as by keeping abreast of the latest technological developments and through agile innovation. His personal values, which are centred on inclusion and equal opportunity, make him an exceptional leader.

Before he took on his current role as Managing Partner, François developed a business law practice focused on the investment management industry. He advised fund and asset managers on establishing new investment funds and ensuring compliance with securities laws and regulations. François also assisted clients with mergers and acquisitions of investment management firms, supporting them at every stage of the process.

François is one of the few lawyers in Canada recognized for his extensive experience in investment funds and asset management (or similar categories) by Lexpert, Chambers Canada, Best Lawyers and Who’s Who Legal Canada. He has been recognized by Thomson Reuters as a Stand-out Lawyer in 2023 (formerly known as Acritas Star™ lawyer).

Mickael Brard

Independant Consultant and Director, Coop Sens Climat

With 20 years of professional experience and a master’s degree in business administration, Mickael Brard has been working in the field of ecological transition since 2017. Initially focusing on sustainable mobility, he later shifted towards professional training and raising awareness about climate issues. He now specializes in climate risks and adaptation topics. 

Jean-François Chalifoux

President and CEO, Beneva

Jean-François Chalifoux is President and CEO of Beneva, the company born of La Capitale and SSQ Insurance in July 2020, that is now the largest insurance mutual in Canada. Beneva has over 3.5 million members and clients, and more than 5,500 dedicated employees. The company's assets stand at over $25 billion with a volume of insurance business at nearly $7 billion.

Jean-François has a bachelor's degree in actuarial sciences from Université Laval. He is a Fellow of both the Canadian Institute of Actuaries and the Casualty Actuarial Society, as well as a graduate of the Queen’s Executive Development Program. Prior to joining SSQ Insurance as Chief Executive Officer in 2015, Jean-François held a number of executive positions with major Canadian insurance companies in the general insurance and life and health insurance sectors.

Jean-François sits on several boards and committees in the insurance and financial services industries. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association (CLHIA) and the Board of Governors of Finance Montréal. He is also known for his social contributions and his desire to make a difference in the community, a testament to Beneva’s values of commitment and solidarity. In fact, he is a board member of the Fondation Jeunes en Tête. He has also been named the honorary president of various events and fund-raising campaigns, specifically as co-chair of the 2024 campaign of Centraide Québec Chaudière-Appalaches and the Québec Capitale Climat project.

In 2021, Jean-François was named 2020 Financial Personality of the Year by Finance et Investissement, an honour he shares with Jean St-Gelais, Chair of the Board of Beneva. 
As the father of three sons, family life is very important to Jean-François.

Hilda Befio-Dallot

Associate, Sustainable Finance, BMO Capital Markets

Hilda provides sustainable finance and ESG advisory solutions to corporate and institutional clients to drive integration of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors into BMO Capital Markets’ core businesses globally. She also contributes to developing innovative financial products that support sustainable practices across various banking products and activities. Prior to BMO, Hilda worked in corporate & investment banking at BNP Paribas where she covered large multi-national corporate clients in diversified industries such as infrastructure, consumer retail, mining, TMT and food & agriculture, and supported the bank’s sustainable finance initiatives in Canada. She also had international experience in trade & transaction banking in European and African markets. Hilda holds a Master’s degree in Finance and International Businesses from the University Paris Dauphine (ESQUIS accreditation) in France. She is based in Toronto, Canada. ​

Jacques Deforges

CEO, Finance Montréal

As CEO of Finance Montréal, Jacques leads a team whose role is to contribute to the development and promotion of Québec as a world-class financial center, in collaboration with members and stakeholders in the financial sector.  

He is a seasoned manager and leader with nearly 30 years of experience in the financial sector and innovative companies, including more than 20 years in senior management roles, both within SMEs and with large private and public companies.   

Jacques holds an MBA from Concordia University, as well as a diploma from HEC Paris. A native of France and proud Montrealer by adoption, Jacques loves enjoying the little things in life with his family. You can also find him skiing, riding a motorcycle, and bodysurfing every chance he gets.

Pratima Divgi

Head of Capital Markets, North America, CDP

Pratima Divgi is the Head of Capital Markets, CDP North America. In her role, she leads engagement with the financial sector to measure and manage their climate and environmental impact, guiding them toward more sustainable practices.

Previously, Pratima was the Director for CDP’s regional offices in Hong Kong, Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand. Before that, she spent 17 years in finance, most recently in private equity with Aberdeen Standard Investments. Besides her investment role at Aberdeen Standard, she was also a part of the private equity ESG working group which developed the ESG policies and implementation mechanisms for their Asia-Pacific private equity investments.

Hadiza Djataou

VP, Portfolio Manager, Fixed Income Team, Mackenzie Investments

In her current role, she is responsible for global investment grade mandates. ​

Hadiza has held senior fixed income portfolio management roles for ten years at one of the largest insurance and asset management companies in Europe. She also has prior experiences as an analyst and auditor within middle office functions and derivatives trading books. Hadiza has spent most of her investment management career working in France before moving to Canada. Hadiza joined Mackenzie in 2019 leading and developing fixed income product strategy. ​

Hadiza earned a Bachelor's degree in mathematics and computer science applied to economics from Paris La Sorbonne University, and two Master's degrees from Paris Dauphine University, one in banking, insurance, and financial markets, and the other in monetary policy and international finance.​

Fanny Doucet

Managing Director and Head of Sustainable Finance, Scotiabank

Fanny Doucet is Managing Director & Head of Scotiabank's Sustainable Finance group. Fanny leads a team that works with a wide range of corporate, institutional, and government-related clients globally to provide access to various sustainability-related products and services, including sustainable financing, ESG advisory, and ESG risk management. This team has been recognized as a leading sustainable finance bank across the Americas, winning ten prestigious awards over the last year including Best Bank for Sustainable Finance in North America (2022 Euromoney Award for Excellence) and Best Bank in Canada for Leadership in Sustainable Finance (2022 Global Finance Awards). Prior to her current role, Fanny worked for over 10 years in debt capital markets across Canada and the U.S. covering clients across a variety of sectors and geographies. She has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from McGill University where she completed a Joint Honours in Economics and Finance and is also a CFA charterholder.   

