Climate Governance Initiative Canada

Kathy Bardswick

Kathy is President of the Canadian Institute for Climate Choices. Previously, her professional career spanned nearly four decades with The Co-operators Group Ltd., stepping down from her role as President and Chief Executive Officer in 2016. During her tenure as CEO, she led The Co-operators sustainability journey, receiving various domestic and global recognitions for the insurance group’s efforts. Kathy holds a Bachelor of Science (Math) from the University of Manitoba and an MBA (Marketing) from McMaster University. She was appointed Honorary Chartered Insurance Professional with the Insurance Institute of Canada and Honorary Doctor of Laws from University of Guelph. Kathy has extensive board and governance experience. She currently serves on the boards of Foresters Financial, Wawanesa, and University Pension Plan. Previous governance experience includes chairing the International Co-operative and Mutual Insurance Federation and CANATICS, and serving on the boards of University of Guelph, University of Waterloo, and Metrolinx.

Christopher Burley

Chris Burley is a Corporate Director and the former Managing Director and Vice Chairman of Energy for Merrill Lynch Canada Inc., an investment banking firm. He serves as the Chairman of WestJet Airlines, an Onex Corporation portfolio company, and is on the board of directors of Nutrien Ltd.  He is also a member of the Business Council of Alberta. Mr. Burley is a graduate of the Institute of Corporate Directors’ Directors Education Program. He holds a Bachelor of Science with a Certificate of Honours Standing (Geophysics) and a Master of Business Administration from Western University. 

Denise Carpenter, ICD.D

Denise Carpenter is an experienced c-suite executive, business strategist, board director and executive coach with broad experience in several business sectors. Denise is recognized as a collaborative, engaging leader and coach. She is respected as a strategic, politically savvy, and socially sensitive thought leader and is  known for a calm, collaborative, measured approach to  fact-based decision making while keeping a view on the future effects and growth of the business.

She has spent her career advocating for companies and governments on issues that matter most to Canadians and acting as a trusted confidant to senior executives and governments.

Denise is currently Chair of the Board EnerFORGE, Chair of the Board, Oshawa Power and Utilities Corporation, Vice Chair and Chair of the Audit Committee of Synergy North and Board Director at Ronald McDonald House Charities Toronto, Chair of the Board, Canada’s Great Kitchen Party, a social enterprise. In 2018, Denise was appointed to the Diversity 50 Cohort, recognizing Canada’s most diverse and eligible board candidates.  She is an active and accredited member of the Institute of Corporate Directors, The International Coach Federation and the International Women’s Forum.

Andy Chisholm

Andy is a member of the Board of Directors of Royal Bank of Canada. Prior to that he spent most of his career at Goldman Sachs & Co, at which he served in a variety of progressively more senior leadership roles within the organization. He acted as a member of the Federal government’s Expert Panel on Sustainable Finance and subsequently as a member of the Task Force for Resilient Recovery.

He sits on the Advisory Board for the Institute for Sustainable Finance at Queen’s University and the Centre for Building Sustainable Value at the Ivey Business School, is a Board Member of Evergreen, and sits on the Investment Committee of ArcTern Ventures, a cleantech Venture Capital firm.

He holds a B. Comm from Queens University (1981) and graduated with an MBA from the Ivey Business School at Western University in 1985.  He is Chair of the Ivey Business School Advisory Board. He lives in Toronto with his family.
 

Miranda Hubbs

Miranda Hubbs is currently an independent director of Nutrien, Imperial Oil and PSP Investments, and has previously served on the Board of Directors of Spectra Energy and Agrium. She serves on the Board of the Canadian Red Cross and is a founding member and national co-chair of the Canadian Red Cross Tiffany Circle – Women Leading Through Philanthropy, and is also a member of the advisory board of the Toronto Biennial of Art. Prior to her retirement in 2011, Ms. Hubbs was executive vice president and managing director of McLean Budden, one of Canada's largest institutional asset managers.  Previous to McLean Budden, she was an energy research analyst and investment banker with Gordon Capital, a large Canadian brokerage firm.  
 

Sarah Keyes, CPA, CA

With a decade of diverse experience as a thought leader, consultant and auditor, Sarah Keyes is a recognized voice on the financial impacts of environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues for the Canadian business community.

She is a speaker, author and facilitator on the impacts of climate change risks and opportunities on governance, strategy, risk management and performance. Ms. Keyes is a Principal at ESG Global Advisors, a consulting firm created to help bridge the gap between companies and investors on ESG issues. Prior to this role, Ms. Keyes was a Principal at Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada (CPA Canada) where she produced research, thought leadership and practical guidance for companies to integrate climate change considerations into business strategy, risk management, governance and reporting.

Mark Podlasly

Mark Podlasly (Cook’s Ferry Indian Band, Nlaka’pamux Nation) is at the intersection of Indigenous-corporate issues of governance and infrastructure issues, with extensive experience in the planning, permitting and construction of capital projects connected to energy, resource extraction and community infrastructure around the world.
 
He serves as the Director of Economic Policy and Initiatives to the First Nations Major Projects Coalition, a national 65+ Indigenous nation collective seeking ownership of major projects such as pipelines and electric infrastructure, and as the Director of Governance at the First Nations Financial Management Board leading the development of an Indigenous response to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).  Mark is also engaged as the Chair of the First Nations Limited Partnership (Pipelines), a 16-First Nations $1 billion commercial partnership with Chevron’s Kitimat LNG project.
 
Mark is a graduate of Harvard University’s Kennedy School and a regular speaker at global business/governance events including the International Finance Corporation’s annual sustainability conference in Washington, DC.

Annette Verschuren, O.C.

Annette Verschuren, O.C., is Chair and CEO of NRStor Inc., and the former President of The Home Depot Canada. Ms. Verschuren is Chair of the MaRS Discovery District and the Chair of Sustainable Development Technology Canada. She is a Director of Liberty Mutual Insurance Group of Boston, Air Canada, Saputo and Canadian Natural Resources Limited.
 
Annette Verschuren serves as Chancellor of Cape Breton University and is a Board member of the CAMH Foundation. Ms. Verschuren is an Officer of the Order of Canada and is a Companion of the Canadian Business Hall of Fame.