Speakers

Derron Bain

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 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.

Anita Balakrishnan

Anita Balakrishnan
Reporter, The Logic

Anita Balakrishnan is a reporter for The Logic, covering electric and autonomous vehicles, including critical minerals in the battery supply chain. She has been a business reporter and editor at The Canadian Press and at Thomson Reuters’s Law Times, and was a tech and business reporter for CNBC.com. She is based in Toronto and can be found on Twitter @MsABalakrishnan.

Jim Balsillie

Jim Balsillie
Founder & Chair, Arctic Research Foundation
Chair, Council of Canadian Innovators

Jim Balsillie is the retired Chairman and co-CEO of Research In Motion (BlackBerry), a technology company he scaled from an idea to $20 billion in sales globally. Mr. Balsillie’s private investment office includes significant positions in Canadian and global technology companies.

He is the founder of the Arctic Research Foundation, the Centre for International Governance Innovation in Waterloo, the Centre for Digital Rights, the Balsillie School of International Affairs, and is the co-founder of the Institute for New Economic Thinking in New York, the Council of Canadian Innovators based in Toronto, and the Digital Governance Council in Ottawa, as well as He currently chairs the boards of CCI, CIGI, Innovation Asset Collective and Digital Governance Council. He is also a member of the Board of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the Advisory Board of the Canada School of Public Service; and an Honorary Captain (Navy) of the Royal Canadian Navy.

Mr. Balsillie was the private sector representative on the UN Secretary General’s High Panel for Sustainability and testified to US Congress about Intellectual Property reform. Mr. Balsillie served on the Digital Advisory Committee in European Union and speaks frequently to policymakers about the digital economy including at the International Monetary Fund, International Grand Committee on Big Data, Privacy and Democracy, EU think tanks and Parliaments.

His awards include: several honorary degrees, Mobile World Congress Lifetime Achievement Award, India’s Priyadarshni Academy Global Award, Canadian Business Hall of Fame, Time Magazine’s World’s 100 Most Influential People and three times Barron’s list of “World’s Top CEOs.

Paul Barrett

Paul Barrett
Chief Communications Officer,
Davie Shipbuilding

As a purpose-driven global corporate affairs leader across multiple industries, I advise CEOs, help drive industry-shaping mergers and acquisitions, manage complex global issues, deliver policy priorities and champion purpose and culture agendas. I lead large, diverse international teams and have a passion for helping people reach their potential.

Darrell Beaulieu
CEO, Denendeh Investment Corporation, NWT

Darrell Beaulieu was born and raised in Yellowknife, capital of the Northwest Territories and has served three terms as the Chief of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation, whose traditional territory surrounds the capital area.

In October 2005, Darrell was appointed President and CEO of Denendeh Investments Incorporated by its Board of Directors. Prior to being appointed to DII, Mr. Beaulieu was the founding President of Deton’Cho Corporation and Deton’Cho Diamonds. Mr. Beaulieu has been employed or self-employed in various aspects of mineral exploration in the NWT for many years and has served on both the Mine Training Society and NWT Chamber of Mines Boards of Directors.

At present, Darrell is on the Board of Directors of the NWT Law Foundation, Northland Utilities (Yellowknife & NWT), and since 2005 was appointed the Chair of the Northwest Territories Business Development Corporation (BDIC) by the Government of the Northwest Territories.

Ralph J. Begleiter
Rosenberg Professor of Communication Emeritus, University of Delaware and award-winning former CNN world affairs correspondent

During two decades as CNN’s “world affairs correspondent,” Ralph Begleiter was the network’s most wide- ly-traveled reporter, covering five U.S. Secretaries of State and three Presidents. During the 1980s and 1990s, when CNN was the world’s only global, all-news television channel, he covered U.S. diplomacy, inter- viewed countless world leaders, hosted the public affairs program “Global View,” and co-anchored CNN’s “International Hour.” Later, he hosted the nationally broadcast PBS program “Great Decisions.” He has worked in 100 countries on all 7 continents, including taking university students to Cuba, South America, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Antarctica. During nearly twenty years at the University of Delaware, he was founding Director of the Center for Political Com- munication, and brought his broadcast journalism experience to award-winning instruction in communication, journalism, and political science. Since 2016, he has continued teaching adult students in UD’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, usually focusing on media and public opinion topics.

Daniel Blaikie

Daniel Blaikie, MP
Elmwood—Transcona, Manitoba

Daniel has served as the Member of Parliament for Elmwood-Transcona since he was first elected in 2015.

In that time he has been re-elected twice and served in a number of roles, including: NDP Caucus Chair, Critic for International Trade and Vice-Chair of the Special Committee on Economic Relations between Canada and the United States. He is currently the NDP’s critic for Finance, Employment & Workforce Development and Democratic Reform.

Prior to entering politics, Daniel earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and philosophy at the University of Winnipeg, a Master of Arts degree in philosophy at Concordia University and his Red Seal as a journeyman construction electrician. He was elected off the jobsite and remains a proud member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.

Daniel’s focus is on developing a productive, prosperous and sustainable economy that delivers fairness and dignity for those who work, as well as those that cannot. In 2019, Daniel was involved in drafting the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs’ report, “Nation-Building at Home, Vigilance Beyond: Preparing for the Coming Decades in the Arctic”. As part of the report’s consultation process, he had the opportunity to travel to Iqaluit, Cambridge Bay, Inuvik and Yellowknife, where he learned from local community leaders and worked to incorporate their wisdom into the Committee’s recommendations. He looks forward to contributing to the ongoing conversation through Arctic 360.

Danielle Bochove
Toronto Bureau Chief & Senior Reporter for the Arctic for Bloomberg News

Danielle is the Toronto bureau chief for Bloomberg News and leads its coverage of the global Arctic. Before joining Bloomberg she worked as a national television and radio host for CBC News, hosted a daily business program on Canada’s Business News Network, and spent seven years with Reuters in Chicago, Tokyo and London. She majored in International Relations and English Literature at Trinity College and, for many years, taught broadcast performance at the Munk School’s Fellowship in Global Journalism program.

Patricia Boeg-Jensen

Patricia Boeg-Jensen
Business Sweden, Swedish Trade Commission, Toronto

Patricia currently holds the position of Project Manager at Business Sweden, the Swedish Trade and Invest Council, where she focuses on the mining sector in Canada and Sweden. Additionally, she serves as the head of Mining for North America. Prior to her role at Business Sweden, Patricia resided in Kiruna, Sweden’s northernmost city, for over a decade. During this time, she worked at LKAB, the state-owned mining company, gaining eight years of experience in both operational and strategic aspects of the mining industry. Patricia has led numerous global R&D projects focused on rock mechanics and mining technology.

