Speakers
Derron Bain, MPA, BA, rmc, PMP, C.Dir
Chief Executive Officer, Concert Infrastructure
Having joined Concert Infrastructure at its inception in 2010, Derron is responsible for leading the strategy, project origination, development, investment, financing, and asset management activities of the $505 million Concert Infrastructure Fund. Concert Infrastructure is an independent long-term investor, developer, and manager, established to partner with governments to deliver and manage critical public infrastructure assets that support essential public services that strengthen the economic and social fabric of Canadian communities and the well-being of Canadians. The master trust, equity fund, is backed by ten Canadian union and management pension plans and presently holds twelve infrastructure investments with an aggregate value of more than $3.4 billion. Concert Infrastructure has established itself as the largest investor, developer, and manager of multi-site, bundled, public private partnership (P3) projects in Canada and manages project investments in five provinces or territories. Concert Infrastructure is the lead majority investor and manager of the Iqaluit International Airport. Additionally, Concert Infrastructure has pursued a co-investment strategy with OMERS Infrastructure, providing its shareholders investment exposure and returns from large international infrastructure projects or assets.
Over a twenty-three-year period, Derron has a demonstrated record of successfully leading complex public private partnership infrastructure projects and multi-disciplinary teams, in multi-stakeholder, regulated environments on behalf of the Ontario government and Concert Infrastructure. During his career he has closed or has been assigned lead management oversight of more than twenty-five major infrastructure projects with total capital value over $10 billion. Prior to joining Concert Infrastructure, Derron was a founding team member of Infrastructure Ontario, transitioning from its predecessor agency the Ontario SuperBuild Corporation. With this collective experience, he brings a unique perspective and understanding of the Canadian infrastructure sector and in particular the intersection of government and the private sector business and investment to meet public policy objectives.
A graduate of the Royal Military College of Canada and Dalhousie University, prior to his career in the Canadian infrastructure sector, Derron was a maritime warfare officer in the Royal Canadian Navy. Committed to veteran support initiatives, in 2023 and 2024 he participated in the True Patriot Love Foundation’s expedition in tribute to the joint Canada-US First Special Service Force or Devil’s Brigade. The expedition honoured the over 2,000 lives lost during their 251 days of combat in World War II, while creating awareness, raising funds and a new team to support the physical and mental wellness of current members of the Canadian Armed Forces, Veterans, and their families.
Derron is a Chartered Director serving on the Board of Directors of the Canadian Council for Public Private Partnerships and has previously contributed his expertise to other not-for-profit boards, including the Juno Beach Centre Association and the Royal Military College of Canada Museum Corporation.
Darrell Beaulieu
CEO, Denendeh Investments Inc., NWT
Darrell Beaulieu was appointed President and CEO of Denendeh Investments Incorporated (DII) and group of companies in October 2005. DII holds investments on behalf of the NWT Dene First Nations in Mineral Exploration, Communications Infrastructure Logistics, Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution, Food and Supplies Distribution and Real Estate. He is also Founding Director, President and CEO of DEMCo Ltd., a 100% Indigenous owned mineral exploration company established in 2013. Darrell was honored in 2016 by the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada with their prestigious Skookum Jim Award, for exceptional Indigenous achievement in the mineral industry.
Mr. Beaulieu served as Councilor for 2 years and 8 years as Chief of Ndilo, Yellowknives Dene First Nation. He is a founder and past president of Det’on Cho Corporation from 1990 to 2000 and served as CEO from 1997 to 2002. He is a founding director and served as President of Det’on Cho Diamonds Inc. from 1998-2002.
Mr. Beaulieu was co-chair of the Mine Training Committee from 1996-2004. He also served on the NWT-Nunavut Chamber of Mines from 1998-2001 and was reappointed in 2015 for another term. And on the Government of the Northwest Territories Mineral Advisory Committee. Currently, he serves on the Northwestel’s Community Advisory Board and ATCO’s Indigenous Advisory Board.
Tjorven Bellmann
German Ambassador to Canada
Tjorven Bellmann has served as German Ambassador to Canada since September 2024. She will share this position with her husband – they will alternate every 8 months.
She previously held the position of Assistant Deputy Minister at the Federal Foreign Office in Berlin.