Patrycja Drainville

Director, Sustanaible Finance, Scotiabank

Patrycja is Director of Sustainable Finance at Scotiabank. She leads the coverage responsibilities and ESG advisory solutions, as part of the Bank’s commitment to mobilize $350 billion in climate financing by 2030. 

Patrycja has over 15 years’ experience in sustainability, having previously worked with large-cap North American energy companies where she was focused on disclosure, stakeholder engagement, and ESG integration across the corporate strategy, supply chain, and finance functions. She is a contributing member of the sustainability community and a key participant in many national and global initiatives aimed at the evolution and growth of sustainable finance. 

Patrycja holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the University of Calgary and an MBA from Dalhousie University. She is board member of the Canadian network of the UN Global Compact and was awarded the 2018 Young Women in Energy Award, recognizing women in the energy industry for their leadership, innovation, and community service.  

Jérôme Dupras

Professor of Ecological Economics, Université du Québec en Outaouais

Jérôme Dupras is a professor in the Department of Natural Sciences at the Université du Québec in Outaouais and a researcher at the Institute of Temperate Forest Sciences. He holds the Canada Research Chair in Ecological Economics. He holds a BSc in Biochemistry and a PhD in Geography from the Université de Montréal, and completed postdoctoral studies in biology at McGill University. His research interests focus on the economic valuation of ecosystem services, the relationship between ecosystems and the production of ecosystem services, and governance and land use planning. On the music scene of the French-speaking world, he is known as a member of the Cowboys Fringants. 

Hervé Duteil

Chief Sustainability Officer, Americas, BNP Paribas

Hervé Duteil created the first position of Chief Sustainability
Officer for BNP Paribas in 2014, in the Americas. In this role, he works with all relevant 
stakeholders in the definition and implementation of the Bank’s regional ESG strategy.

In  2018,  Euromoney  selected  him  as  one  of  the  10 “champions of global impact banking”. On 
the opening day of Climate Week NYC 2022, he was honored by  Insider (formerly Business Insider) as 
one of the 30 “top global leaders  working  toward  climate  solutions”  in  their inaugural 
Climate Action 30, along with Francia Márquez, Vice President of Colombia, and Ed Markey, U.S. 
Senator from Massachusetts.
Hervé has spent most of his career with BNP Paribas in New York.  He specialized in trading 
derivatives and managing capital  market  activities,  spanning  across  commodity, currency,  
fixed  income  and  electronic  markets.   More recently, he led BNP Paribas’ efforts to close its 
first two Social Impact Bonds, including one for the benefit of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Hervé served as a member on the CFTC’s Climate-Related Market  Risk  Subcommittee  of  the  Market  
Risk  Advisory Committee, WBCSD’s Sustainable Finance Policy and SIFMA Sustainable Finance task 
forces. He currently sits on the Yale Initiative on Sustainable Finance Advisory Board as well as 
Insider’s One Planet Advisory Council.

Hervé  holds  a  Master  in  Business  Administration  with distinction from the Harvard Business 
School, a Master of Science from the University of Cambridge, and a Bachelor of Science  in  
Mathematics  &  Physics  from  the  Sorbonne
University of Paris.

Stéphanie Émond

Vice-president and Chief Impact Officer, FinDev Canada

Stéphanie Émond is VP and Chief Impact Officer at FinDev Canada’s, Canada’s Development Finance Institution that provides financing and investment solutions to promote sustainable and inclusive growth in emerging markets and developing economies. She oversees a team responsible for advancing development impact, for managing environmental, social and climate risks, and for providing

technical assistance to bolster their clients’ and investees’ capacity to manage risks and enhance positive outcomes on people and the planet.

Stéphanie is a board member of the Canada Forum for Impact Investment of Development (CAFIID) and of the Lucie and André Chagnon Foundation, and is a member of the investment committee of the McConnell Foundation.

Julien Galtier

CEO, Masse Critique

Julien has been an entrepreneur in Marketing and Technologies for 20 years. He co-founded three companies in the fields of e-commerce, digital marketing, and content creation before shifting towards impact entrepreneurship. 

Since 2019, Julien has been dedicated to the social and environmental transition of society through his personal and professional engagements, particularly within the non-profit organization Masse Critique. He is passionate about business adaptation and resilience strategies, especially through new business models inspired by the circular economy. 

Julien also serves as a mentor for impact entrepreneurs, leads workshops raising awareness about climate issues, and regularly a lecturer and keynote speaker. 

Pascal Genevieve

General Manager, Carbon Consulting Group (CCG)

Mr. Geneviève is the President and co-founder of CCG. After starting his career in aerospace, Pascal became aware of planetary limits and has dedicated the past 13 years to reducing organizations' carbon footprint. His commitment to the issue led him to create CCG in 2016. Since then, he has passionately guided over 100 organizations in tackling the challenges posed by climate change. He possesses a deep understanding of climate change mitigation, as well as resilience and adaptation strategies. His expertise has led him to conduct training sessions and presentations for professional audiences. Today, he leads a team of consultants driven by the positive impact they aim to achieve with their clients, aligning with CCG's mission as a climate solutions accelerator.

Mr. Geneviève holds a Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Urbana Champaign in Illinois, and he also holds an engineering degree from the École des Mines in France.

Steven Guilbeault

Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Government of Canada

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. 

In 1993, Minister Guilbeault co-founded Équiterre, the largest environmental organization in Quebec, and served as its Senior Director from 2008 to 2018. He also worked as a Director and Campaign Manager for Greenpeace, and was a Strategic Advisor for more than 10 years at Cycle Capital Management, a Canadian fund dedicated to the development of clean technologies. Minister Guilbeault also worked for Deloitte & Touche as well as Copticom, a consulting firm specializing in the green and social economy, and transportation. 

As an activist and strategic advisor for dozens of governments and businesses in Canada and abroad, Minister Guilbeault is a pragmatist who works to make a difference by building bridges and relationships. An avid cyclist and sportsman, he has been riding his bike 12 months a year for the last 30 years. 