Before relocating to Canada, Patricia worked as a Project Manager at the Kiruna urban transformation department. Her role involved overseeing the relocation process of individuals, homes, housing, and business premises to ensure availability of the land required  for mining operations. Additionally, Patricia holds a board member position at MIRARCO, an applied mining research firm in North America.

Dr. Kathryn Bryk Friedman
Consultant to the North American Arctic Policy Advisor to the Ted Stevens Center for Arctic Security Studies

Dr. Kathryn Bryk Friedman serves in a consultative capacity as the North American Arctic Policy Advisor to the Ted Stevens Center for Arctic Security Studies and a Global Fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars (Canada Institute). Kathryn is a recognized foreign policy expert, with two decades of experience collaborating with and advising US, Canadian, and European government officials on security, borders, migration, and transboundary water challenges. Her work sits at the intersection of law, security, geopolitics, and governance. Kathryn also is an experienced mediator and conflict resolution specialist, who has designed processes and led Track 1.5-4.0 diplomatic efforts. Prior to supporting the Stevens Center, she served on the faculty at the University at Buffalo where she directed a law and policy program on the US-Canada relationship.
 
Kathryn has served as a Fulbright Fellow (Germany) and an Abshire Inamori Fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC. Kathryn has been invited to testify before Congress and has provided guest commentary in the media, including PBS, NPR, The Hill, CBC and Bloomberg News. She has presented in international fora including the United Nations and the Bled Strategic Forum. Kathryn clerked for two appellate judges and is admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court. Kathryn has a Ph.D. with a concentration in international relations and J.D., magna cum laude, with a concentration in international law.
H.E. Signe Burgstaller

H.E. Signe Burgstaller
Sweden Ambassador to Canada

Signe Burgstaller is Sweden’s Ambassador to Canada since September 2023.

Ms Burgstaller is a Swedish career diplomat with more than 30 years of experience in different foreign policy areas, including Nordic and Baltic Sea regional cooperation, reform cooperation and democratic transition in Central and Eastern Europe as well as the Horn of Africa, UN reforms, humanitarian affairs, peacekeeping and peacebuilding, international security policy and Arctic affairs.

Previously, she has served as Sweden’s Ambassador to Sudan, with a cross-accreditation to South Sudan, and as Sweden’s Ambassador to the Republic of Moldova. Prior to that, Ms Burgstaller worked in multilateral affairs and served as Deputy Permanent Representative of the Permanent Mission of Sweden to the UN in New York. She has also been posted to Prague, Washington, and Pristina.

In the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in Stockholm, she has held different positions, including as Deputy Head of the Security Policy Department and Coordinator for Arctic Affairs.

Philip Burns-OBrien

Philip Burns-O’Brien
Chief Revenue Officer at AT2

Phil holds the position of Chief Revenue Officer at AT2, responsible for sales, marketing and after-sales support. Phil previously has held key
positions at Babcock International Group, driving organizational change and transformation to ensure the company’s readiness for a new operating model.

Phil also served as the Integration Director/Restructuring and
Transformation, where he spearheaded major restructuring efforts, driving sustainable cost savings exceeding £60 million per year and leading the transformation of the group-wide operating model.

Phil also served as as the Global Director of Aerial Firefighting, ensuring the successful operational performance of the largest AFF business globally, managing a complex operation with over 100 assets and more than 800 personnel across multiple countries. In addition, Phil previously led Aviation & Marine business development across North America, establishing a
new business and pipeline of $6B.

Phil holds a Master’s degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering and is a chartered engineer. and project manager.

Christine Burow
Chief Marketing Officer, Torngat Metals, Ltd.

Christine leads Torngat Metals’ ESG-I (Environmental Social Governance and Indigenous), marketing, business development and government relations. She has almost 30 years of senior- level industrial experience. She has been working in the rare earths industry since 2013. As the President of her consulting firm, she has supported global clients in mining, technology, environment, and manufacturing industries. She has previously worked for Resolute Forest Products, Trojan Technologies, Rayonier, and VALE’s nickel business.

Christine has a BSc from the University of Waterloo and an EMBA from Western University.

David Connelly

David Connelly
Vice President Strategy and Corporate Affairs, Cheetah Resources

David Connelly CD, MBA, B.Comm., lives in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories,Canada.  He is the Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Strategy of Cheetah Resources and Vital Metals, Canadas only producer of rare earth products and owner of the consulting firm Royale Enterprises Ltd. which specializes in strategic planning, community engagement and ESG.

As an investor in and advocate for responsible economic development, David has structured many successful strategic alliances and led turnarounds.  He has helped pioneer groundbreaking Indigenous business partnerships and impact benefits agreements.  

He serves or has served on over two dozen public companies, private companies, Indigenous development corporations, not-for-profit, quasi-judicial and government boards.

With more than 40 years of experience, Davidbegan his career in project and international banking in Japan, Australia and Canada,including a stint with the Government of Canada restructuring funding for challenging projects.  He then transitioned to developing transportation, communications and energy infrastructure projects.

As President and CEO from 1992-1997, he led the turnaround of the Inuvialuit Development Corporation, then Canadas largest Indigenous development corporation. He co-authored the Five Year Review of The Nunavut Land Claims Agreement 1993 -1998.  In recognition of contributions to Indigenous economic development, he received the Queens Jubilee Medal in 2002 and, in 2012, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee for the leadership of volunteer groups and corporate social responsibility.

He shared the Prospector and Developers Association of Canadas Environmental and Social Responsibility Award and the NWT MAX Environment and Community Engagement Award and a Second MAX award for Economic Contributions.  David chaired the Corporate Social Responsibility Committee (CSR) for Canada’s first publicly traded exploration company to elevate CSR to the Board level.

David volunteered for five years, first as the founding Chair of the National Property Committee and then as DeputyNational Commissioner of Scouts Canada, responsible for restructuring a $300 million property portfolio. King Carl XVI,Gustaf of Sweden, made David a Baden-Powell Fellow of the World Scout Foundation in 2017.

David is a past Governor of Scouts Canada, Past Chair of the Canadian Forces Liaison Council North, Co-Chair of the Friends of HMCS Yellowknife, and a past threeterm National Vice President of a major Canadian political party.  He is a Paul Harris Fellow with Rotary.