In this role, her responsibilities included bilateral relations with Canada, the United States, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, Turkey, Central Asia, the Western Balkans, EFTA countries and Russia, as well as the G7, NATO, Arctic Policy, the EU Common Foreign and Security Policy, the OSCE and the Council of Europe.
Before that, she was Director for Security Policy and served in various roles in the field of security policy, in the Press Division at the Foreign Office as well as at the German Embassies in Tel Aviv and Tehran.
She has been awarded the Lithuanian Medal of Honour “Lithuanian Diplomacy Star” and the Polish award ”Bene Merito”.
She studied Islamic Studies and European Political Studies.
Tjorven Bellmann is married to Matthias Lüttenberg. They have three children.
Danielle Bochove
Senior Reporter, Global Arctic for Bloomberg News (full time)
Danielle Bochove is a Senior Reporter at Bloomberg, covering the global Arctic and climate change. Prior to joining Bloomberg she worked for Reuters in Chicago, Tokyo and London, and for The Canadian Broadcast Corporation as a national television and radio presenter. She studied International Relations at Trinity College at the University of Toronto and is a Senior Fellow at the Bill Graham Centre for Contemporary International History.
Aurélie Bonal
Deputy Head of Delegation, Delegation to Canada
Aurélie Bonal is the Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to Canada, a role she began in September 2024. With two decades of experience in French diplomacy, Ms. Bonal has previously served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the French Embassy in the United States (2020-2024) and as Press Counsellor and Spokesperson at the French Embassy in the UK (2016- 2020). She also led the Western and Nordic Europe Department at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 2013 to 2016 and has held key positions in French embassies in Ireland and Argentina. Ms. Bonal is a graduate of École nationale d’administration (ENA) and Sciences Po Aix. Aurélie is married with two children.
Honourable Caitlin Cleveland
Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, NWT
The Honourable Caitlin Cleveland was first elected in the 19th Assembly as the MLA for Kam Lake in 2019, and has served as the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, and Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment since 2023 after being acclaimed to the 20th Assembly.
In addition to owning and operating a northern business for over 20 years, Minister Cleveland worked in a variety of communications and policy roles in both the public and private sectors before entering politics.
Between 2019 to 2023, she chaired the Standing Committee on Social Development, fulfilling a goal to be a part of the discussions and decisions affecting social programs in the Northwest Territories. Her noteworthy work on the Committee included guiding the considerable review and input into recommendations on housing in the NWT, suicide prevention, and improvements to caring for children in care and building supported families.
Within the scope of her portfolios, Minister Cleveland is focused on helping children grow into successful NWT residents that recognize opportunities and develop successful careers that contribute to a growing economy. She advocates for new approaches to sector diversification and innovation, and ensures the North is welcoming both skilled foreign workers and investment in the critical mineral resources across the territory. She persistently explores solutions for efficient and equitable access to programs and services, upholding a shared vision of an NWT where people are supported in the ways they wish to live, work, and grow.
Minister Cleveland is a lifelong resident of Yellowknife where she lives with her husband and their three children.
Luke Coffey
Senior Fellow, Hudson Institute
Luke Coffey is a senior fellow at Hudson Institute focusing on foreign policy issues. Prior to joining Hudson, Mr. Coffey worked at the Heritage Foundation as a research fellow and Director of the Foreign Policy Center. He has travelled extensively in the Arctic region and is a prolific writer on Arctic security issues. Mr. Coffey previously served at the UK Ministry of Defence as senior special adviser to the British Defence Secretary. He was the first non-UK citizen appointed to this position by the prime minister to provide advice to senior British ministers. He also worked in the House of Commons as an adviser on defense and security issues for the Conservative Party. His work in British politics followed his service to the United States as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army. He is a veteran of the war in Afghanistan and was awarded the Bronze Star Medal. He holds a masters in science degree in European politics from the London School of Economics.
Rebecca Connelly
Vice President, Strategy and Engagement, Det’onCho
Rebecca has extensive experience in large-hub airport management, including community outreach, finance, and economic development. She has parlayed that experience into nurturing strategic relationships between Det’on Cho and their internal and external stakeholders across industry, government, non-profits, and academia.
Rebecca serves as a director for the Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce and is a Yellowknife Airport Economic Advisory Committee member.
