Marcella Munro joined Teck Resources as Head of Government & Regulatory Affairs in February 2022.

Prior to joining Teck, Marcella worked in government relations and strategic communications consulting for 15 years, providing counsel to C-Suite leaders across Canada. Her career started in journalism. Marcella was a national producer for CBC national television news where she worked in both daily news and investigative reporting. She also spent two years working for the Alberta government.

Marcella’s approach to government relations is rooted in her strengths as a strategist and professional communicator. She has expertise in every aspect of policy development and political engagement and has led the development and implementation of stakeholder engagement plans with all levels of government, non-governmental organizations, and Indigenous communities. 

Currently, she is a member of the volunteer advisory boards for Clean Prosperity and the BC Centre for Substance Use. Marcella holds an Honours B.A. in Political Science from Carleton University in Ottawa.
 

As the Vice President Climate and Sustainability for EllisDon Corporation, Jolene McLaughlin works to build partnerships across the industry to support climate mitigation and adaptation strategies in the build environment. She has spent more than 12 years driving sustainability initiatives across various segments of the built environment from concept into execution. Working with project teams with a collaborative approach, in support of the identification, definition and implementation of practical strategies that result in more efficient, resilient and comfortable buildings.

Niilo Edwards is the Chief Executive Officer of the First Nations Major Project Coalition. He is also the Chief Executive Officer of the FNMPC Advisory Centre, the revenue generating arm of FNMPC. 

At FNMPC, Niilo is responsible for operational strategy which includes business capacity services to First Nations on a project portfolio worth over $40 billion in capital cost. Niilo’s interests lie in business strategy, catalyzing business opportunity, and risk mitigation. His strengths include dealing with unique, complex, and challenging projects.
 
Niilo has spent the last 15 + years working with organizations to advance Indigenous business capacity and participation in major project development. Niilo has served as an advisor to national organizations including the First Nations Financial Management Board and the Standing Senate Committee on Aboriginal Peoples in the Senate of Canada.  
 
Niilo is a board member of the Canadian Council for Public-Private Partnerships and a corporate trustee for a First Nations-owned corporation. He also serves on various advisory councils including the Sustainable Finance Action Council’s Net Zero Capital Allocation Working Group, Electrifying Canada, and the University of Ottawa’s Positive Energy Initiative. 
 

Chris is the Head of Government Affairs for Siemens Energy Canada. He has held roles in the not-for-profit association world, labour organizations,  public affairs consulting and recently in 2022 was appointed to his current role at Siemens Energy. He serves as a liaison between the company and all three levels of governments in Canada –his advocacy experience in the energy sector assists in decarbonization policy conversations between industry and government. He is a graduate from the University of Western Ontario and  McMaster/Syracuse University Master of Communications Management program.  He lives in Ottawa ON and enjoys golf and boating. 
 

 

Jeff is mixed heritage, Métis and European and hails from the White Horse Plains area of Southern Manitoba, the traditional Buffalo Hunt staging grounds. For nearly 20 years, he has provided strategic leadership for Indigenous, not-for-profit, and government organizations. Jeff has helped create and implement the community-driven outcomes contract (a unique pay-for-success social finance model) and the Indigenous Solutions Lab process, which earned him an Ashoka Fellowship. Jeff is a proud husband to Nicole and father of five and currently lives and works on unceded Algonquin lands in what is now known as Ottawa, Ontario.

Colleen Giroux-Schmidt brings over two decades of experience in resource development with an extensive knowledge of the renewable energy sector.  As Vice President – Corporate Relations for Innergex Renewable Energy Inc. she leads the engagement and relationship activities with all levels of government, Indigenous communities, local communities, strategic partners and other stakeholders. Her team leads the policy research and advocacy portfolio with the goal of increasing renewable energy opportunities to help the jurisdiction’s meet their climate change goals.  Colleen is also responsible for the management of Innergex’s Vancouver office.

Ms. Giroux-Schmidt has a strong background in government relations, relationship building,
regulatory and policy development as well as project management.  She has had the opportunity to
be involved in the development, environmental assessment and permitting, construction, and operations
phases of numerous clean energy projects, in multiple technologies and in multiple jurisdictions, which
has afforded her a broad perspective on developing clean energy projects from conception
to operation.

Colleen is committed to working collaboratively with governments, First Nations, industry and other stakeholders to develop workable solutions and policies that ensure renewable energy development will be supported to meet climate objectives and future energy needs.

Catherine Cobden is the President & CEO of the Canadian Steel Producers Association, representing Canada’s primary steel, and pipe, and tube industry. Member companies produce 13 million tonnes of steel, pipe, and tube products and support over 123,000 jobs in Canada. 

Ms. Cobden has over 25 years of industry association, regulatory, and advocacy experience in Canada’s national capital of Ottawa. Prior to taking the helm of the CSPA, Ms. Cobden was President of Cobden Strategies Inc. where she provided strategic advice to many private and public sector clients in the areas of forestry, manufacturing, mining, construction, and renewable energy. Ms. Cobden also spent 13 years at the Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) where, as Executive Vice President of FPAC, she played a key role in developing the sector’s long-term transformation strategy in response to changing market dynamics and the evolving expectations of civil society. 