David is a Trustee of the Interamerican Scouting Foundation. He served three terms on each of the national boards of Scouts Canada, Saint John Ambulance and The Order of St. Lazarus (Palliative Care) and three terms as Chair of the NWT Social Assistance Appeal Board and Treasurer of NWT Skills Canada. He is the Past Chair of United Way NWT and NWT Chamber of Commerce.  As a Naval reserve officer, David served as the Aboriginal and Northern Affairs Advisor to eight Commanders of Joint Task Force (North). He deployed in numerous sovereignty operations. David was awarded the Canada Decoration with clasp and commendations for meritorious actions saving civilian lives.

David was promoted to Commander in the Order of St. John in 2010 for leadership and community service and Knighted by the Order of St. Lazarus for supporting palliative care in the Arctic in 2015. Born in Cape Breton (Ile Royale), Nova Scotia,he is an adventure traveler,frequently treks in remote areas, is an avid scuba diver, and enjoys cooking, wine and the arts.He is a proud husband to Rebecca Connelly, a brother, uncle, and puppy daddy.

Rebecca Connelly
Vice President, Strategy and Engagement, Det’onCho

Rebecca is Vice President of Strategy & Engagement for Det’on Cho Management LP. Since joining the company in 2022, she has led efforts to implement programs and processes to optimize Det’on Cho’s growing portfolio of companies while also focusing on community engagement and building a comprehensive communications strategy.
 
Rebecca has extensive experience in large-hub airport management, including community outreach, finance, and real estate 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. She is proud to have served on the boards of many civic and non-profit organizations in North Carolina before moving to Canada.
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 traveling in her free time.

Patrick Duxbury
Executive Director, Inuit Development Corporation Association

Patrick Duxbury advocates for nation building through Inuit-led economic development efforts. He has over 22 years of experience providing strategic advice and operational support to Indigenous and northern organizations and businesses. His sectoral experience includes mining, defence, contaminated sites and infrastructure. Patrick currently serves as Executive Director of the Inuit Development Corporation Association (IDCA), a post that he has held since 2018. In this capacity, he helps the association to champion Inuit prosperity by executing its mission to create business development opportunities for IDCA’s seven development corporation members.

Patrick holds degrees from the University of Guelph and McGill University. Before moving to Ottawa with his family in 2018, Patrick previously resided in Nunavut, the Northwest Territories, Montreal and Southwestern Ontario.  In his spare time, Patrick enjoys the outdoor sports that Ottawa has to offer, and he is also an avid visual artist and musician.

Tiffany Eckert-Maret

Tiffany Eckert-Maret
Secretary/Treasurer, Yukon First Nation Chamber of Commerce

Tiffany Eckert-Maret is from the wolf clan and is a citizen of the Ta’an Kwäch’än Council.  Tiffany grew up on the shores of Lake Laberge with her cousins and grandmother, the late Irene Smith. As a child, Tiffany was fortunate to travel across Canada as a military brat with her parents and her sweet sister Kayla. Tiffany was taught and maintains the traditional craft of beading and sewing slippers like her great grandmother Alice, grandmother Irene and mother Doris Anderson. 

Tiffany is the Chief Operating Officer of the Da Daghay Development Corporation (DDDC) and serves as the Secretary/Treasurer for the Yukon First Nation Chamber of Commerce.  

Tiffany has one remarkable child, Dakota, who she raised with her equally exceptional husband.   

Jake Edmiston
Reporter, Toronto Star

Jake Edmiston is an award-winning business reporter for the Toronto Star who focuses on food, supply chains, international trade. He has worked as a commentator for CBC, CBS and BBC News and his work has been published in newspapers across Canada, including the Financial Post, Ottawa Citizen, Montreal Gazette and Vancouver Sun.
Dr. John English

Dr. John English
Director Emeritus, Bill Graham Centre for Contemporary International History and Co-Chair, BOD, Arctic360, Co-Chair, Canadian International Council

A Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of Waterloo, John English has been a Liberal Member of Parliament, a Special Ambassador for Landmines and a Special Envoy for the election of Canada to the United Nations Security Council. He has also served as President of the Canadian Institute of International Affairs, co-editor of the Canadian Historical Review, chair of the Board of the Canadian Museum of Civilization and the Canadian War Museum. From 2012- 2019, John English served as Director of the Bill Graham Centre at Trinity College, and is now serving as Director Emeritus.

Han

Hanne Fugl Eskjær
Kingdom of Denmark Ambassador to Canada

Ambassador Hanne Fugl Eskjaer has served in Ottawa since September 2019, and enjoys strengthening the already strong bonds between Canada, Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands.

The ambassador was previously the Arctic Ambassador and Head of the North America Department in Copenhagen.

Ambassador Eskjaer has also been the Ambassador to Bangladesh and for the past 25 years held various Ministry of Foreign Affairs positions throughout the world, including Syria, Czech Republic and UN in New York – working on EU, UN, Middle East, Eastern Europe, Asia, Security, Development, Indigenous rights and cultural policies.

The ambassador has also worked as Senior Policy Advisor to the Commissioner for Human Rights and Democracy of the Council of the Baltic Sea States and as Associate Professor at the Institute of Political Science, Copenhagen University. She is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society.

John Fleming

John Fleming
U.S. Trade Consulate

John Fleming is the Deputy Senior Commercial Officer for the U.S. Department of Commerce at the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa, Canada.

Previously, John served as the Senior Commercial Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Rangoon. John also served as the Principal Commercial Officer with the U.S. Consulates in Chennai, where he covered South India and Sri Lanka, and in Osaka, where he covered Western Japan. Prior to those assignments, he served as a Commercial Officer with the U.S. Export Assistance Center in Atlanta, Georgia and the U.S. Embassies in Tokyo and Moscow.

John joined the Foreign Service in 2000. He previously worked for USAID as a Financial Management Officer and for the State Department as a Program Analyst. Prior to his U.S. Government service, John spent five years managing international aid programs for NGOs in the Russian Far East (Vladivostok, Russia) and Southeast Asia (Phnom Penh, Cambodia).

John has a B.S. from the University of Maryland, an M.B.A. from Katholieke Universiteit in Belgium and an M.A. in International Relations from Boston University. He speaks French, Russian and Japanese.

Peter Garapick

Peter Garapick
Director, External Relations, Quark Expeditions

Peter joined Quark Expeditions in December 2019 after 30 years in the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG). In the CCG his most rewarding position was developing and managing the SAR program in the Canadian Arctic.  At Quark Expeditions, Peter is the Director of External Relations and ensures Quark is welcome and authorized to travel to all of the destinations it wishes in both polar regions. He is a member of the Executive Committee of the Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators (AECO) association, and a member of other working groups in both AECO and IAATO, a member of the board of directors of Travel Nunavut and a member and treasurer of the board of ARCTIC360.