Minister Guilbeault is a father of four and stepfather of two. 

Lucy Hargreaves

Affaires corporatives + politique climatique, Patch

Lucy leads Corporate Affairs and Climate Policy at Patch, a San Francisco based software platform accelerating climate solutions with integrity. Lucy is a seasoned leader, strategist, and operator with 20+ years of global experience focused on climate action and sustainability in tech, politics, the United Nations, and private foundations and is a trusted and sought-after advisor to senior public and private sector leaders in Canada and globally. Immediately prior to joining Patch in 2021, Lucy served as Chief of Staff to Canada’s Associate Minister of Finance.  

Lucy holds a Masters in Public Administration from Columbia University where she studied as a Fulbright scholar. She is also a mom of three kids and cares deeply about the planet's future and sits on the board of Oceans North, a Canadian non-profit organization that supports marine conservation in partnership with Indigenous and coastal communities. 

Amy Hepburn

CEO, Investor Leadership Network Secretariat

As CEO of the Investor Leadership Network Secretariat since 2020, Amy Hepburn is charged with designing and delivery the long-term strategy of the ILN and representing the Network in collaboration with global stakeholders.

Amy is a recognized impact investing expert and social entrepreneur with deep expertise on gender lens social investments and the care of children in crises. In this capacity, she has spent 20 years driving social change globally in the private, non-profit and public sectors through the creation of unique public/private partnerships and investing for high impact social returns.

Her partners consist of visionary leaders and influencers, governments, social entrepreneurs, non-profits, forward thinking companies, foundations and venture philanthropists seeking innovative solutions to persistent social issues.

Amy was a Delegate on the first G7 Gender Equality Advisory Council created by Prime Minister Trudeau, and an active member of the NationSwell Council and The Global Women’s Forum on Economy and Society.

She has Faculty appointments at Duke University and George Washington University where she teaches
on social impact, gender equality, the care of children in crises, human rights and humanitarian action.

Injy Johnstone

Research Associate, Net Zero Aligned Offsetting

Injy is a Research Associate in Net-Zero Aligned Offsetting at the Oxford Sustainable Finance Group, an Associate Member of St Antony’s College and a Researcher for Oxford Net-Zero. Her PhD research focused on conceiving Net-Zero as a source of new legal norms and delving into their substance, including how they can promote the environmental integrity of carbon markets and align financial flows with the Paris Agreement. During this time, she was a Visiting Scholar at both Columbia and Edinburgh Law Schools. 

Injy is a lawyer by trade, as an enrolled Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand. She also holds an LLM in Environmental and Energy Law as a Fulbright scholar from the University of Colorado-Boulder, an LLB(Hons) from Victoria University of Wellington and a BSc in Physical Geography and Economics from the University of Otago. Throughout her career Injy has worked with and advised a range of public, private and third-sector entities, including APEC, the Global Center on Adaptation, UNESCO, and New Zealand’s Ministry for the Environment where she was the Project Administrator for New Zealand’s Zero Carbon Act. 

Céline Juppeau

Founder, Kotmo

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Karine Khatcherian

Managing Partner, Power Sustainable Decarbonisation

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Hadewych Kuiper

Managing Director, Triodos Investment Management

Hadewych Kuiper is Managing Director of Triodos Investment Management B.V. since February 2022. Within the Management Board, she is responsible for Triodos Investment Management’s investment activities. In 2013 she joined Triodos Investment Management as Commercial Director. Prior to that she worked at Triodos Bank, since 2008, leading the bank’s International Marketing & Corporate Communications department. Before joining Triodos Bank, she worked as a market strategy consultant in the financial services industry, telecom and media for more than ten years. Hadewych is a board member of the Dutch Advisory Board on impact investing since 2020. 

Stéphanie Lachance

Partner & Chief of Sustainable Investment, Fiera Comox

Stéphanie Lachance is Partner and Head of Sustainable Investment at Fiera Comox, a global investment 
manager that provides innovative investment solutions to a wide range of investors through four 
distinct global private investment strategies: Agriculture, Timberland, Private Equity and Private Credit. 
In her role, she namely leads Fiera Comox’s sustainability strategy and plays a key role in the 
organization’s investment strategy in ensuring that environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors 
are integrated in investment decisions across all investment strategies. 
Prior to joining Fiera Comox in 2022, Stéphanie spent 15 years at PSP Investments where she was most 
recently Managing Director and Head of Responsible Investment. She played a central role in the 
development of PSP Investments’ responsible investment strategy and led the Responsible Investment 
group of PSP Investments.
Lawyer with a strong background in corporate governance, responsible investment, securities law and 
regulations, Stéphanie was providing legal advice to public issuers, stock exchanges and securities 
regulators prior to joining PSP Investments. She namely held senior positions at Québecor Media, 
Autorité des marchés financiers, Toronto Stock Exchange and Montréal Exchange.
Stéphanie holds a Law Degree (LL.B.) from the Université de Montréal and is a member of the Quebec 
Bar. She is a holder of the Institute of Corporate Directors Director designation (ICD.D). She serves on 
the board of ADM Aéroports de Montréal and TSX Trust, and is a member of the Investment Committee 
of the Canadian Medical Protective.
Stéphanie is an instructor at the Institute of Corporate Directors for the sustainability module. She is 
also the co-author of ‘The Origins of ESG in Pensions: Strategies and Outcomes’, published by Wharton 
University Pension Research Council in 2021.

Isabelle Laprise

Quebec Lead, Sustainable Investment Strategy & Senior Institutional Portfolio Manager, Jarislowsky Fraser

Isabelle Laprise joined Jarislowsky Fraser in October 2019 and is a registered portfolio manager. In her role, Isabelle is dedicated to developing relationships with institutional clients, such as foundations and pension funds. She is also a member of the firm’s Sustainable Investment Committee, which plays an important role in supporting the Management Committee and the Investment Strategy Committee in the implementation of the firm’s Sustainable Investment Policy, through the development and sharing of research tools, sustainability solutions, ESG transparency and systems-level collaborations. Isabelle is responsible for the ESG committee of CFA Montreal. She is also involved in several initiatives related to Finance Montréal and sustainable finance. Isabelle has over 20 years of investment experience. Before joining the firm, she held several positions at Caisse de dépôt et placement du Quebec, including Financial Analyst within the equity research team and Director within the sustainable investment team. 

