2026 speakers 

John Kerry

68th U.S. Secretary of State & Executive Co-Chair, Galvanize Climate Solutions

Secretary John Kerry is co-executive chair at Galvanize, where he focuses on expanding the resources and reach of the firm’s investment strategies, originating differentiated opportunities, and leveraging firsthand knowledge as to how technology, policy, and geopolitics are shaping the energy transition. 

In 2021, Secretary Kerry was sworn in as the United States’ inaugural Special Presidential Envoy for Climate and the first-ever Principal to sit on the National Security Council entirely dedicated to climate change. In that role, he negotiated successful restoration of US-China climate cooperation, helped galvanize $11.3 billion dollars in Athens to protect oceans, and helped shape the commitment of almost 200 countries embracing the UAE Consensus at COP28 to transition the world away from fossil fuels. 

In 2013, he was sworn in as the 68th Secretary of State of the United States, becoming the first sitting Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman to serve as Secretary in over a century. 

As America’s top diplomat, he guided the Department’s strategy on nuclear nonproliferation, combating radical extremism, and the threat of climate change. His tenure was marked by the successful negotiation of the Iran nuclear deal and the Paris Climate Agreement, and the elevation of global environmental issues including the oceans within the framework of civilian security. 

From 1985 to 2013, he served as a U.S. Senator representing Massachusetts, and was Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee from 2009 to 2013. In the Senate, he worked closely with Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) to make peace with Vietnam and begin normalization of relations. 

In 2024, President Biden awarded Secretary Kerry the Presidential Medal of Freedom in recognition of his lifetime commitment to public service, saying simply, “the son of a foreign service officer, diplomacy is in his DNA.” 

As a young man, Secretary Kerry served in the U.S. Navy, completing two combat tours of duty in Vietnam for which he received a Silver Star, a Bronze Star with Combat V, and three Purple Hearts. 

Secretary Kerry is the best-selling author of A Call to Service, This Moment on Earth with his wife Teresa Heinz Kerry, and his 2018 memoir, Every Day Is Extra, which The New York Times described as “a bittersweet reminder of what the country once demanded of its leaders.” 

He received his undergraduate degree from Yale University and his law degree from Boston College Law School. 

Wendy Berman

Chair, Canadian Sustainability Standards Board (CSSB)

Wendy Berman is a distinguished legal professional with over 30 years of experience in securities litigation, regulation, and corporate governance. Most recently, she was a partner and head of the National Securities Litigation practice at a national law firm in Toronto, where she advised public companies and boards on complex disclosure, regulatory, and governance matters. 

Previously, Wendy was Vice-Chair of the Ontario Securities Commission, where she served on the board, executive team, and adjudicative committee. She led or participated in adjudicative panels on securities enforcement and transaction-related matters and oversaw key regulatory initiatives in Canadian capital markets, including climate-related and diversity disclosures, crypto asset regulation and burden reduction for Canadian issuers. 

Recognized as one of Canada’s leading securities litigators, Wendy has received the highest ranking by Chambers Canada, Lexpert, Benchmark and Best Lawyers as well as numerous awards. She has held leadership roles with The Advocates’ Society and the Women in White Collar Defense Association. 

She holds an LL.B. from the University of Toronto and is called to the Bar in Ontario and British Columbia. 

Mark Campanale

Founder & Acting CEO, Carbon Tracker Initiative

Mark is the CEO of the Carbon Tracker Initiative, a non-profit think tank best known for its work on ‘stranded assets’ the ‘carbon bubble’ and mapping the impact of the clean energy revolution on the fossil fuel energy system. This analysis is used by investors in fossil fuels and financial supervisors, in how to divest, or set decarbonisation pathways; and with policy makers interested in regulatory frameworks that smooth the energy transition. In 2017, Mark founded ‘Planet Tracker’ which is focused on nature and biodiversity, also through the lens of financial markets.