Melita Gabric

Dr. Melita Gabrič
Ambassador of the European Union to Canada

Ambassador Gabrič began her tenure at the helm of the Delegation of the European Union to Canada on 1 February 2021, after serving as Ambassador of Slovenia to Canada since 2018. Ambassador Gabrič holds a Ph.D. in International Relations and has extensive experience in both bilateral and multilateral international relations. Prior to her Canadian assignment, she served as Slovenia’s Director of Development Co-operation and Humanitarian Aid. Previously she served as Diplomatic Affairs Adviser to the Prime Minister as well as to the President of Slovenia. Ambassador Gabrič was also the Secretary General of the Bled Strategic Forum and led the Slovenian national process on business and human rights. She held the position of Senior Advisor on Human Rights to two Presidents of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. She was also the Consul General of Slovenia in New York.

The Ambassador speaks Slovene, English, French, and Serbian/Croatian. She enjoys jogging, downhill and cross-country skiing, as well as skating. She has a keen appreciation of contemporary art, literature, and design, and savours the beautiful natural landscapes and the rich cultural offerings of Canada.

Hlynur Guðjónsson
Iceland Ambassador to Canada

Ambassador Guðjónsson 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 in August 2021, 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, as well as different advertising and public relations agencies.

Shahir Guindi

Shahir Guindi
Former National Co-Chair, Partner, Corporate, Osler

Shahir is the outgoing National Co-Chair of the firm and served on its Partnership Board for over 10 years. He is a partner in the Corporate Group. He was Managing Partner of the Montréal office for 7 years prior to becoming national Co-Chair. He has over 30 years of experience and is a recognized advisor in M&A, private equity and corporate finance. His private equity and venture capital experience includes advising funds on their domestic and cross-border portfolio investments and divestitures and on their fund formations.

Shahir received the prestigious Advocatus Emeritus honour and was inducted into the John Abbott College Hall of Distinction. He was also recognized as the 2021 ‘Lawyer of the Year ’ in Private Funds Law by Best Lawyers in Canada and is recognized by IFLR 1000 in the area of Investment Funds, M&A and Private Equity.

Shahir sits on the Board of Jubilant Draxis Pharma. He was a member of the Board of Directors of GFL Environmental (NYSE GFL, GFL TO), of the Business Development Bank of Canada for eight years, Sears Canada (NASDAQ, TSX) and of the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal, which he chaired from 2019 to 2021. He is also a member of the boards of several other companies and was Co-Chair of Réseau Capital (Québec’s private equity and venture capital association) between 2010 and 2013.

Shahir has received significant industry and peer recognition, including having received top rankings in eight categories of the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory (including Mergers & Acquisitions, Corporate Finance & Securities, Private Equity, Technology Transactions, and Biotechnology). He is recognized as a Star Lawyer by Acritas Stars (now Thompson Reuters’ Standout Lawyers), and is also ranked in Chambers Canada, where he is recognized in the area of Corporate/Commercial (Québec) and Startups & Emerging Companies.

April Hayward, Ph.D., MBA
Chief Sustainability Officer, Li-FT Power

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 a Ph.D. in ecology from McMaster University (2007), an MBA from the Haskayne School of Business (2022), and over 25 years of experience working in the fields of environment and sustainability in the academic, public, and private sector.  Over the last 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.

Tom Henheffer

Tom Henheffer
Co-Chief Executive Officer, Arctic Research Foundation

Arctic Research Foundation’s Co-CEO, Tom Henheffer, is an expert in facilitating community-led science, infrastructure, and economic development projects.

Tom oversees management of ARF’s green-powered mobile labs and fleet of research vessels while building new relationships between communities, non-profits, governments, universities, and research institutions. He also manages operations and long term strategy,and helps tell stories from the North through ARF’s website and publication platform, ArcticFocus.org.

Tom is a dedicated environmentalist and human rights advocate with more than 15 years experience in journalism, advocacy, entrepreneurship and running NGOs. He’s worked at or been published in Maclean’s, The Toronto Star, The Globe and Mail, Vice News, The Huffington Post, and Fredericton’s The Daily Gleaner.

A former senior consultant, news editor and media pundit, Tom has expertise developing strategy, building teams and running war-rooms at every level of the corporate, non-profit and government worlds. Tom was formerly Director of News and Digital at VICE Canada and Executive Director of Canadian Journalists for Free Expression, an organization that’s been protecting the right to free expression in Canada and around the world for more than 30 years.

Kenneth

Kenneth Høegh
Head of Representation to Canada and US, Government of Greenland

Mr. Kenneth Høegh has vast experience and knowledge within Arctic matters. As a Greenland national Mr. Høegh was born in 1966 in South Greenland in Narsaq, and dedicated his early career to rural development in this region as well as internationally.

He served as an advisor in the Government of Greenland, followed by posts to Nepal, Bangladesh and Vietnam, with a focus on Government to Government projects on rural development. Upon his return, Mr. Høegh worked as Deputy CEO/Acting CEO at Kujalleq Municipality in South Greenland, before he became Deputy Minister, within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the Government of Greenland. In August 2021, he was posted to the Greenland Representation Washington D.C. Mr. Høegh has acquired in depth experience and knowledge within Greenland and the Arctic, Greenlandic social and business conditions, the Kingdom’s foreign and security policy in the Arctic, including in particular bilateral cooperation between Greenland, Denmark and the United States. Mr. Høegh has a large network around Greenlandic society as well as networks in Nordic, Greenlandic-American and Arctic co-operation, and also has experience within tourism development, fisheries policy, infrastructure development and natural resource management.

In his personal life he is married to Pitsi Høegh and has four children, and two grandchildren.

Rob Huebert

Rob Huebert Ph.D.
Associate Director of the Centre for Military and Strategic Studies, U. of Calgary; Senior Fellow, Arctic360

Rob Huebert is a professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Calgary. He is the interim director of the Centre for Military Security and Strategic Studies. He was appointed as a member to the Canadian Polar Commission (now renamed Canada Polar Knowledge) for a term lasting from 2010 to 2015. He is a senior fellow with the Laurier MacDonald Institute; and is a research fellow with the Canadian Global Affairs Institute. Dr. Huebert has taught at Memorial University, Dalhousie University, and the University of Manitoba. He publishes on the issues of Canadian Arctic Security, Maritime Security, and Canadian Defence. His work has appeared in International Journal; Canadian Foreign Policy; Isuma- Canadian Journal of Policy Research and Canadian Military Journal. He was co-editor of Canada and the Changing Arctic: Sovereignty, Security and Stewardship; Commercial Satellite Imagery and United Nations Peacekeeping and Breaking Ice: Canadian Integrated Ocean Management in the Canadian North. He also comments on Canadian security and Arctic issues in both the Canadian and international media.