Isabelle is a member of the board of directors of the BAnQ Foundation. She is also actively involved in the community. She has been involved in many fundraising campaigns benefitting children or health research, such as the JDRF Ride for Research on Juvenile Diabetes event, of which she was co-chair at CDPQ in 2018 and 2019. 

Christelle Lim-Severe

Sustainability Practice Leader, Beneva

Christelle Lim-Severe is the Sustainability Practice Leader at Beneva, the largest insurance mutual in Canada. The company has over 3.5 million members and clients with more than 5,500 employees. Christelle holds a Bachelor of Science in Actuarial Science from the London School of Economics and Political Science in the United Kingdom. She is also an Actuarial Fellow of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (FIA) and a Fellow Chartered Accountant (FCA), both obtained in the UK. She is a senior leader with over 18 years of global experience in the insurance and financial services industry. Before joining Beneva, Christelle has worked in consulting, corporate strategy, transformation, finance, and risk management. She also led purpose driven and sustainable strategic initiatives.  

In her role as Sustainability Practice Leader at Beneva, she is responsible for the strategy and implementation of Beneva's sustainability action plan. Her capacity to combine her financial expertise with sustainability factors makes her an invaluable ally in accelerating a just transition towards a greener and more resilient world. 

A mother of two children, Christelle is also determined to contribute in creating a more sustainable world for the future generation. 

Thomas Martinuzzo

Senior Manager, ESG and value Creation, Fonds de solidarité FTQ

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Melissa Menzies

Director, Sustainable Finance, Scotiabank

Melissa joined Scotiabank’s Sustainable Finance group from an ESG ratings and research firm, where she was responsible for assisting issuers, underwriters and companies with sustainable finance transactions across the Americas and EMEA markets. She also brings experience advising corporate clients on their sustainability performance and supporting corporate sustainability benchmarking. Melissa has a Master of Environmental Studies in Sustainability Management from the University of Waterloo.  

Thibault Millet

Partner, Climate change & sustainability, EY Canada

Thibaut is a Partner in the Climate Change and Sustainability practice at EY. He has over 23 years of management consulting experience and was a pioneer in integrating sustainability considerations in business strategy. He started to help clients develop and implement sustainability transformation programs back in 2005. 

Since then, he has been a trusted advisor to leading clients in a wide variety of sectors, such as: Power & utilities, Manufacturing, Mining & Metals, Transportation, Financial Services including Pension funds and large Asset owners, as well as Consumer products & Retail. 

He led EY’s Climate Change & Sustainability services team for many years, to be one of the largest and most successful teams of dedicated sustainability practitioners in Canada. 

He is recognized as an insightful, strategic sustainability & climate change advisor, helping his clients create long term value, improve their sustainability performance, understand and manage climate risks, as well as prepare to thrive in the low-carbon economy. 

He was named #5 among the Top 25 Sustainability Consultants and Leaders of 2023 by The Consulting Report. 

He is currently focused on helping Boards understand and enhance their oversight of sustainability and climate change risks & opportunities. 

Bertrand Millot

Head of Sustainability, Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec

Bertrand Millot leads the Stewardship Investing team, which is responsible for defining and implementing CDPQ’s strategic directions, including integrating ESG factors into all activities and deploying the climate strategy. His responsibilities have three aspects: helping investment teams structure impactful investment opportunities (particularly with regard to social, climate and energy transition investments); managing risks related to ESG, climate change and reputation and contributing to the organization’s outreach in collaboration with the CDPQ Global team.

Mr. Millot is one of the architects of CDPQ’s climate change strategy and a seasoned investor in infrastructure and corporate debt in emerging markets, fields where ESG considerations have historically been at the forefront. At CDPQ since 2015, he previously held various positions in risk management and stewardship investing, including Business Unit Risk Manager for the Fixed Income, Capital Solutions and Cross-functional Risk portfolios. He also served as Head of Climate Risk and Issues and led the Stewardship Investing team.

Before joining CDPQ, Mr. Millot was CEO and CIO at Cordiant Capital, an emerging market corporate debt fund manager. Earlier in his career, he was active in infrastructure project finance with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in London, U.K. and with BNP Paribas in Paris, France.

Mr. Millot holds an MBA from McGill University, a Master’s in Engineering from École Nationale Supérieure d’Arts et Métiers in Paris and is a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD.D designation).

Luis Morales

Senior Director, Investments, Innergex

Luis E Morales is Senior Director of Investments for Innergex Renewable Energy Inc. Prior to joining Innergex in September/2020, Luis was based in New York working as a Vice President in Structured Finance for Banco de Sabadell (Spain), financing renewable energy projects in the USA and Latin America. Luis began working in the banking industry in 2006 and has over 15 years of experience in infrastructure financing in. He has participated in the raising of over US$8 billion of capital for infrastructure projects across 5 countries through bonds, private placements and bank loans. Luis holds a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Lima, Peru.

Geneviève Morin

President and CEO, Fondaction

President and CEO of Fondaction, a labour-sponsored fund with CAD 3.50 billion in net assets, Geneviève Morin has been leading the shift and focus of the financial industry towards sustainability for over 30 years in Québec, Canada. Recognized as a pioneering and for her expertise in sustainable finance, she actively works to mobilize capital and various stakeholders for the positive transformation of the economy to make it more equitable, inclusive, green and successful. 

Valérie Myers

Senior Director, Global Supply Chains & Sustainability, CAE

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Yves Ouellet

President and CEO, Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF)

Yves Ouellet has been President and CEO of the Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF) since August 21, 2023, a position to which he was appointed by the Government of Québec for a five-year term. He also sits as a non-independent member of the organization’s board of directors.