Prior to forming Carbon Tracker in 2011, Mark spent twenty years in fund management where he was a co-founder of some of the first responsible investment funds in London at Jupiter Asset Management, NPI, AMP Capital, and Henderson Global Investors. Mark has served on the World Business Council for Sustainable Development working group on capital markets leading up to the 1992 Earth Summit; was a Member of the Steering Committee of UNEP Financial Sector Initiative (1999-2003);  founder of the UK Sustainable and Responsible Investment Forum (UKSIF), 1990-2006; and is now on the Advisory Board of GFANZ, the Glasgow Finance Alliance for Net Zero.

Mark is a member of the advisory council of the Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation’s Conservation & Markets Initiative; ESG advisory board of Glenmede Wealth Management; a Fellow of Tribe Impact Capital; an advisor to Amazonia Impact Ventures and senior advisor to Consilium Capital. He is a Visiting Lecturer at the Imperial College Master’s course on sustainable finance and Oxford’s Said Business School’s sustainable finance course.  In 2021 he was winner of the CEREs/Trillium Capital Lifetime Achievement Award on Sustainable Finance. He was made both an Ashoka Fellow and Sorenson Impact Fellow in 2022.
 

Jennifer Coulson

Senior managing director & Global head ESG, BCI

Jennifer Coulson has worked in the financial services industry for 25 years. She began her career in the mutual fund business working for a national firm that specializes in responsible investing solutions. At BCI, she oversees a team of multidisciplinary professionals integrating Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) across public and private asset classes; engaging with portfolio companies to manage ESG risk; developing public policy submissions on ESG matters of broad relevance to the investment industry; and overseeing the proxy voting program for Public Markets. Jennifer has an undergraduate degree in Environment & Resource Management from the University of Western Ontario as well as a Masters in Environmental Studies from York University. She has attained the Institute of Corporate Directors designation (ICD.D) and is Chair of the Vancouver Island Chapter of ICD. She chairs the Investor Group of the 30% Club of Canada which promotes diversity across corporate Canada. Jennifer volunteers her time mentoring young professionals as part of the Investment Advisory Committee for the University of Victoria Student Investment Fund; is a member of St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation Board; and a Director on the board of Science World.  

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 and as part of the CEO Office, 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 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 and managing derivatives 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. 

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, SIFMA’s Sustainable Finance taskforce, 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. 

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.

Tariq Fancy

Lecturer in Management, Stanford Graduate School of Business & founder of Rumie

Tariq Fancy is an investor and lecturer at Stanford Graduate School of Business focused on the intersection of capital markets and the energy transition, and where the two have begun to diverge in practice.

He began his career in technology investment banking during the dotcom era and went on to invest through the post-crash cycle, developing a focus on turnaround situations and mispriced assets. He later held senior roles in global investing at CPPIB and BlackRock, where he led sustainable investing efforts and helped shape the firm’s approach to ESG.

He also founded Rumie, a Y Combinator-backed technology platform that has delivered hundreds of millions of free microlessons globally and became a Harvard Business School case study.

Drawing on that experience, he has been a prominent public critic of ESG’s limitations, arguing that the energy transition is following a familiar pattern: a period of enthusiasm and capital misallocation, followed by a more disciplined phase of investing. His current work focuses on where capital has diverged from infrastructure and climate-related assets on the ground—and what the next phase of the transition may look like.

His work sits at the intersection of finance, policy, and markets, with a focus on identifying where the next phase of the transition will create both risk and opportunity.

Hélène V. Gagnon

Chief People and Sustainability Officer, CAE

Hélène V. Gagnon is CAE’s Chief People and Sustainability Officer since 2024 and is a member of the Executive Management Committee. In her role, Hélène leads all aspects of the company’s Human Resources organization globally, while harnessing the power of CAE’s people and creating an exceptional workplace. She acts as a role model and driver of CAE’s innovative, inclusive and collaborative culture, and is a strong advocate of CAE’s people as one of the company’s most competitive advantages.

Hélène also leads CAE’s sustainability, environment and social impact strategy across CAE’s worldwide operations, and as a true business partner, helps CAE fulfill its strategic objectives and mission of making the world safer and more sustainable. She is accountable for CAE’s government programs (R&D) and academic partnerships.

She first joined CAE in 2015 as Vice President, Public Affairs and Global Communications and became Chief Sustainability Officer and Vice President, Stakeholder Engagement in 2022. 