Originally from Florida, Rebecca holds a business degree from Georgetown University in Washington, DC, and an MBA from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. She lives in Yellowknife with her husband and their dog, where she enjoys attempting new winter sports, cooking, and travelling in her free time.
Glenn R. Cowan
Founder & CEO, ONE9
2 and has grown ONE9 into one of Canada’s leading defence and security ecosystems with a focus on investing in dual-use technologies that are validated by national security end-users.
Having deployed on multiple combat tours in Afghanistan, sensitive information operations in the Middle East and hostage recovery efforts in Africa, he experienced
first-hand how technological
implementation and overmatch is a force multiplier for success.
Armed with a deep knowledge of the capability requirements of national security organizations Glenn is an advocate that a Tier 1 Special Mission Unit is an untapped technology incubator; accelerating talent, innovation and imaginative problem solving.
Ali Dolatabadi
Professor, University of Toronto
Dr. Ali Dolatabadi is a leading researcher and educator in the field of Multiphase flows and surface engineering. His research on multiphase flows develops fundamental understanding of sprays for thermal spray processes, and of droplet dynamics, heat transfer and phase change for development and characterization of novel functional coatings. His research group has developed electro-catalytically active electrodes for hydrogen evolution, micro filtration membranes, superhydrophobic, icephobic, and slippery coatings. He has provided valuable service to the mechanical engineering community on many fronts during his tenure at CSME as well as the Engineering Institute of Canada (EIC).
Craig Fleener
Deputy Director, Ted Stevens for Arctic Security Studies
Craig Fleener has been the Deputy Director of the Ted Stevens for Arctic Security Studies since 2023.
He was born and raised in Alaska. He’s from Fort Yukon, a small town on the north bank of the Yukon River, eight miles above the Arctic Circle in northeastern interior, Alaska near the Yukon, Canada border.
He has a 38-year military career where he began as an enlisted U.S. Marine from 1986-1990. He transitioned to the Alaska Air National Guard in 1991 where he still serves today. He received his U.S. Air Force commission in 2001 from the Academy of Military Sciences. He has served as a supply warehouseman, a .50 caliber machine gunner, a KC-135 aircraft crew chief, a maintenance controller, a maintenance officer, and an intelligence officer.
Craig spent time deployed in the U.S. Central Command region. He currently holds the rank of Lt. Col., serving in the Alaska Air National Guard with the 168 Airlift Wing at Eielson AFB, Alaska.
In his civilian career, he served his community and tribe as a wildland firefighter, wildlife biologist, climate researcher, and director of a regional tribal non-profit providing healthcare, education, and natural resources management services. He has served in elected office for his tribe and the City of Fort Yukon.
Craig served as a Permanent Participant of the Arctic Council as the International Co-chair of the Gwich’in Council International. He worked for three governors of Alaska as the Director of the Division of Subsistence, as Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Fish and Game, and as an appointed cabinet member responsible for Arctic Policy and as Director of State and Federal Relations, where he also served as third in the line of succession for governor.
Fleener has also worked in and has a passion for economic development with a focus on rural and tribal development, blue economy, and new opportunities for rural residents of the state. Recently, he supported the advancement and construction of broadband in rural Alaska.
He graduated from the University of Alaska Fairbanks in 1999 with a BSc. in Natural Resources Management, in 2012 with an MA in Intelligence Studies from American Public University, and completed substantial work towards an MSc. in Wildlife Biology through the Resources and the Environment Program at the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada.
Mads Qvist Frederiksen
Executive directo, Arctic Economic Council (AEC)
Prior to joining the AEC in March 2021, Mr. Frederiksen worked as a Senior Advisor in the Global Trade and Investment unit at the Confederation of Danish Industry. Here he was responsible for Arctic business development and policy.
Before he has worked in manufacturing, communication and as a journalist. In addition to Arctic policy and trade promotion, his previous work has been within
sanctions and export control, development work, foreign investments, communication, journalism, training and capacity building.
Mr. Frederiksen is originally from Denmark. He has an Executive MBA from Harvard Business School, a MA in Middle East Studies from the University of Southern Denmark and a BA in Journalism and Contemporary history from City University and QMUL Mr. Frederiksen has lived and worked in Denmark, Norway, Algeria, United
Kingdom, Iran and Afghanistan.