As President and CEO, Mr. Ouellet is responsible for direction and management of the AMF and performs the functions and exercises the powers relating to the administration of all laws governing participants in Québec’s financial sector.

As a regulator, the AMF works to ensure financial sector integrity and efficiency in order to protect consumers of financial products and services. It acts impartially in the interests of the public, professionals, businesses and institutions. Its activities include, among other things, regulation of the insurance, securities and derivatives sectors, the distribution of financial products and services, and deposit institutions.

Since entering the public service in 1991, Mr. Ouellet has held multiple strategic positions. He started in 1994 at the Ministère des Finances, where he held management positions beginning in 1997. He became Director, Ongoing Analysis and Strategic Projects at the Ministère du Conseil exécutif in 2001. He was appointed Associate Secretary General, Priorities and Strategic Projects in 2006. He continued in that position until June 2012, when he was appointed Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Wildlife. He served as Secretary of the Conseil du Trésor from September 2012 to April 2017 and Chief Information Officer from October 2014 to June 2016.

In May 2017, Mr. Ouellet was named President and Chief Executive Officer of the Société québécoise des infrastructures. In October 2018, he was appointed Secretary General and Clerk of the Conseil exécutif, a role he occupied until his appointment to his current position.

Mr. Ouellet holds a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in economics from the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM). He also sits on the boards of the Collège des administrateurs des sociétés and the Institute for Governance of Private and Public Organizations.

Valérie Pelletier

Practice Leader, Sustainability and extra-financial disclosures, iA Financial Group

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Lucie Pinson

Founder and Executive Director, Reclaim Finance

Lucie founded Reclaim Finance in 2020 after several years of campaigning aimed at private financial actors, with the aim of broadening her fight to the entire financial sector and the institutions influencing its practices in order to fully utilize the financial leverage in transforming our economies. A social and environmental justice activist, Lucie began working on finance in 2013 when she joined Friends of the Earth France. She worked there until 2017 before continuing her voluntary commitment, still focusing on financial issues. In 2018, she joined the Sunrise Project as the European coordinator of the Unfriend Coal campaign, now called Insure Our Future, targeting insurers/reinsurers. She managed to persuade the largest French banking and insurance groups to adopt the first sectoral policies excluding entire segments of fossil fuels and contributed to pushing dozens of other financial actors in this direction. She received the Goldman Environmental Prize in November 2020, in recognition of her work on coal, and was listed in 2023 by Time Magazine as one of the 100 most influential people on climate issues. Reuters listed her the same year as one of the 20 most influential women in the field.

Valérie Plante

Mayor, Ville de Montréal

After studies in anthropology, museology, multi-ethnic intervention and extensive field experience with several community organizations, including Fondation Filles d’action, Valérie Plante stepped into the political arena in 2013 as city councillor for the Saint-Marie district. She was chosen by Projet Montréal members to lead the party in 2016. Her contagious passion and energy have helped her rally people around her progressive vision.  

Deeply committed to participatory democracy, Valérie Plante has a bold plan for Montréal centered on increased access to public transit, improved urban planning and public services, the economy and the environment. Her commitment is to bridge the gap on these issues for all 19 city boroughs.  

She was first elected mayor of Montréal in the November 2017 municipal election. The people of Montréal gave her a second term in November 2021. As mayor of Montréal, Valérie Plante is a member of various advisory committees and governing boards.  

• Chair of the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal (CMM);  

• President of the Big Cities Caucus of the Union des Municipalités du Québec (UMQ);  

• Governing board member of Montréal international;  

• Governing board member of Fondation Montréal inc.;  

• Member of the Big City Mayors’ Caucus of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities  

• Co-president of Metropolis 

• ICLEI’s Global Ambassador for Local Biodiversity 

• C40 Vice-President for North America 

Véronique Proulx

President and CEO, Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME)

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Layalee Ramahi

Regional Coordinator, United Nations Environment Program, Finance Iniative

Layalee Ramahi is the Regional Coordinator for North America at UNEP FI. She is engaged with industry leaders and the finance sector in North America to assist in implementing banking, insurance, and investment activities. Her role consists of developing the UNEP FI sustainable finance programme with members in the region, facilitating knowledge sharing and peer-to-peer learning and supporting the adoption of the sustainable finance agenda, and working with members to address regional priorities.  

Layalee is a business strategy and sustainability professional, with over 16 years of experience in the financial industry including market analysis, strategy, and product and business development. With an MBA in Banking and Finance and executive certification in Sustainable Business Practices and Management from the University of California – San Diego, Layalee specializes in developing sustainability strategies focused on sustainability integration and impact management.  

Before joining UNEP FI, Layalee worked as an Associate Director with a sustainability consultancy in the United States working with clients across different industries on ESG strategy, reporting, and climate risk assessment. Layalee also has working experience in the Middle East, in the UAE, Egypt, and Jordan in business strategy and financial markets.

Élise Renaud

Partner, Investment Products and Wealth Management, Fasken

Élise Renaud, partner and member of Fasken’s investment products and wealth management group, has gained valuable experience in regulations applicable to the wealth management and financial services industry. Élise recognizes the importance of this industry within Canadian society and respects the role of the Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) and self-regulatory organizations (SRO) in protecting investors. She has been recognized by The Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory in the area of Investment Funds and Asset Management.