CAE delivers cutting-edge training, simulation, and critical operations solutions to prepare aviation professionals and defence forces for the moments that matter with 13,000 employees at around 240 sites and training locations in over 40 countries. Every day, CAE empower pilots, cabin crew, maintenance technicians, airlines, business aviation operators, and defence and security personnel to perform at their best and when the stakes are the highest. As a global defence and security leader, CAE is well-positioned to capitalize on rising global demand for mission-ready defence solutions.

Before joining CAE, Ms. Gagnon worked for 11 years at Bombardier, the last eight as Vice President, Public Affairs, Communications, Corporate Social Responsibility and Achieving Excellence System for Bombardier Aerospace, at the time, the third largest civil aircraft manufacturer. From 2003 to 2007 she was Senior Director of Public Affairs at Bombardier Transportation.

Sarah Kapnick

Global Head of Climate Advisory, JP Morgan

Dr. Sarah B. Kapnick is the Global Head of Climate Advisory at J.P. Morgan. In this role, she advises the bank's clients on climate, energy, biodiversity and sustainability topics. Responsible for overseeing the Firm’s climate thought leadership strategy, Dr. Kapnick leverages extensive technical and scientific expertise to drive content strategy and advise clients at the intersection of finance, climate science, commerce and national security.

Prior to her current role, she served as Chief Scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), appointed by the President, responsible for guiding the programmatic focus of NOAA’s science and technology priorities. In this capacity, Dr. Kapnick oversaw the development of critical scientific strategies for emerging topics such as climate intervention, greenhouse gas monitoring, marine biodiversity, climate macroeconomics, and climate security.

Dr. Kapnick engaged with Congress on legislation, education, and budget priorities, and served as an advisor to the Department of Commerce and the U.S. Federal Government on R&D design, technology transfer, and public-private partnerships.  She also acted as a senior strategic advisor to various government working groups and advisory committees on climate security, climate macroeconomics, climate intervention, weather and ocean technology, space commerce sustainability, and water, including the Water Subcabinet. 

Previously, Dr. Kapnick was a Senior Climate Scientist and Sustainability Strategist for J.P. Morgan’s Asset & Wealth Management division, where she produced thought leadership on climate and environmental issues and advised clients. 

Dr. Kapnick has also served as Deputy Division Leader and Research Physical Scientist at the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL), NOAA, where she led R&D efforts in seasonal to decadal variability and predictability and collaborated with various U.S. states and agencies on climate change and infrastructure planning. Her earlier roles include Research Physical Scientist at GFDL, Visiting Researcher at the University of Hamburg and Max-Planck Institute for Meteorology, and NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Princeton University.

Dr. Kapnick earned a Ph.D. in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences and a Leaders in Sustainability Certificate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), as well as an A.B. in Mathematics with a certificate in Finance from Princeton University. She presently serves on the nonprofit boards of Climate Central and the Woods Hole Oceanagraphic Institution. Additionally, she serves on the scientific advisory panels for the World Meteorological Organization and Food Security Leadership Council. 
 

Rheia Khalaf

Director of Partnerships, MILA

Rheia Khalaf is the Director of Partnerships at Mila – Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute. She brings an expertise in actuarial science, artificial intelligence (AI) and risk management acquired through more than fifteen years working in various roles for reputable organizations like IVADO, Fiera Capital and EY.

She contributes to numerous initiatives that focus on responsible AI use, sustainable finance or climate risks, and has co-authored several publications on AI.

After earning a B.Sc. in actuarial mathematics from Concordia University, Rheia completed an M.Sc. in risk management at the University of Zurich / ETH Zurich. She also has a certificate in sustainable investing from Queen’s University.

Sean Kidney

Co-Founder and CEO, Climate Bonds Initiative

Sean Kidney, FRSA, is CEO of the Climate Bonds Initiative, an international NGO working to mobilize global capital for climate action.  He works on market development programs on six continents; sustainable investment taxonomy development by governments ranging from the European Commission to Thailand & Brazil; and policy development for capital mobilization. Sean is a Professor in Practice at SOAS University of London, serves on the Monetary Authority of Singapore’s Sustainable Finance Advisory Panel, and is a member of the International Energy Agency’s Finance Industry Advisory Board.