Yvonne Jones

Yvonne Jones
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Northern Affairs and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence (Northern Defence)
Member of Parliament for Labrador

Yvonne Jones was first elected as the Member of Parliament for Labrador in 2013.

Ms. Jones previously served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources, as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Northern Affairs, as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Intergovernmental and Northern Affairs and Internal Trade, as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs, and as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs.

Before entering federal politics, Ms. Jones served as mayor of her hometown, Mary’s Harbour, from 1991 to 1996, and as a Member of the House of Assembly of Newfoundland and Labrador for Cartwright—L’Anse au Clair from 1996 to 2013. In 2003, she was the first woman in the province to be appointed Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture. She also served as the Minister Responsible for the Status of Women. Before that, as a member of the House of Assembly, she served as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Works, Services and Transportation and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health.

A graduate of West Viking College, Ms. Jones enjoyed a career as a journalist and worked throughout the province as a reporter. She also worked as a researcher with Memorial University and a resource employment counsellor with Human Resources Development Canada.

An entrepreneur, she has owned and operated small businesses in both the transportation and tourism sectors in Labrador.

Ms. Jones has played a significant role in improving the quality of life of the people of Newfoundland and Labrador through her volunteer work with the Battle Harbour Development Corporation, the Combined Councils of Labrador, the NunatuKavut Community Council, and various literacy groups and councils.

Adam Kalbfleisch

Adam Kalbfleisch
Partner, Bennett Jones LLP

Adam Kalbfleisch’s practice encompasses a wide range of competition/antitrust, foreign investment review and regulatory matters. Adam is recognized as a leading competition lawyer in the most recent editions of Chambers GlobalChambers CanadaWho’s Who Legal: Canada and in The Legal 500 – Canada as a “Next Generation Partner”. He regularly advises both domestic and foreign clients engaged in mergers, joint ventures and other forms of strategic alliances in connection with the notification and clearance provisions of the Competition Act and the Investment Canada Act (ICA). Adam is an expert in National Security reviews under the ICA and has guided clients, including several state-owned enterprises (SOEs) through the full national security review process. He is an active member of the Canadian Bar Association and the American Bar Association and was the chair of the 2014 Annual Competition Law Fall Conference of the CBA. He is also a member of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce Competition Law Policy Task Force, the Chair of the Icelandic Canadian Chamber of Commerce (ICCC) and the Honorary Consul General for Iceland (Toronto).

alison loat

Alison Loat
Senior Managing Director, Sustainable Investing and Innovation, OPTrust

Alison Loat is the Senior Managing Director, Sustainable Investing and Innovation at OPTrust, a Canadian public pension plan.  She leads OPTrust’s responsible investment program, its total fund climate change strategy, and oversees a portfolio investing at the intersection of sustainability and innovation with a focus on climate change.

Previously, Alison was the Senior Managing Director of FCLTGlobal where she worked with asset owners, managers and companies to advance long-term investing. She’s also worked at McKinsey & Company, a healthcare technology company and was on the founding team of Toronto’s MaRS Discovery District. 

She has a deep commitment to public service. She co-founded and led the Samara Centre for Democracy, is the author of the best-selling book Tragedy in the Commons, was a Senior Fellow and instructor at the University of Toronto and the president of the Canadian Club of Toronto.

Alison is a board member of the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) and a governor of Ridley College. She is also a board director of Ai-Media, an ASX-listed technology company that makes educational, workplace, conference and media content accessible, and of a privately held media company.

She received the Queen’s Gold and Diamond Jubilee Medals for service to Canada. She was also named a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader and one of the 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada. She has degrees from Queen’s University and the Harvard Kennedy School.

Rebecca Lynge

Rebecca Lynge
Deputy Head of the Greenland Representation to the US and Canada, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Government of Greenland

Rebecca Lynge is the Deputy Head of the Greenland Representation to the US and Canada. She started her career in Greenland’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 2015 as Head of Section for trade policy. In 2016, Rebecca was appointed the Kingdom of Denmark’s Head of Delegation to the Arctic Council’s Sustainable Development Working Group (SDWG). In this function she had the overall coordinating role within the Kingdom of Denmark to secure successful engagement and output of projects aimed at advancing sustainable development in the Arctic. While serving in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Nuuk, Rebecca also represented Greenland on indigenous issues, working to achieve the goals of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. From 2017 – 2020 Rebecca was posted as First Secretary to the Greenland Representation in Washington, D.C. Here her work focused on raising awareness, putting Greenland and Arctic issues on the agenda and cultivating relevant partnerships and networks with the United States and Canada within i.a. research, educational, cultural and commercial sectors. Before returning to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Nuuk, Rebecca took a position as Policy Adviser on human rights and indigenous issues at the Permanent Mission of Denmark to the United Nations in New York. Returning to Nuuk in 2021 as Head of Office for Foreign Affairs, Rebecca among other things served as Greenland’s Senior representative to the Arctic Council. In September 2023, Rebecca commenced her posting as Deputy Head of Representation to Greenland’s Representation in Washington D.C.

Brandon MacDonald, P. Eng

Brandon MacDonald, P. Eng
Vice President of Strategy and Growth, Pennecon

As a professional engineer with over 25 years’ experience in the Heavy Civil Construction Industry, Brandon currently holds the role of Vice President, Strategy and Growth with Pennecon, a diversified provider of heavy civil, industrial, marine and services/maintenance operations throughout Canada.  Brandon has spent many years executing infrastructure projects in a variety of roles from designer and resident engineer all the way up to President and CEO.

Senior and executive level work experience in two different levels of government plus his extensive background in private industry have proven to be invaluable experiences that have shaped Brandon’s 360-degree view of the construction industry.  Brandon is currently the First Vice President on the board of the Canadian Technical Asphalt Association (CTAA), is a member of the CCA National Advisory Council for Civil Infrastructure and is the Heavy Civil Section Chair for the Newfoundland and Labrador Construction Association 2023 Board of Directors.