Ms. Cobden is a strong advocate for climate leadership and a founding member of Nature Canada’s “Women for Nature” initiative. In 2021, she was named one of Canada’s Top 100 Lobbyists by The Hill Times. 
She is a Chemical Engineer from the University of Toronto and is on the Board of Directors of COREM –— a world- recognized innovation organization for Canada’s mining sector.

James is a member of Walpole Island First Nation, where he has previously served as Chief Executive Officer. James led the development of First Nation equity participation in two 100MW wind farms. These and similar experiences led James to become a champion of Indigenous community and business partnerships in clean energy. James holds an M.A. from the University of Texas at Austin and is a former municipal clerk. He has also spent time running a consulting business, Ajijaak Solutions, which provided governance and management support for First Nations and businesses. James is a sessional instructor at Western University’s Public Administration Program. He is a proud father of three, a multi-instrumentalist, and an avid outdoorsman who loves camping, boating, hunting, and fishing.

A lawyer by training, Christos has held a number of positions throughout his 20 years of professional experience, ranging from being a political advisor to a member of the Quebec National Assembly, to being the Associate Director of the Legal Department at the McGill University Health Centre, where he also held a number of key roles over his 10-year tenure, including Director of Governmental Affairs, Contract Compliance Officer and Special Advisor to the CEO's Office.

In 2018, he joined Nova Bus and Prevost as Director of Legal Affairs while actively supporting the Public Affairs department of Nova Bus. As of October 2021, he is the Head of Nova Bus' Legal, Public Affairs and External Communications Department.

A seasoned professional with extensive experience in legal affairs, governance and management, he oversees a team of professionals in legal and public affairs while and is a key member of Nova Bus' Management Committee. He is also actively involved in various APTA committees, particularly the Legal Affairs one. He participates in the Buy America Clarification Working Group, and attends Legislative, Procurement and BMBG committee meetings and a co-chair of APTA Business Development Committee. He is also a member of CUTRIC’s and Mobility Electric Canada Government Affairs Committees.

In addition to being a member of the Quebec Bar Association, Christos is a volunteer board member for a foundation in his community that provides financial support to underprivileged children and he holds a Bachelor Degree in Political Science from McGill University.

Matt Wayland is the Executive Assistant to the International Vice President and Canadian Director of Government Relations for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Canada. The IBEW is the world’s longest standing and largest electrical union, with a total membership over 775,000 and almost 70,000 members in Canada from coast to coast to coast.

In 2018, Mr. Wayland was appointed by Canada’s federal Minister of Environment and Climate Change to the Task Force on Just Transition for Canadian Coal Power Workers and Communities.
 

Mr. Wayland attended the 2018 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP24) in Katowice, Poland to speak about his experience on the Just Transition Task Force and provide insight to others in attendance.
 

In 2019, Mr. Wayland was appointed by the Prime Minister as one of three Co-Chairs for the Ministerial Advisory Committee on a National Campaign to Promote the Skilled Trades as a First Choice Career for Young People.
 

He was recently appointed to the Canadian Council of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Commonwealth Study Conference, which brings together leaders in business, government and labour from around the globe.
 

Mr. Wayland is a licensed red-seal electrician and has been a proud member of the IBEW since 2001. 

Janet Annesley is Chief Sustainability Officer at Kiwetinohk Energy, an energy transition company invested in natural gas, renewable and carbon management technologies. A former executive at one of Canada's largest integrated energy companies, and a former chief of staff to the Minister of Natural Resources, Janet has tackled some of the most challenging business and public policy matters in the last decade.

A seasoned leader and dependable team player, she has a track record for executing strategies and leading teams to achieve success on challenging regulatory, policy, Indigenous and stakeholder issues across companies, large projects and government.

An accredited business communicator and Royal Canadian Geographical Society Fellow, Janet holds MBAs from Queen’s and Cornell universities and sits on the boards of the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology and the Calgary Green Line Light Rail Transit Project, and advisory committees at Export Development Canada and Clean Prosperity.
 

Edward Stuart is a Co-Founder of Hydrogen Optimized Inc., a subsidiary of Key DH Technologies Inc. (KEY) that develops and commercializes large-scale green hydrogen production systems. As Chief Development Officer of KEY and Vice President, Development at Hydrogen Optimized, he plays a leadership role in the company’s technology, manufacturing and business development activities. Edward is a listed inventor on the company’s patents for its innovative RuggedCell™ high power water electrolysis system, which is designed specifically for cost-efficient, large-scale green hydrogen production. He is the fourth-generation member of the Stuart family to be at the forefront of groundbreaking innovation in water electrolysis and other hydrogen technologies. In 2017, Edward and his father Andrew formed Hydrogen Optimized to commercialize the company’s RuggedCell™ technology. He also currently serves as a Director on the Canadian Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association board.