Matthew Lawton

Head Impact Fixed Income, T. Rowe Price

Matthew Lawton is head of Impact Fixed Income and a portfolio manager in the Fixed Income Division. He manages the Global Impact Credit Strategy, the Global Impact Short Duration Bond Strategy and co-manages the Emerging Market Blue Economy Bond Strategy. He is a co-chair of the Sector Strategy Advisory Group and is a member of the ESG Oversight Committee. Matthew is a vice president of T. Rowe Price Group, Inc., and T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc.  

Matthew's investment experience began in 2005, and he has been with T. Rowe Price since 2011, beginning as an investment-grade corporate credit analyst in the Fixed Income Division. Prior to joining the firm, he was an M.B.A. intern with T. Rowe Price and an associate at The Carlyle Group in Washington, D.C. He also worked as an associate in the investment banking division of Barclays Capital in New York. 

Matthew earned a B.S. in finance from Boston College and an M.B.A. from Georgetown University, McDonough School of Business. He has earned the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation.  Matthew also serves on the board of the National Aquarium Foundation. 

CFA® and Chartered Financial Analyst® are registered trademarks owned by CFA Institute. 

Olivier Lacaille

Managing Director & Head of Infrastructure and Energy Transition, Desjardins

Biographie disponible en français seulement

Olivier Lacaille est directeur général et chef des financements d’Infrastructure et de la transition énergétique chez Desjardins. Olivier possède une expérience établie dans les marchés des capitaux et bancaires, il est spécialisé dans les transactions de financement d’infrastructures et d’énergies renouvelables à travers l’Amérique du Nord. Titulaire d’une maîtrise en finance de marché du HEC Montréal ainsi que de la désignation CFA, Olivier est responsable de diriger l’origination et l’exécution des financements de projets et il s’implique activement dans les initiatives de transition énergétique chez Desjardins. 

Rik Logtenberg

Director, CanAdapt & City Councillor. City of Nelson

Rik Logtenberg is Director of CanAdapt at the Climate Risk Institute, where he leads Canada's practitioner network for climate adaptation. A software developer by trade, he built the CanAdapt platform to connect adaptation professionals across sectors and regions. Rik also serves as City Councillor in Nelson, BC, and is founder of Climate Caucus, a national network supporting local elected officials taking action on climate. He's passionate about coordination challenges and the role networks play in accelerating climate action. 

Mitch McEwen

Director of sustainability, climate resilience and community impact, Wawanesa

Mitch McEwen (he/him) is the Director of Sustainability, Climate Resilience & Community Impact at Wawanesa Insurance, leading its sustainability strategy, climate resilience initiatives, and community investment across Canada. He brings financial sector experience developing and executing large-scale sustainable finance initiatives, including commercialization and sustainable bonds program. 

Mitch also serves on the Board of Directors of Leading Change Canada, a nation-wide movement of leaders and sustainability professionals accelerating action on issues that are critical to attaining a sustainable, prosperous, and socially just future within a generation. 

Anne-Marie Monette

Managing Director, Sustainable Finance, National Bank Financial Markets (NBF)

Anne-Marie Monette is a Managing Director in the Sustainable Finance team at National Bank Financial Markets (NBF), where she plays a key role in establishing connectivity with the financial community across the country and contributes to several strategic workstreams. In her role, she supports NBF’s clients in sustainable finance transactions structuring and provides strategic advisory services on sustainability positioning and practices.  

Prior to joining NBF, Anne-Marie was leading ESG equity institutional sales efforts across Canada at RBC Capital Markets, acting as a sustainable finance senior relationship manager for large asset owners and asset managers. She previously led the responsible investment practice across capital markets at PSP Investments, where she occupied the role of Senior Director, Responsible Investment.  