Sophie Robillard

Vice President of Private Investments and Impact Investments - Business Support and Head of Sustainable Development, Fonds de solidarité FTQ

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Fate Saghir

Senior Vice President, Head of Sustainability, Marketing and Client Experience, Mackenzie Investments

Fate Saghir leads Sustainability at Mackenzie Investments. Fate is also the Chair of the Sustainability Steering Committee and the Head of Mackenzie’s Sustainability Centre of Excellence, dedicated to developing capabilities and enriching technical expertise of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors in support of corporate strategy, investment management practices and sustainable product offerings. Fate brings thought leadership, education and tools aligned to creating sustainable investments to institutional clients, advisors and investors. Since joining Mackenzie in 2017, Fate led the development and launch of Precision, an intuitive investment analytics technology that assists financial advisors in the research and analysis of Canadian investments. She then established a new function, Market Strategy and Innovation, focused on research, insights and innovation enabling fact based and client centric decision making at IG Wealth Management and Mackenzie Investments. Fate has more than 15 years’ experience in financial services building new sustainable business models through strategic research and insights, a strong client orientation and a focus on generating long-term value for all stakeholders. She sits on the Advisory Boards for Timea’s Cause, an organization dedicated to building awareness in human trafficking and the Women’s Collection, an organization focused on enabling financial literacy for women. In 2021, she joined the Responsible Investment Association’s Leadership Council and joined the board of the Mackenzie Investments’ Charitable Foundation Board. She was also named a Clean50 2022 Honouree in recognition of her efforts to advance the cause of sustainability and clean capitalism in Canada.

Fate has a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Windsor and is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CMA).

Julie Segal

Senior Manager, Climate Finance, Environmental Defence Canada

Julie Segal leads a climate finance policy program at Environmental Defence Canada, where she advances climate-related financial policy and regulation. She is a Visiting Fellow at the London School of Economics' Grantham Research Institute on sustainable finance and just transitions. She previously managed a portfolio of impact investments at the McConnell Foundation. Her work has been recognized with national and global awards for integrating environmental justice into sustainable finance, including winning First Prize Paper in the Ethics & Trust in Finance Global Prize. Julie writes about climate finance in the media, contributes to community- and youth-led environmental groups, advises policymakers on climate-related financial policies, and advises foundations on strategies for impact investing. Julie completed a Bachelor of Commerce at McGill University. 

Katie Shuter

Sustainable Finance, BMO Capital Markets

Katie Shuter supports the Sustainable Finance group in climate and ESG-related advisory and other strategic initiatives. Prior to BMO, Katie worked at Natural Resources Canada supporting the deployment of government capital toward energy transition projects. Katie holds an MBA from the University of Toronto as well as a Masters of Global Affairs and Public Policy.

Catherine Simard

Senior Director, Sustainable Investing, Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec

Catherine Simard is Senior Director, Sustainable Investing at CDPQ. The Sustainable Investing group 
is responsible for defining  and  overseeing  the  organization’s  sustainability orientations;  
and integrating environmental, social  and governance matters into CDPQ’s investment activities.

In addition, she currently serves as Vice-President of the Institute of Corporate Director’s Quebec 
Chapter and is a member of the Public Policy Committee of the Canadian Coalition for Good 
Governance.

Prior to joining CDPQ, Catherine was advising public companies on corporate governance and 
securities law matters at Norton Rose Fulbright, an international law firm.

She holds a law degree from McGill University and a master’s degree in international business law 
from the London School of Economics and Political Science, where she was awarded the Law Department 
Prize for best overall mark and the One Essex Court Prize for best performance in international business law.
 

Charles-Antoine St-Jean

Chair, Canadian Sustainability Standards Board (CSSB)

Charles-Antoine St-Jean comes to the CSSB with extensive standard-setting and leadership experience, most recently serving as the Regional Director – Americas with the IFRS Foundation^®. In this position, he assisted with the implementation of the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) operations in Montreal, QC. 

Charles-Antoine's career was mostly spent with Ernst & Young (EY), retiring as a National Managing Partner in June 2017. Mid-career, he served as Comptroller General of Canada for several years before returning to EY. He has served as the (Interim) President and CEO of CPA Canada, where he initiated and led the bid proposal that led to the ISSB choosing Canada as the location from where it develops new standards. 

Charles-Antoine also served as Chair of Canada’s Public Sector Accounting Board, the Ontario Government Internal Audit Committee, and many not-for-profit boards.

Darren Suarez

Vice-President, Public Affairs & Communications, Boralex

Darren Suarez is the North American Vice-President of Public Affairs and Communications for Boralex, Inc. Boralex has more than three decades of experience developing, building, and operating renewable energy power facilities in the United States, Canada, France and the United Kingdom, and has been a consistent presence in the state of New York for over 20 years. 

Darren leads Boralex’s North American public affairs and communications team. The North American team manages the communication and public affairs needs of nearly two gigawatts (GW) of wind, solar and hydro resources, across 52 sites, two countries, five provinces, and six states, while developing an additional two GW greenfield project pipeline.  Prior to joining Boralex, Darren was a Senior Director of Government Affairs at The Business Council of New York State, Inc. where, for eight years, he advocated for members on energy and environmental issues. Darren also spent several years working for the New York State Senate where he focused on environmental issues and economic and tax policy.  

Chantal Thieblin Goffoz

Director, impact financing and sustainable development, Evol

Chantal Thieblin Goffoz has been Director, Impact Financing and Sustainable Development, at Evol since 2021. She is responsible for aligning the organization’s efforts on the ground with its impact and sustainable development objectives. In addition to monitoring internal practices and policies, Chantal works closely with entrepreneurs and financial partners to mobilize the whole ecosystem towards sustainable development.  

Engaged in the entrepreneurial and impact investment communities, as business coach and mentor in several Quebec incubators, she promotes the creation of economic value associated with a positive societal impact. Chantal's expertise in corporate responsibility, equity and inclusion leadership, sustainable development and responsible finance is enriched by her international profile, her professional experience on 4 continents, and her 15 years of managerial experience with multicultural teams. She sits on the advisory committee of the Quebec Ministry of Finance and the Quebec Ministry of the Environment for the development of the sustainable finance roadmap. 

Convinced of the urgency of acting towards sustainable development, and of the pivotal role entrepreneurs and finance play in it, Chantal, like Evol, strives to make the economy more inclusive, equitable and sustainable. 

Richard Tipper

Chief Scientific Officer, EcoOnline; CEO, Resilience Constellation

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Adriana Torres Paniagua

Associate, Sustainable Finance, Scotiabank

Adriana joined the Sustainable Finance Group as an associate in 2023. She is based in Montreal and covers clients across Latin America and the Caribbean. She has over four years of experience in ESG Advisory, Sustainable Finance, decarbonization strategies and corporate social responsibility and has worked in other major European banks. Adriana holds a Bachelor of Environmental Engineering from Universidad La Salle and a MSc. in water microbiology and environmental health from McGill University.