Menzie McEachern

Menzie McEachern
Assistant Deputy Minister, Mineral and Petroleum Resources, NWT Industry, Tourism and Investment

Dr. McEachern leads the Mineral and Petroleum Resources branch at the Government of the Northwest Territories. Their work is on minerals and energy strategy, policy, legislation, planning, rights/tenure administration, maximizing socioeconomic benefits of resource development, Indigenous and community capacity and relationship building, consultation and engagement, education and outreach, marketing and promotion, public geoscience research, royalties administration, financial analysis and regulatory pathfinding. They work on a variety of cross-departmental, cross-governmental and multi-organizational resource, energy and environmental research and applied initiatives.

Prior to joining the Government of the Northwest Territories, Menzie worked for the Alberta public service in the departments of Energy and Environment, as well as AMEC Earth and Environmental, an engineering and environmental consulting company. He holds a PhD in Geography from Clark University at Worcester, Massachusetts, USA and a Bachelor of Science, First Class Honours degree in Environmental Science – Geology from Queen’s University at Kingston, Ontario, Canada. He is the President of the Yellowknife Speed Skating Club, and a proud taxi driver of his three kids.

Victoria McMahon

Victoria McMahon
Kinesiology Student, University of British Columbia

Victoria recently completed her undergraduate degree requirements and will be graduating from Kinesiology from UBC.  She is Dene from NWT and is currently in Barrie, Ontario.  Victoria has a National Coaching Certificate from the Coaching Association of Canada which trains coaches to be fully equipped to handle ethical situations with confidence and surety.  The training helps coaches identify the legal, ethical and moral implications of difficult situations that present themselves.  She also has Intro to Data Analytics from Lighthouse Labs.

Senator Lisa Murkowski

Lisa Murkowski
United States Senator, Alaska

Senator Lisa Murkowski is the first Alaskan born Senator to serve the State and only the sixth United States Senator from Alaska. Murkowski is a third generation Alaskan, born in Ketchikan and raised in towns across the state: Wrangell, Juneau, Fairbanks and Anchorage. Since joining the Senate in 2002, she has been a leading expert on Arctic issues and is dedicated to helping America lead as an Arctic nation.

Her efforts prompted an updated National Strategy for the Arctic Region and led every U.S. military service to release an Arctic strategy over the past three years. She helped establish and fund the Ted Stevens Center for Arctic Security Studies, a new U.S. Department of Defense Regional Center based in Anchorage, Alaska. She also led the charge to convince the U.S. State Department to establish an Ambassador-at-Large for the Arctic.

She is the U.S. Representative for the Standing Committee of Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region, where she serves as Vice Chair, and participates in events held by the Arctic Council. In 2021, Murkowski was presented with the Icelandic Order of the Falcon in recognition of her efforts on Arctic diplomacy.

Allana Nakashook-Zettler

Allana Nakashook-Zettler
U of T Indigenous Student

Allanna is an Inuk student studying Chemical engineering at the University of Toronto and is currently on her co-op placement at Environment and Climate Change Canada.  Allana has moved across Canada and lived in Yellowknife the longest.  In Yellowknife, she worked in Indigenous consultation on new economic development projects with the federal government.  Allana is passionate about finding people-focused solutions and bringing a holistic perspective to environmental issues.

Stein Oddvar

Stein Oddvar
Commercial Counsellor / Handelsråd, Royal Norwegian Embassy in Ottawa

Stein Oddvar currently holds the position of Commercial Counsellor at the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Ottawa and represents over 30 years of international business development experience. His first assignment in Canada was managing a Norwegian Oil & Gas service subsidy in Edmonton, Alberta in 1994, by transferring proven innovations from the North Sea to the Canadian energy market.

In the following decade, the business expanded worldwide, and the Norwegian company Hitec AS was acquired by the US company National Oilwell Varco Inc. The entrepreneurial passion and commercial experience made a shift in his career, and a group of start-up companies was established, technologies developed and commercialized within the marine industry, Oil & Gas and Water processing. Since 2019, he has joined Innovation Norway, which is the Norwegian government agency that promotes international business growth and trade and has been a leading capacity for 100+ companies in the process of building business competitiveness as required to succeed in international markets.

Stein Oddvar’s commercial and managing career is built on an engineering foundation and a passion for overall sustainable business solutions.

Erin O'Toole

Honourable Erin O’Toole
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, a globally integrated risk advisory firm specializing in strategic intelligence, international trade, due diligence, security and compliance. As part of Paris-based ADIT Group, ADIT North America helps clients maximize global growth and eliminate trade or investment risk by leveraging ADIT’s unparalleled global reach with over 1,000 analysts and correspondents covering over 130 countries around the world. Erin sits on ADIT Group’s Executive Committee.

Erin is one of Canada’s most respected thought leaders on geopolitical and domestic policy issues from his decade of service as a Member of the Canadian Parliament and Leader of the Official Opposition. Prior to his election to Parliament, Erin served as an officer in the Royal Canadian Air Force and worked in the private sector as a corporate lawyer and advisor.

In government, he served as the Parliamentary Secretary for International Trade during final negotiations on Canada’s historic free trade agreement with the European Union. He was involved in trade negotiations with South Korea, Honduras, and countries within the Trans-Pacific Partnership, and led efforts related to regulatory cooperation between Canada and the United States. He also served as Minister of Veterans Affairs and improved service standards and mental health support for Veterans and their families.

In opposition, Erin served as the Shadow Minister of Foreign Affairs before becoming the Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada and Leader of the Official Opposition from 2020 to 2022. In 2021, Erin ran for Prime Minister of Canada in a general election held amid the COVID-19 pandemic. He won the popular vote and advocated for a series of economic and geopolitical policies that continue to impact debate in Canada today.

A graduate of the Royal Military College of Canada, Erin was commissioned as an officer in the Royal Canadian Air Force flying on the Sea King helicopter and sailing operationally with the Royal Canadian Navy. He was awarded the Canadian Forces Decoration for his service and received a Sikorsky Helicopter Rescue Award.

Following his service in the military, Erin graduated from Dalhousie Law School and worked as a corporate lawyer and business advisor at two of Canada’s largest law firms and as in-house counsel to one of the world’s largest consumer goods companies.

Erin and his wife Rebecca have two children (Mollie and Jack) and a lazy yellow labrador retriever named Wexford.

David Perry
President & Senior Analyst, Canadian Global Affairs Institute

Dr. David Perry is the President of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute. He is the host of the weekly Defence Deconstructed Podcast and author of multiple publications related to defence budgeting, transformation and procurement. He is also a columnist for the Canadian Naval Review. He received his PhD in political science from Carleton University where his dissertation examined the link between defence budgeting and defence procurement. He is an adjunct professor at the Centre for Military and Strategic Studies at the University of Calgary and a research fellow of the Centre for the Study of Security and Development at Dalhousie University.  He was previously the Senior Security and Defence Analyst of the Conference of Defence Associations Institute and Deputy Director of Dalhousie University’s Centre for Foreign Policy Studies.  Embassy Magazine and The Hill Times has named him one of the “Top 100 Influencing Canadian Foreign Policy.”