Anne-Marie is highly involved in the sustainable finance ecosystem and is an active member of CFA Montreal’s ESG Committee. She obtained an executive certification in sustainable finance from the NYU Stern School of Business, the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board credentials and the CFA Institute ESG Certificate. She was a lecturer in sustainable finance at HEC Montreal and Concordia University. She was also the founding chair for the Montreal chapter of Women in Capital Markets and is a founding member of Women in Climate Finance.  She holds a Bachelor in finance from HEC Montreal. 

John E. Morton

Executive Managing Director of Nature Finance and Investment, World Wildlife Fund (WWF)

John E. Morton is the Executive Managing Director of Nature Finance and Investment at WWF. He has more than thirty years of experience in emerging markets, environmental finance, and economic and environmental policy. Throughout his career, John has been at the forefront of designing and structuring innovative platforms and investment vehicles to mobilize private capital flows into climate- and nature-related sectors in fast-growing global markets. 

John joined WWF from Pollination, a global climate change investment and advisory firm, where he was Head of Americas and a member of the firm’s Executive Committee. His two tours in Government included serving as the U.S. Treasury Department's and Secretary Janet Yellen’s inaugural Climate Counselor, the President’s White House Senior Director for Energy and Climate Change at the National Security Council, and the Chief of Staff and Chief Operating Officer at the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) (now the U.S. Development Finance Corporation). 

Layalee Ramahi

North America Regional Lead, United Nations Environment Program, Finance Iniative

Layalee Ramahi is the Regional Lead for North America at UNEP Finance Initiative. She works closely with financial institutions across the banking, insurance, and investment sectors to strengthen the region’s approach to sustainable finance. In this role, Layalee leads engagement with UNEP FI members in North America, fostering collaboration, supporting knowledge exchange, and helping embed sustainability into financial decision-making and strategy. Her work helps institutions address regional priorities and access the tools and insights needed to contribute to a low-carbon, resilient, and inclusive economy. 

Layalee Ramahi is a sustainability and business strategy professional with over 10 years of experience in the financial sector. She holds an MA in Climate and Society from Columbia University, and an MBA in Banking and Finance. Before joining UNEP FI, she was an Associate Director at a U.S.-based sustainability consultancy, advising clients on strategy, reporting, and climate risk. Her earlier work spans financial markets and strategy roles across the Middle East, including in the UAE, Egypt, and Jordan. 

Romina Reversi

Managing Director, Head of Sustainable Investment Banking Americas, Crédit Agricole - CIB

Romina Reversi is Managing Director, Head of Sustainable Investment Banking (SIB) for the Americas based in New York City. Prior to joining CACIB in 2021, Romina spent eight years at J.P. Morgan leading ESG DCM efforts in the Americas and was one of the founding members of that team. Romina has led/structured sustainable debt transactions globally including the first ever tech Green Bond for Apple, the first ever rental car green ABS for Hertz, first ever sovereign SLB for Chile, first ever US corporate nuclear Green Bond for Constellation, first ever coupon step up/down sovereign SLB for Republic of Uruguay, the first ever Sustainability-Linked Bond for Enel, as well as ESG deals for Alphabet, General Mills, Mondelez, Amazon, HP Inc., Ford and General Motors, among others. Romina started her career in equity and interest rate derivatives structuring. Romina holds a BBA from the University of Michigan at the Ross School of Business.  

Marina Severinovsky

Head of Sustainability, Americas, Schroders

Marina Severinovsky is the Head of Sustainability, North America, and leads the sustainability and environmental, social and governance (ESG) integration for Schroders investments in North America. She collaborates with senior managers on market strategy, client communications, product development, sales, and investor management. 

Marina was previously the Investment Director for North America for the Quantitative Equity Products (QEP) team from 2020 and was responsible for communicating QEP’s investment policy and strategy with clients, as well as business management in the Americas.  

Prior to joining the QEP team, Marina was an Investment Strategist from 2016 to 2019, working in partnership with Hartford Funds to represent Schroders strategies to financial advisors and intermediaries across all client channels, primarily in the Central US region.  

Marina was an Alternatives Specialist at Schroders from 2010 to 2016, which involved supporting the development of Schroders’ Alternatives business in the Americas. Her product management activities covered multiple strategies, including Commodities, Absolute Return Emerging Market Debt and Insurance Linked Securities.  