Lionel Trombert

Vice President, Finance, Lufa Farms

As the Vice President of Finance at Lufa Farms, Lionel Trombert, who holds CPA and CMA credentials, possesses over twenty years of robust experience in the finance realm. Having worked as the Vice President of IT, Digital Transformation, and Finance at Bouclair, Lionel was a pivotal figure in initiating key projects, notably an extensive digital transformation that substantially improved customer engagement and operational efficiency. His leadership was pivotal during Bouclair's strategic overhaul, which significantly improved the company's financial health and operational footprint. Before Bouclair, Lionel applied his strategic insights at renowned firms like Mexx Canada and L Brands Canada, driving growth and operational improvements. Lionel's effective leadership, innovative mindset, and experience across various finance domains mark him as a distinguished figure in the industry, known for his ability to drive growth and transformation. 

Ryan Turnbull

Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry and Parliamentary Secretary to Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, Government of Canada

Ryan Turnbull was elected as the Member of Parliament for Whitby in 2019, and re-elected in 2021. He has been a member of various parliamentary committees, groups, and associations, including the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food, and the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities.

Passionate about serving others, Mr. Turnbull is committed to making a difference for people in his community and all Canadians. He entered politics to support the development of innovative policies and solutions to address today’s toughest challenges and improve people’s lives. Since then, he has been a strong voice for building a sustainable economy and supporting resilient communities. He has strongly advocated for increased food security, better public transit and infrastructure, climate action, and improved access to affordable housing, among other issues.

Previously, Mr. Turnbull taught, developed curriculum, and oversaw research at a number of post-secondary institutions, including Carleton University, St. George’s University of London (United Kingdom), Ryerson University (now Toronto Metropolitan University), and Durham College. He also taught corporate social responsibility at the Ted Rogers School of Management for several years.

In 2008, Mr. Turnbull founded a management consulting company, where he has worked with non-profits, charities, and entrepreneurs that advanced a social or environmental cause. He is recognized as a leader in social innovation, sustainable finance, systems change, and collective impact, all of which are new approaches to address complex issues ranging from poverty to homelessness, racism to gender equality, and food security to climate change.

Mr. Turnbull holds both a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts in Philosophy from Carleton University.

Eric Usher

Head, UNEP Finance Initiative

Eric Usher Heads the UN Environment Programme Finance Initiative, UNEP FI, a global partnership bringing together the UN with a global group of banks, insurers and investors working to develop the sustainable finance and responsible investment agendas. Eric oversees governance, strategy and day-to-day management of UNEP FI’s work programme and global network development. Over the years UNEP FI has established some of the most important sustainability oriented frameworks within the finance industry, including the Principles for Responsible Investment (2006), the Principles for Sustainable Insurance (2012) and the Principles for Responsible Banking (2019). 

Since joining in 2015, Mr. Usher has focused on accelerating the deep integration of sustainability risks into financial practice, including addressing climate change, natural capital loss and human rights abuses, as well as building out the frameworks for positive impact finance needed to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Eric sits on several industry bodies including as UN representative on the Board of the Principles for Responsible Investment, and as a member of the governing boards of the Sustainable Stock Exchanges Initiative, the Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance, the Investor Agenda and the impact fund REPP Africa. 

Prior to leading UNEP FI, Mr. Usher has over twenty years of experience in the low carbon sectors, spanning technology commercialisation in Canada, solar rural electrification in Morocco and financial sector development across emerging markets. During 2011, Mr. Usher worked on the establishment of the Green Climate Fund and led efforts to create its Private Sector Facility. Eric has been an editor of the Global Trends in Renewable Energy Investment report published annually with Bloomberg and was lead author for finance of the IPCC Special Report on Renewable Energy Sources. Earlier in his career, Eric was General Manager of a solar rural electrification company based in Morocco. 

Marie-Christine Valois

Partner, Capital Markets, Governance and ESG, Fasken

Marie-Christine Valois is a member of the Corporate/Commercial group in the Montréal office. Her practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions and other transactions involving public and private companies, including those in connection with initial public offerings, bought deal financings and going-private transactions.

Sandra Vandame

Director Structured Finance Advisory, Crédit Agricole CIB

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Rosa van den Beemt

Head of Stewardship, BMO Global Asset Management

Rosa leads BMO Global Asset Management's (BMO GAM) Stewardship approach, such as engagement with investee companies, proxy voting and public policy advocacy on ESG topics to create positive long-term change on behalf of end clients. She actively represents BMO GAM at industry collaborations and memberships, including on the Advisory Council of the Investor Alliance for Human Rights, the Environmental & Social Committee of the Canadian Coalition for Good Governance, the Steering Committee of Climate Engagement Canada and the Leadership Council of the Responsible Investment Association. Prior to BMO GAM, Rosa worked at NEI Investments where she led their proxy voting program and various corporate engagement initiatives. With approximately 10 years in the responsible investment space, Rosa has extensive experience in North American corporate governance, human rights and investments, and engaging public issuers’ management and board members on ESG. She holds a BA in Political Science and an MSc in International Development Studies from the University of Amsterdam. 

Carmen Velasquez

Managing Director, Sustainable Investing, AIMCo

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Walter Viguiliouk

Managing Director, Sustainable Finance, Private Markets, Manulife Investment Management

Walter is currently the Managing Director of Sustainable Investing, Private Markets at Manulife Investment Management. He leads sustainable investing for the firms global private equity and private credit businesses. Strategies include: private equity funds, co-investments, GP led secondaries, senior credit, junior credit, and venture capital. He also oversees ESG regulations and regulatory reporting for the entire private markets business. 
 
Previously, Walter was a Principal on the Responsible Investing Team, part the CIO's Total Fund Management Group, at the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, a C$221 Billion AUM global asset owner. His core focus was on developing the organization’s ESG integration, corporate engagement, and responsible investing strategies.  
 