Dr. Prentice

Dr. Barry Prentice
President at Buoyant Aircraft International Systems Inc.

Dr. Barry Prentice is a professor of supply chain management at the University of Manitoba and is widely recognized as an expert in the field of transportation and logistics. One of his areas of expertise is lighter-than-air (LTA) transport technologies, such as blimps and airships.

Dr. Prentice has been involved in several initiatives related to LTA transport technologies over the years. For example, he was a founding member of ISO Polar, a not-for-profit Manitoba airship Initiative, that was established in 2006 to promote the use of airships for transportation and other applications in Manitoba and across Canada.

Dr. Prentice has also conducted extensive research on the economic and environmental benefits of airships for transporting goods and people. He has argued that airships have several advantages over other forms of transport, including their ability to carry heavy loads over long distances with minimal environmental impact.

In addition to his research, Dr. Prentice has been involved in several practical initiatives related to LTA transport technologies. For example, he has been a consultant to several companies and organizations involved in the development of airship technology, including Flying Whales and SkyHook International.

Overall, Dr. Barry Prentice has been a leading advocate for the development of lighter-than-air transport technologies, and his research and practical initiatives have helped to raise awareness about the potential of airships for transporting goods and people in a more efficient and environmentally sustainable way.

David Prodger

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

Jasmine Redfern
CEO, Arctic Inspiration Prize

Jasmine Redfern is an Inuk lawyer and executive committed to advancing social, cultural and economic prosperity for Inuit and Nunavummiut. Her career spans leadership roles in human rights, arts and culture, and health including serving as CEO of the Arctic Inspiration Prize and Chair of the Nunavut Human Rights Tribunal.

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.

Greg Rickford

Honourable Greg Rickford
Minister of Indigenous Affairs & Northern Development for Ontario

The Honourable Greg Rickford was first elected to the Ontario Legislature as the MPP for Kenora — Rainy River in 2018 and re-elected in 2022. Over the past five years, he has been the Minister of Northern Development & Minister of Indigenous Affairs, Chairman of the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation Board, and Chairman of the Cabinet Committee for Economic and Resource Policy.

Minister Rickford also served Premier Ford as the Minister of Energy, the Minister of Mines, and the Minister of Natural Resources & Forestry, in addition to his current portfolios.

Minister Rickford’s academic and professional journey has been an interesting one: a lifelong learning plan focussed on the pursuit of excellence in advocacy spanning three careers that include nursing, the practice of law, and politics.

Minister Rickford has a Diploma in nursing from Mohawk College, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Victoria, specializing in community health nursing. The Minister’s nursing career includes working in multiple specialized clinical settings in hospitals throughout North America and close to a decade working in northern isolated Indigenous communities across Canada.

He has an MBA from Université of Laval as well as Bachelors’ of Common Law & Civil Law from McGill University. His law practice focussed on Indigenous Matters including being a signatory to the Indian Residential School Agreement, Indigenous governance, economic and health opportunities.

From 2008 to 2015 Minister Rickford, served as the federal Member of Parliament for Kenora. During that time, he served Prime Minister Harper as the Parliamentary Secretary for Aboriginal Affairs & Northern Development, Minister of State for Science & Technology, Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario, and finally, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources.

That said, the most important job he has ever had is being a father to his two daughters.

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.

Helene

Helene Scherling Olsen
Deputy Head of Trade, Sr. Advisor, Arctic, Danish Trade Council, Canada

Helene Scherling Olsen is Deputy Head of Trade and a Senior Commercial Advisor at the Danish Trade Councl in Toronto. Her focus area is on Arctic Commercial opportunities for companies in the Kingdom of Denmark. She has worked with Greenlandic and Danish companies and stakeholders since 2016, and for the past 3 years headed up the Arctic Business Alliance – ABA – consisting of 9 companies from Greenland and Denmark.  She has a strong passion for creating networks between the Canadian North and in particular Greenland. She is also a member of The Trade Council North America Food and Agriculture team lead from Washington D.C.  Helene has been working at the Danish Consulate and Trade Council since 2011. She has an extensive knowledge in working with private as well as public stakeholders, organising inbound and outbound business delegations, as well as public affairs and market access projects. She is a board member of the Danish Canadian Chamber of Commerce since 2016. Helene is a dual citizen of Denmark and Canada making Canada her home for many years.

Max Schiller

Max Schiller
Bachelor of Commerce, Bcom, Finance Student, Concordia University

Max is an Inuk student studying towards a Bachelor of Commerce with a finance major at Concordia University. He completed an internship in venture capital as a summer analyst with BDC Capital’s Growth Venture Co-Investment Fund and will be returning for the summer 2024 semester. He has worked for various tech-enabled marketing startups/scale-up within the social media space, and has completed internships with CN Rail and the Department of National Defence.

Robert Sinclair
Senior Arctic Official and Director General, Arctic, Eurasian, and European Affairs, Global Affairs Canada

Robert Sinclair (LLB Dalhousie University, 1995; B.Ed. McGill University, 1989; BA McGill University, 1986) joined the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade in 1995. He was appointed Senior Arctic Official and Director General, Arctic, Eurasian and European Affairs at Global Affairs Canada effective June 26, 2023. Most recently, he established the Office of the Well-being Ombud and Inspector General at Global Affairs Canada on February 2, 2023, having previously served as Inspector General since September 2021. From 2019 to 2021, he served as Deputy Head of Mission of the Mission of Canada to the European Union and as the Permanent Observer of Canada to the Council of Europe. His headquarters assignments have included South Asia Relations; International Human Rights; and the Department’s Legal Bureau. His positions overseas have included Brussels, Dublin, London, Washington, and Moscow.

Sabine Sparwasser

Sabine Sparwasser
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Federal Republic of Germany to Canada

Coming Soon

Hillary Thatcher
Managing Director, Investments, Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB)

Hillary Thatcher is Managing Director of Investments, leading the CIB’s Indigenous Infrastructure team. In her role, Hillary is responsible for the CIB’s engagement with Indigenous communities, advancing investments in Indigenous infrastructure projects consistent with key priority areas.

Previously Director General of Innovation and Services at Indigenous Services Canada, Hillary spent 15 years with the Ontario government in senior roles across Indigenous Affairs, Energy and Infrastructure, and Natural Resources. Hillary has a proven track record of building linkages among Indigenous, government and industry interests.