Hlynur Guðjónsson
Iceland Ambassador to Canada
Ambassador Guðjónsson was accredited as Iceland’s Ambassador to Canada in September 2021. He has 30 years’ experience in international trade and investment, public relations, advertising, and politics. He holds degrees in Integrated Marketing Communication as well as History from Emerson College (USA) and the University of Iceland, respectively.
Prior to joining the Embassy of Iceland in Ottawa he served as Consul General and Trade Commissioner at the Consulate of Iceland in New York, where he was responsible for the trade and investment portfolio for the United States and Canada. There he served concurrently as the General Manager of the Icelandic-American Chamber of Commerce, co-founder and chairman of the Nordic Innovation House New York and Nordic City Solutions. He founded and served on the board of the Foreign Trade Commissioner’s Association in New York, of which he was the Chairman from 2006-2012. Guðjónsson was appointed to the Export and Marketing Council of Iceland in February 2019 for four years.
Prior to the Consulate General’s office, Guðjónsson served as brand manager for Icelandic USA, Inc., a global seafood importer, wholesaler, and manufacturer, where he developed and executed the company’s branding initiatives.
Ambassador Nikolaj Harris
Ambassador of the Kingdom of Denmark to Canada
Ambassador Harris is appointed Ambassador of the Kingdom of Denmark to Canada as of December 2024.
Ambassador Harris joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark in 2001 after having worked for the Danish Institute for Human Rights from 2000-01 mainly in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Ambassador Harris has spent half of his carrier at Danish missions abroad; 2004-07 as Deputy Head of Mission in Lithuania and 2009-13 as Deputy Head of Mission in Turkey.
In 2013 he was appointed Deputy Director for the Department for the Middle East and North Africa in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Copenhagen where he served – with a short break as Chargé d’Affaires at the Danish Embassy in Cairo for 6 months in 2016 – until he was appointed Ambassador to Morocco and Mauritania in August 2018. In August 2021 he returned to Copenhagen and took up the position as Director for Consular Affairs and Crisis Management which he held until November 2024.
Ambassador Harris obtained a Master in Contemporary History and Political Science from the University of Copenhagen in 2000. He took selected modules of the Master in Public Governance programme at the Copenhagen Business School and Copenhagen University in 2014-15 and in 2022-23 he concluded the programme “Leadership in Public Governance”.
Ambassador Harris was Knighted (Order of Dannebrog) by Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II in 2019. He speaks English, German, French and Russian (basic level).
Ambassador Harris was born in June 1972, he is married and has three adult children.
April Hayward, Ph.D., MBA
Chief Sustainability Officer, Li-FT Power Ltd.
Dr. April Hayward leads the environment, permitting, engagement, and corporate social responsibility programs for Li-FT Power Ltd. – a Canadian critical minerals exploration company with assets in the Northwest Territories and Quebec. April has over 25 years of experience working in the fields of environment and sustainability in the academic, public, and private sectors. For more than a decade, Dr. Hayward’s career has been dedicated to developing collaborative relationships between industry, Indigenous communities, regulatory agencies, and academic researchers to advance sustainable development in the mining industry in northern Canada. April has a Ph.D. in ecology from McMaster University (2007) and an MBA from the Haskayne School of Business (2022).
Mike Kennah
CEO, International Telecom
Mr. Kennah has been in the submarine cable industry for over forty-five years. After graduating from university with a degree in Marine Sciences he started immediately in the submarine cable industry utilizing his background in marine sciences as well as his commercial diving operations experience. Since then he has been involved in all aspects of the industry including marine survey, route engineering, installation and cable maintenance and has worked on over sixty international cable systems. Today Mr. Kennah acts as group CEO and sits on the Advisory Board of IT International Telecom.
Bo Lidegaard
Political and Strategic Advisor
Dr. Bo Lidegaard, political and strategic advisor. Bo has three decades experience as a geo-political and climate advisor, top-level diplomat and G20 sherpa, climate change negotiator, newspaper editor, and writer on contemporary history. In recent years, Bo has deep dived into critical raw materials especially as they pertain to the Arctic and supply chains for green energy and industries.
Bo served as top diplomatic and national security advisor for six years at the Office of the Danish Prime Minister and lead the political negotiations in the lead up to the Climate Summit in Copenhagen 2009. He maintains a personal network with high-ranking officials throughout Europe, the US, Canada and Greenland.