Marina joined Schroders in 2010 and is based in New York. Prior to joining Schroders, she was an Associate in Investment Banking at Citi Capital Markets and Banking from 2008 to 2010, which involved supporting buy- and sell-side mergers and acquisitions, equity and debt transactions, and fairness opinions for a broad range of corporate clients in the Healthcare and Tech, Media & Telecom coverage groups. She was a Consultant and Client Relationship Manager at Digital Mandate, LLC from 2005 to 2007, which involved providing legal technology, process consulting, and technology optimization solutions to large law firms and corporate legal departments. She was an Analyst at Chicago Partners, LLC from 2004 to 2005, which involved finance, economics and accounting consulting, in the context of litigation and regulatory review activities.   
 
Marina brings 18 years of professional experience to her role at Schroders, including economic analysis, research, and financial modeling, as well as product development, strategy, and client relationship management. She is conversationally fluent in Russian.

Priti Shokeen

Managing director & Head of sustainable investment, TD Asset Management

Priti leads the firm's sustainable investment function and is responsible for the firm's stewardship program, advancing ESG integration expertise within the investment team, and thought leadership on investment relevant environmental, social and governance topics. She has over 15 years of work experience with a U.S.-based global financial company providing sustainable investment solutions. Her previous work engagements include a research internship with the United Nations agency in Geneva, Switzerland, emerging market experience with Indian Chambers of Commerce, and research consulting in the UK. Priti holds a B.Comm. with Honours from the University of Delhi, an M.A. in Sociology from the University of Warwick and a Ph.D. in Accouting and Finance with a focus on ESG Integration from Kingston Business School. She sits on the Board of Governors at the International Corporate Governance Network (ICGN), the Responsible Investment Association's (RIA) Leadership Council and Climate Engagement Canada's Industry Leadership Advisory. 

Sarah Thompson

Managing Director & Global Head of Sustainable Finance, Royal Bank of Canada

Biography coming soon

Harlan Tufford

Vice-president research & development, MSCI

Harlan Tufford is a research analyst in MSCI’s Emerging Risk R&D team, developing portfolio-level solutions for AI-driven workforce transformation, the energy transition and other emerging risk areas for investors. From 2020 to 2025, he led MSCI’s corporate governance research team in the Americas, where he oversees the development and application of governance-related methodologies and research commentary for U.S. and Canadian companies. 

Prior to joining MSCI in 2020, Harlan held roles as a corporate governance advisor with the Hansell McLaughlin Advisory Group and Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS), and as a corporate governance researcher with the Clarkson Centre for Business Ethics and Board Effectiveness at the Rotman School of Management. 

Harlan holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Toronto, where he was a Joint Specialist in History and Political Science, and a master’s degree in business law from Osgoode Hall Law School. 

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 asset managers 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. 

Walter Viguiliouk

Chief of staff & Managing director Sustainable Investing, Manulife Investment Management

Walter is responsible for leading the firms sustainable investing activities across the private equity and private credit strategies, North America public markets, and commercialization of the firms global sustainable investing capabilities. He also serves as the chief of staff, helping develop and manage the firms global sustainable investing strategy and organization. Prior to joining the firm, Walter was a Principal in the Total Fund Management Group at Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (OTPP), where he was responsible for leading ESG integration and stewardship activities across all public equity and credit strategies representing ~C$100 Bn in assets under management (aum). Prior to that, Walter worked at Jarislowsky Fraser Global Investment Management, where he was instrumental in establishing the firm’s sustainable investing strategy and program covering ~C$40 Bn in aum. During his time with the firm, he held roles in equity research, portfolio management, client relationships, and institutional business development. 

Over the years Walter has served on various industry committees and boards. He currently serves on the steering committee of the EDCI, the Compass committee at the Robert & Ethel Kennedy Human Rights Center, and the investment committee of the York University Pension Fund. He is also an Adjunct Professor at the LA&PS Finance Department at York University in Toronto. 

Bruno Vilone

Director Investment Products Oversight, Autorité des marché financier (AMF)

Bruno Vilone acts as Director of Investment Products Oversight at the Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF). He joined the AMF in 2016 and has held his current position since January 2023. 