Hillary is Métis and has been an active member of the urban Indigenous community of Toronto through her volunteer roles at the Native Canadian Centre of Toronto, Red Sky Performance and the Downie Wenjak Fund.

Hillary graduated from Concordia University in Montreal and the University of Victoria.

David Thompson

David Thompson
Director General, Infrastructure, Portfolio Requirements, DND

As Director General, Portfolio Requirements, Assistant Deputy Minister (Infrastructure and Environment) (ADM(IE)), National Defence, David leads real property investments, planning, programming, and portfolio management ensuring that the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) remains operationally ready and well supported by the department’s infrastructure. In his role he also leads portfolio innovation including areas such as energy performance contracts and power purchasing agreements, P3s, smart buildings, and energy strategies. He is also responsible for natural resources (ex. oil and gas development and Indigenous access agreements), divestments, real property advisory services, national accommodations and the future of workspaces, chief land surveyor, real property cyber mission assurance, defence capabilities infrastructure, and leads the ADM(IE) NORAD infrastructure modernization effort, and the TC Energy Pump Storage Plant proposal.

Previously as Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Forces Housing Agency (CFHA), he contributed to the quality of life of CAF members, and their families, and led the organization to the Platinum Level of the Excellence, Innovation, and Wellness Standard from Excellence Canada. CFHA provides residential housing services to upwards of 20% of the Canadian Armed Forces and their families. Prio to being CEO, David was also fortunate to be the General Manager of Housing Operations. 

David also worked at the Department of Justice, as the Director, Business Management, for the Public Safety, Defence, and Immigration portfolio, where he supported the Assistant Deputy Attorney General in leading corporate services support to legal services units across nine public safety-oriented client departments as well as to the Department of Justice War Crimes Unit.

He holds the designation of Professional in Critical Infrastructure Protection (PCIP), a Master of Infrastructure Protection and International Security (Carleton), a Master of Arts., Defence Management and Policy (RMC), and a Bachelor of Arts., Economics Honours (Carleton). 

Doug Turnbull

Doug Turnbull
Vice Chairman and Country Head, Canada, Morningstar DBRS

Doug Turnbull is Vice Chairman and Country Head, Canada at Morningstar DBRS. In this role, Mr. Turnbull is responsible for overseeing all of Morningstar DBRS’s day-to-day operations in Canada. As part of the executive team and member of the Board of Directors, Mr. Turnbull also focuses on the strategic development of Morningstar DBRS’s global rating business and senior outreach activities for the company.

Mr. Turnbull has more than 45 years of experience in the investment banking industry, and is the retired Deputy Chairman, TD Securities Inc. Mr. Turnbull has worked in Toronto, Tokyo and New York, where he advised government, corporate, infrastructure and public sector clients on numerous public and private market transactions.

Mr. Turnbull is Chairman of the board of directors of The Canadian Ditchley Foundation and a board member of Mera Cannabis Corp. In addition, he is a past member of the Advisory Committee of the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation. Mr. Turnbull has held a number of board positions with public sector and not-for-profit organizations, including, Metrolinx, the Ontario Financing Authority, George Brown College Foundation, the Toronto Financial Services Alliance, the Advisory Panel of the Canadian Electricity Association and ORBIS Canada. Mr Turnbull was also Co-Chair of the Canada-Assembly of First Nations, Joint Working Group on Resource Development.

Sari Uusi-Rauva
Minister-Counsellor and Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Finland to Canada

Coming Soon

Kimberley Van Vliet

Kimberley Van Vliet
Founder & CEO, ConvergX

Seventeen years ago, Kimberley established WaVv, a company that forms part of a distinctive group of organizations that hasten innovative cross-industry solutions worldwide. WaVv has a diverse range of industries in its focus, including Aerospace, Defence, & Security, Space, Energy, Tech, Ag, Military, and Mining, with newer sectors added every year.

Kimberley is also the mastermind behind CONVERGX®, the world’s first and only two-day global congress that brings together decision-makers from the aforementioned industries. This event provides exclusive access to a unique peer network of pre-vetted, qualified leaders who are enthusiastic about collaborating with you on business opportunities over the next 12-18 months. To date, there is over $1 billion in deals tracked as a result of the congress. At CONVERGX®, you’ll be able to identify and tackle challenges you didn’t previously know existed, with solutions from industries you never thought could help.

Kimberley’s appointment to the Canadian Delegation of the NATO Industrial Advisory Group (NIAG) six years ago serves as a testament to her expertise. Recently, she was appointed as the Deputy Chair for the Community of Interest for NIAG-Allied Command Transformation Unit (ACT), where she oversees Innovation, C4ISR, MDO, and DT, Logistics and Sustainment. Kimberley also collaborates closely with other NATO divisions, including NCIA, NSPA, STO, APSS, and DIANA, as part of the STO Technical Team Space Risk Assessment Matrix (S-RAM).

Kimberley’s efforts consistently take her to NATO, NORAD & USNORTHCOM. She was awarded one of the Top 20 women in Defence in Canada by Esprit de Corps Magazine, and most recently a delegate of the Governor General’s Canadian Leadership Conference (#GGCLC) for 2022.

Kanji YAMANOUCHI

Kanji Yamanouchi
Ambassador of Japan to Canada

KANJI YAMANOUCHI has been the Ambassador of Japan to Canada since May, 2022. Prior to this assignment, he was the Ambassador / Consul-General of Japan in New York (2018 – 2022).

Ambassador Yamanouchi has been serving Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs for over 38 years, during which he has held the positions of: Director of the First Southeast Asia Division in 2003; Director of the Press Division in 2004; Director of the First North America Division in 2007; Executive Assistant to the Prime Minister in 2009; Deputy Director-General of the Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau in 2011, and Assistant Minister / Director-General for the Economic Affairs Bureau in 2016.

His diplomatic postings include assignments to the Embassy of Japan in the U.S. as First Secretary in 1997 and the Embassy of Japan in Korea as Counsellor in 2001. In 2013, he was posted to the Embassy of Japan in Washington, D.C. for the second time as the Minister for Economic Affairs.

Ambassador Yamanouchi graduated from Tokyo University of Foreign Studies and went on to receive his M.A. in Political Science from Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut. He is married and has one daughter.

Strengthening the
North American Arctic

Arctic360 is dedicated to educating and engaging with the public about the pressing issues and potential solutions for building a prosperous and sustainable Arctic region. Contact us if you have any questions about our activities or if you would like to be more involved.