In 2021, Bo co-founded Kaya Partners providing high level, business oriented advise where geopolitics intersect with climate transition, industrial policy, and European efforts to harness competitiveness.
Kaya is now established in Copenhagen, London, Nuuk and Washington advising major corporations and financial operators with special emphasis on mounting sustainable extraction and processing of critical raw materials.
Allana Nakashook-Zettler
Chemical Engineering Student, University of Toronto
Allana is an Inuk student in her final year of Chemical Engineering at the University of Toronto, with a minor in Bioengineering. Her career thus far has focused on the environment and climate change mitigation, particularly greenhouse gas quantification. This is demonstrated through her roles in greenhouse gas mitigation programming with Environment and Climate Change Canada, as well as with an environmental consulting firm Brightspot in Calgary, Alberta. Allana also has experience in Indigenous consultation through a role with the federal government, showcasing her passion for making a meaningful impact in every position she takes on. Looking forward, Allana is excited to graduate this June and is eager to make meaningful connections with others.
Honourable Erin O’Toole
President and Managing Director of ADIT North America; former MP, Durham and Leader of Conservative Party
Erin O’Toole is the President and Managing Director of ADIT North America and serves on the executive committee of ADIT Group. ADIT Group is a Paris-based business intelligence firm that provides global investment due diligence, operational support and economic diplomacy services around the world. He assumed this role after having served as the Leader of the Conservative Party and a Member of Parliament for a decade. In 2021, Erin ran to be the Prime Minister of Canada in the general election held amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the challenging circumstances of the election, Mr. O’Toole won the popular vote and advanced a series of policies that continue to resonate in Canadian politics today.
First elected in a 2012 by-election. Mr. O’Toole was quickly promoted to Parliamentary Secretary for International Trade, where he helped the Canadian government finalize trade agreements around the world. He was also responsible for corporate social responsibility efforts for the resource sector and regulatory cooperation with the United States. Promoted to cabinet a year later, Erin modernized the Veterans Affairs department and was a leading voice for the Conservative government on defence and national security issues. In opposition he served as Shadow Minister of Foreign Affairs before becoming Leader of the Opposition.
Erin is one of Canada’s most respected thought leaders on economic and foreign policy issues because of his public service, his private sector experience and his service in uniform. A graduate of the Royal Military College, Erin served as an officer in the Royal Canadian Air Force flying on the Sea King helicopter in support of naval operations. A graduate of Dalhousie Law School, Mr. O’Toole practiced law at Stikeman Elliott and Heenan Blaikie in Toronto and spent five years as in-house counsel for Procter & Gamble.
Erin and his wife Rebecca live in Toronto and are the proud parents of Mollie and Jack. He continues to comment on geopolitical and economic competitiveness issues in Canada and hosts the popular Blue Skies podcast exploring these issues.
Jon-Åge Øyslebø
Minister Counsellor, Embassy of Norway, Ottawa
Senior Foreign Service officer with extensive bilateral and multilateral experience, currently posted as Minister Counsellor to the Embassy of Norway in Ottawa, Canada, his wife’s home country. Former ambassador of Norway to the Democratic Republic of Congo and four other countries in the region.
Øyslebø has previously served at Norwegian embassies in Morocco, United States, Poland, Mozambique and South Africa, as well as with Norway’s delegation to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva. Early career experience as a journalist and media adviser.
He holds a Cand.mag degree in political science and languages from the University of Oslo, with more recent credits in international election monitoring from the University of Bergen. He attended the Harvard Kennedy School Senior Executive Course on National and International Security in 2018.
Dave Prodger
UK Deputy High Commissioner to Canada
David has served in a number of roles at home and overseas, both across government and in the private sector.
David joined the foreign service in 1999. His most recent role was in London, as the Deputy Director for International Strategy in the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. Prior to this, he served as Her Majesty’s Consul General in Miami. In addition, David has served abroad in Belgium as Deputy Ambassador and Argentina as Head of Trade and Investment. His home roles have included policy oversight for European security, the Middle East and Central America.
Prior to joining the FCO, David was a Chartered Surveyor and geographic information specialist. He worked on a range of domestic and international projects on land reform, oil and gas exploration and geodemographic modelling.