Mr. Vilone and his team are involved in various policy initiatives related to investment products and technological innovation in financial markets. Members of his team work closely with their counterparts at other Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) and with foreign regulators on regulatory policy for investment products and technological innovation in securities markets. 

Mr. Vilone sits on the CSA Investment Funds Steering Committee and on other forums of Canadian regulators focused on innovative products and financial innovation. He also sits on the steering committee of the Fintech Task Force of the International Organization of Securities Commissions. 

Mr. Vilone holds a Bachelor of Commerce with a major in Finance from Concordia University, a Bachelor of Laws, and a Juris Doctor in Common Law from the Université de Montréal. He is a member of the Barreau du Québec. 

Kathryn Wortsman

Managing Partner, Amplify Capital

Kathryn Wortsman is the Founder & Managing Partner of Amplify Capital. Founded in 2016, Amplify Capital is a Canadian based early-stage venture fund investing in transformational technology companies solving today’s biggest problems. Investing across North America, Amplify Capital manages 3 funds, $100M in assets and specializes in Climate and Health solutions. We leverage impact led diligence, deep sector expertise, and a founder-first approach to deliver superior returns.   

Kathryn started her career in investment banking at RBC and then went on to spend most of her 30 year career investing and managing venture capital and private equity in small to medium sized businesses both in New York and Toronto.  In New York, Kathryn had roles at Constellation Ventures, a Bear Stearns sponsored venture capital fund and an Investment Director for the strategic insurance technology investments group for MetLife. In Toronto, Kathryn spent time at CIBC Capital, BMO Capital Partners and Lynx Equity Partners, a small buyout firm in Toronto. 

Her passion in social finance was born in the early 2000’s when she joined Social Venture Partners NYC and then subsequently founded Social Venture Partners Toronto. Off the side of her desk, Kathryn grew Social Venture Partners to 45 Partners and provided $350,000 in capacity building grants and hands on partner consulting services to 8 nonprofits in Toronto solving for homelessness. 

Kathryn joined MaRS Discovery District in 2015 and Amplify Capital was launched in 2016 in collaboration with Richard Branson’s family foundation, Virgin Unite. Today, Kathryn leads the team of 7 at Amplify Capital covering 3 funds, with offices in Montreal and Toronto, investing across North America,  30+ portfolio companies. 

Kathryn holds a BA in Economics from the University of Western Ontario and an MBA from Columbia University in New York. Kathryn is based in Toronto, Canada. 

Barbara Zvan

President and CEO, University Pension Plan (UPP)

Barbara Zvan is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the University Pension Plan Ontario (UPP), where she leads strategies to provide lifelong pension security and service excellence to over 41,000 members. Recognized as Canada’s 2022 CEO of the Year and Corporate Citizen of the Year by The Globe and Mail’s Report on Business magazine, she is a prominent advocate for defined benefit pensions and responsible investing.

Previously, Barbara was the Chief Risk and Strategy Officer at the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (OTPP), playing a key role in its transformation into a global pension leader during her 25-year tenure at the Plan.She chairs the McConnell Foundation’s Investment Committee and Climate Engagement Canada’s steering committee, serves on the board of the Responsible Investment Association, and is a Senior Fellow at the C.D. Howe Institute. Additionally, she co-chairs the C.D. Howe Pension Policy Council and is a member of her alumni McMaster University's Faculty of Science Dean’s External Advisory Board. 

Barbara has held leadership roles in numerous organizations, including prior board chair of the International Centre for Pension Management (ICPM), advisory board member of the Institute of Sustainable Finance at the Smith School of Business, and board member of the Global Risk Institute (GRI), the Canadian Coalition for Good Governance (CCGG) and the Pension Investment Association of Canada (PIAC). She was appointed to the Government of Canada’s Expert Panel on Sustainable Finance in 2019 and its Sustainable Finance Action 
Council in 2021. 

A Fellow of the Society of Actuaries and the Canadian Institute of Actuaries, Barbara holds an ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors and a Master of Mathematics degree from the University of Waterloo.