Adam Auer was appointed President and CEO of the Cement Association of Canada (CAC) in April 2022. Formerly Vice President of Sustainability, Mr. Auer has spent more than two decades working with public, private and non-profit institutions, leading policies and programs to support industrial decarbonization. As CAC’s President and CEO, Mr. Auer’s leadership is focused on ensuring the cement industry remains a competitive leader in Canada’s transition to a climate resilient net-zero economy. He also serves as a Director of the Athena Sustainable Materials Institute as well as on the Canadian Climate Institute’s Council of Advisors. Before joining the CAC in 2012, Mr. Auer managed Environment Canada’s Corporate Environmental Innovation initiative – a multi-stakeholder program to promote the business and financial case for corporate environmental leadership and the link between sustainability and an innovative and competitive economy. Mr. Auer holds a Masters’ of Environmental Studies from York University and a Bachelor of Science in Ecology from the University of British Columbia.
 

Jon is a professional engineer with over 20 years experience in the power industry, management consulting and government. Jon currently oversees Hydrostor’s strategic growth as President and was previously Chief Operating Officer.  Prior to Hydrostor he held senior roles at Brookfield Asset Management, including leading commercial development, regulatory policy and government relations across North America and Europe for the power and utilities business. In earlier roles he served as project manager for environmental infrastructure and held senior roles in government, where he led grid and networks policy development in Ontario as well as interjurisdictional negotiations. Jon holds an interdisciplinary master’s degree in engineering and economics from the University of Toronto.

Merran Smith is President of New Economy Canada, bringing decades of award-winning leadership uniting industry, government, and civil society partners to solve society’s most pressing social and ecological challenges. She is broadly recognized as a fearless advocate and national thought leader in advancing Canada’s clean, zero-carbon economy.
 
Since establishing Clean Energy Canada in 2010, Merran has been at the forefront of public policy discourse and solution building for Canada to win in the global energy transition. Earlier, her leadership in the landmark Great Bear Rainforest agreement led to the protection of BC’s coastal rainforest ecosystems and set a new standard for collaboration between Indigenous and Crown governments, and across sectors. 

Merran has served as co-chair of BC’s Climate Solutions Council which informed the province’s first comprehensive climate plan, CleanBC, and co-chair of Natural Resources Canada’s Generation Energy Council. She represents Canada on the C3E International Ambassador Corps and is a Fellow at Simon Fraser University. 

Merran’s leadership has been formally recognized through Vancouver Magazine;s Power 50, SFU’s President’s Social Media Newsmaker Award, Clean Energy BC's Lifetime Achievement award, Vancouver Board of Trade's Wendy McDonald Community Catalyst award, and the Clean 16 award for leadership in clean capitalism.

Kevin Deagle was most recently a senior policy advisor to the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry. In his role, he was responsible for helping manage the Net Zero Accelerator, an $8B federal program designed to advance clean technologies, decarbonize heavy emitters, transform industry, and develop a new battery ecosystem. 

Kevin previously served as the senior policy advisor to the Minister of Natural Resources Canada focused on advancing a hydrogen economy, increasing clean energy, and greening buildings in Canada.

Prior to that, he served as a policy advisor and press secretary to two Ministers of Indigenous Services Canada. Kevin is from Alberta. He graduated from the University of Toronto and the University of Oxford.

Alexa is the Principal at Strategies 3.0, bringing 20 years of experience providing guidance to C-Suite executives, developing integrated strategies and building modern GR, public affairs and sustainability functions across Canada’s leading resource and tech companies.

Alexa has served as VP, Sustainability, Government and Public Affairs at the BC Council of Forest Industries, VP of National Government Affairs at TELUS and Head of Federal Government Affairs, North America at Teck. In these roles she’s delivered transformational policy and partnership solutions to support business and partners’ investment, regulatory, environment and climate change, reconciliation, innovation, trade and transportation priorities and more.

Alexa currently serves on the Boards of Family Services of Greater Vancouver and North Shore Neighbourhood House. She’s also served on the Board of the Digital Technology Supercluster, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and US Mining Association, and as a Member of the Mining Association of Canada’s Towards Sustainable Mining Governance Team.

She holds a MSc in Politics and Communications from the London School of Economics and a BAH in Political Science from Queen’s. In 2021, she was recognized as one of Business in Vancouver’s Top 40 Under 40. She is an alumnus of the 2017 Governor General’s Canadian Leadership Conference. Born and raised in New Brunswick, Alexa is a proud and passionate pan-Canadian with deep roots from coast to coast.

In her most recent role, Nadin served as the Senior Lead to the Executive & Board at the Pembina Institute, supporting the advancement of a prosperous clean energy future for Canada through credible policy solutions that support communities, the economy, and a safe climate.

Prior to this position, she worked as a Jr. Consultant for the Syrian sub-regional response facility (SRF) at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), contributing to the development of resilience-based development and adaptive solutions in regions affected by the Syrian crisis. Preceding her work at the SRF, Nadin was also a team member at UNDP for Climate Change, Energy, and Disaster Risk Reduction. Here, she conducted in-depth analyses of waste-to-energy solution projects in 18 countries in the Arab region and designed a case study showcasing best practices in utilizing sustainable energy for resilient recovery from protracted crises.

Originally from Jordan, Nadin holds a Bachelor of Environmental Studies degree from Memorial University of Newfoundland and is currently based in Vancouver.