David is married to Tiffany and has three children.
Jasmine Redfern
CEO, Arctic Inspiration Prize
Jasmine Redfern is an experienced leader and advocate with a deep commitment to advancing social and economic development in the Arctic. As a lawyer and President of Amautiit Nunavut Inuit Women’s Association as well as the outgoing
Chair of the Nunavut Human Rights Tribunal, she has played a pivotal role in fostering equity, inclusion, and resilience across Nunavut.
Jasmine’s career spans over a decade in social policy and executive leadership, including roles with Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated and the Indigenous Peoples Resilience Fund. She has worked extensively on interagency partnerships with multi-stakeholder involvement, grant-funded initiatives, and community-driven projects that align with environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles, ensuring collaboration with Indigenous communities.
Jasmine’s expertise in governance, Indigenous rights, and social and economic resilience makes her a trusted voice with a vision for a thriving, sustainable North. Her current projects aim to create and enhance economic opportunities for Inuit in the arts and cultural sectors.
Madeleine Redfern, LL.B.
Executive Director, Northern Branch, Arctic360
Madeleine Redfern is an Indigenous woman involved in high-tech and innovation. Actively involved in transformative technologies in telecommunications, transportation and energy.
Currently Madeleine is the President of Amautiit: Nunavut Inuit Women’s Association, President of Ajungi Consulting Group; Chair of Nunavut Legal Services Board; Advisor to Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, Trudeau Foundation Board Member (former Trudeau Foundation Mentor); Co-Chair with Gordon Munk Arctic Security Program; Board member of Maliiganik Legal Aid. Madeleine is from Iqaluit, Nunavut and a graduate of the Akitsiraq Law School with an LLB from the University of Victoria. She was the first Inuk to be given a Supreme Court of Canada clerkship.
As a businesswoman and a strong social advocate for transformative initiatives, Madeleine has a great deal of governance and volunteer experience with Indigenous and Inuit organizations, including, but not limited to, Inuit Non-Profit Housing Corporation; Tungasuvvingat Inuit Community Centre, and one of the founding members of Wabano Aboriginal Health Centre and Inuit Head Start in Ottawa. Madeleine was also the executive director of the Qikiqtani Truth Commission, a commission that reviewed the “effects of federal government policies on Eastern Arctic Inuit” between the 1950s and 1980s.
Madeleine’s advocacy, professional, and governance work shown my dedication and passion towards the development and delivery of programs assisting Indigenous, Inuit, northerners and Canadians that reflect their values, needs, and priorities. Madeleine received the Indspire Award for Public Service to acknowledge and celebrate all her hard work, commitment and contributions.
Dr. Jessica M. Shadian, Ph.D.
President and CEO, Arctic360
Over the course of two decades, Shadian has lived and worked as a researcher, associate professor, and consultant throughout the European and North American Arctic. Dr. Shadian is widely published; her peer-reviewed books, articles, book chapters and other news commentary concentrate on the global politics of the Arctic, Arctic Indigenous governance and law, critical Arctic infrastructure innovation and investment, and Canadian Arctic security and diplomacy.
Her expertise is regularly solicited by media organisations, governments, the private sector, academia, and think tanks. Shadian’s 2014 book: The Politics of Arctic Sovereignty: Oil, Ice, and Inuit Governance (Routledge) is the first in-depth history of the Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC) and Inuit sovereignty in global politics reaching back to pre-European discovery. Her consulting work began while living in the Norwegian Arctic as the co-creator and organizer of an Arctic Dialogue series that brought together state and local political and industry leaders, local and Indigenous communities, and academia to increase information sharing about Arctic resource development.
Dr. Shadian holds a Ph.D. in Global Governance from the University of Delaware (2006) during which she wrote her doctoral dissertation at the Scott Polar Research Institute (SPRI), University of Cambridge, UK on an NSF award. She spent the following 5 years in Norway at the Barents Institute and then as a Senior Researcher at the High North Center for Business and Governance, Nord University, Bodø after which she was awarded an Associate Professor, Marie Curie COFUND Fellowship, at the Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies (AIAS), Denmark. In June 2017, Shadian completed a two-year Nansen Professorship co-funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the University of Akureyri, Iceland after which she turned to dedicate herself full-time to build Arctic360.