Previous to that, Walter worked as an Associate Portfolio Manager at Jarislowsky Fraser Global Investment Management, a C$37B AUM privately owned investment management firm, where he focused on fundamental equity research, portfolio management, and helped develop the U.S. and international institutional client strategy. One of his core accomplishments was helping establish the firms sustainable investing strategy. 
 
Walter maintains an active role in the community having served on multiple not-for-profit boards and industry committees over the years. He also created and teaches the Sustainable Investing course within the Bachelor of Commerce Finance program at York University in Toronto. 

Rachel Walsh

Stratégiste en produits environnementaux, BMO Capital Markets

Rachel Walsh is the Environmental Commodities Strategist within BMO Capital Markets, focusing on market fundamentals for multiple environmental commodities to help clients optimize their portfolios and manage risk. Previously, Rachel worked in BMO’s Equity Research group, publishing in-depth work on compliance and voluntary carbon markets, along with energy transition related topics.

Abdulla Zaid

Vice-president, MSCI Research, MSCI

Abdulla Zaid leads research on sustainability and climate investment solutions in private-capital funds. He brings expertise in sustainable investing, particularly in risk assessment, reporting, engagement and integrating sustainability targets in private-capital portfolio construction. Abdulla is an economist by trade, previously worked in the forestry-products markets and macroeconomic policy research. He holds a master’s degree in development economics and policy from the University of Manchester and a bachelor’s degree in economics and political science from St. Lawrence University. Abdulla holds the CFA® certificate in ESG investing.

Laurent-David Charbit

Co-Head of Private Equity Nature and Biodiversity, Tikehau Capital

Laurent David Charbit joined Tikehau Capital in 2022 and is co-leading the Regenerative Agriculture fund launched in partnership with Axa, Tikehau Capital and Unilever 

Before joining Tikehau Capital in London, Laurent-David spent 12 years at Unilever where he was leading the Implementation of the Sustainability agenda for the company as well as the overall Climate agenda strategy for Unilever. At Unilever, he also held various roles in Switzerland, Singapore and the Netherlands, in Procurement as VP Sustainable sourcing for Commodities & Ingredients, VP Procurement Indirect.  

He started his career in supply chain at Michelin in Hong Kong before joining McKinsey as a consultant working in retail and distribution. He also led supply chain and procurement at Albea a leading supplier of packaging to the Beauty sector. 

Emmanuel Faber

Chair, International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB)

Emmanuel Faber was appointed as the inaugural Chair of the International Sustainability Standards Board in December 2021, effective 1 January 2022. He is well-known for his passion for sustainability and his leadership positions at multi-national food products company Danone for the past 20 years. He joined the company in 1997 as Chief Financial Officer, Strategy, and served as its Chief Executive Officer from 2014, as well as Chair of the Board from 2017 until 2021. He became a partner at Astanor Ventures in October 2021.

Faber has lived and held senior leadership positions in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Europe. He has founded and chaired several international organisations and initiatives, including the One Planet Business for Biodiversity coalition and the G7 Business for Inclusive Growth coalition―co-chaired with the OECD Secretary General. He initiated Danone Communities, a social business initiative providing funding to bring nutrition and water access for vulnerable communities, as well as the Livelihoods Venture, which provides funding for ecosystem restoration and the development of sustainable farming in emerging economies.

Prior to joining Danone, he held roles as Chief Financial Officer and later Managing Director at Legris Industries. He also has experience from investment banking at Baring Brothers and as a consultant at Bain & Company.

He holds a Master’s degree in business administration from HEC Paris, France.

Nancy Goudreau

Managing Director, Sustainable Finance, Desjardins Group

Holder of a Bachelor’s degree in International Business from Concordia University and a MBA from HEC, Nancy Goudreau is a dynamic and seasoned business professional who shares without reserve her network and knowledge to support entrepreneurs and causes she believes in. 

Passionate about entrepreneurship and backed by close to 25 years of experience contributing to the success of SME, she specialises in financing and business development. She started her career in export for the Provincial and Federal Government and then migrated toward financing and venture capital. In March 2022 she joined Desjardins, where today, as Managing Director, Sustainable financing, she contributes to advancement of the integration of ESG factors in businesses using Desjardins’s and our partners’ expertise as well as an adapted financing offering. 

Driven by the desire to make a difference, Nancy Goudreau is successfully involved in many business networks, particularly those supporting Diversity and Inclusion in the business community as well as innovation. She has been a member of the Board of Directors of Réseau des Femmes d’Affaires du Québec for 5 years until January 2023 and is now on the Board of Director of the Association des Femmes en Finances du Québec (AFFQ) since Decembre 2022. 

Justine Hendricks

President and CEO, Farms Credit Canada (FCC)

Justine comes to FCC after 17 years with Export Development Canada (EDC) and seven years with Royal Bank of Canada (RBC). She is an impactful strategist whose diverse experience includes delivering financial services on the front line, leading successful organizational transformations, evolving risk management capabilities, spearheading the development of innovative financial products, and developing and executing corporate strategies. Much of her career has been focused on lending to and supporting Canadian businesses across critical export sectors, including agriculture and agri-food. 

In her time at EDC, Justine was responsible for several different business functions, including business development in the resources, forestry, seafood, agricultural equipment, light manufacturing and extractive sectors, the transformation of EDC’s Financing and Investment Group, and full responsibility for EDC’s $9B Insurance and Working Capital Solutions portfolio. Her most recent role saw her responsible for aligning EDC’s 10-year corporate strategy with evolving business principles and practices focused on the environment, human rights, and innovation. Justine is recognized for her energizing leadership style, mobilizing and listening to her teams while putting the client at the centre of decisions. 

Justine is a member of the University of Ottawa Board of Governors and currently sits on their Audit Committee. She also volunteers extensively and currently serves as Chair of the Digital Opportunity Trust and was past Chair of the Forum for Young Canadians. 

Justine earned an MBA from the University of Ottawa and a bachelor of arts in urban studies from Carleton University. She’s received several awards related to her inspirational leadership and community involvement.