Shadian lives in Toronto with her husband and two children.
Andrew G. Smith
Intergovernmental Relations, Canadian Institute for Arctic Security
Andrew G. Smith is a long time Yukoner with a decade of service in Yukon government. A trusted advisor, strategist and communicator, Andrew works closely with both the public service and the Cabinet office to build strategic international, Arctic, and security relationships for the Yukon.
Since 2021, Andrew has been focused on the security of the Yukon and how investments in dual-use infrastructure and defence procurement can make the territory more secure and economically prosperous. In 2024, he was tasked to bring to fruition the Canadian Institute for Arctic Security (CIAS), a new think-tank and the first of its kind in Northern Canada.
In his international relations work, he has been responsible for delivering high-profile international engagements for Yukon’s Premier, including Alaska Governor Dunleavy’s 2024 visit to Whitehorse, the 2023 mission to Japan and India, Yukon’s portion of Canada’s Northern Diplomatic Tour in 2023, two missions to London, UK in 2023 and 2024, and visits to Iceland and Greenland in 2022.
Andrew regularly represents the Yukon at the Arctic Circle Assembly, Arctic Encounter Symposium, and Canada’s Arctic Security Working Group. Before joining government, he was one of two Yukon delegates at the Future Arctic Leaders Conference during Canada’s chairing of the Arctic Council in 2015, and the sole Canadian to attend International Arctic Student Week at the Moscow Institute of International Relations in 2016.
In 2021, Andrew received the highest award in Yukon’s public service for ending seasonal time changes. He intends to dine out on this achievement and expertise for the rest of his life. He was nominated for the same award in 2024 for his success in building international relations for the Yukon.
Born and raised in central Alberta, Andrew is a graduate of Grant MacEwan University in Edmonton and Yukon University in Whitehorse.
Jaiden Stevens
Digital Media Professional and Arctic Advocate, Norman Wells, Northwest Territories
Jaiden Stevens is a digital media professional and Arctic advocate based in Norman Wells, Northwest Territories. As a podcast intern at Arctic360, he amplifies northern voices on issues like Arctic security, infrastructure, and sustainability. He is also the founder of Jaiden Digital Ink, specializing in community storytelling and digital marketing.
A member of the Cree First Nation, Jaiden completed high school in Norman Wells and the Indigenous Leadership Opportunity Year (ILOY) at the Royal Military College. Recently, he earned his DMI Pro certification from the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, advancing his expertise in digital media.
Jaiden is passionate about using digital storytelling to highlight the challenges and opportunities of Arctic communities, ensuring their perspectives are central to conversations shaping Canada’s North.
Per Unheim
Head of Public Affairs and Trade, Embassy of Iceland
Per Unheim is Head of Public Affairs and Trade at the Embassy of Iceland. His work focuses on deepening bilateral relations between Iceland and Canada through cooperation in the fields of trade, investment, and culture. He also serves in the capacity of Iceland’s deputy head of mission in Ottawa. Prior to joining the embassy, he worked for over 15 years in international development consulting and cooperation. He holds an M.Sc. in Public Management and Governance from the London School of Economics & Political Science, an M.A. from Carleton University’s Norman Paterson School of International Affairs, and a B.A. in Political Science and Economics from McGill University.
Michael Walsh
Director General, Policy and Planning, CanNor
Michael has spent most of his 24 years in the public service focused on Northern and Indigenous issues. This includes a much enjoyed six year posting in the Yellowknife Regional Office in the Northwest Territories to start his career.
After moving to Ottawa, Michael has been lucky enough to hold a number of executive positions related to Land Claim, Self-Government and Fiscal Negotiations as well as work related to Lands and Economic Development and Individual Affairs.
Michael is currently the Director General of Policy and Planning here at the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency, which provides him the opportunity to help foster sustainable economic development with Northern and Indigenous partners, to the benefit of all Canadians.
Ollie Williams
Editor, Cabin Radio
Ollie Williams is the editor of Cabin Radio, a newsroom based in Yellowknife that serves Canada’s Northwest Territories. He and four other Yellowknife residents founded Cabin Radio in 2017. Previously, Ollie was a senior broadcast journalist for the BBC based in London and Manchester, England, and volunteered with youth in the Northwest Territories hamlet of Fort Liard.
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