Meet the judges

Heats (March 23, 2021)

• Bill Barron

  Title

  Director Training Programs

  Organization

  Ontario Power Generation (OPG)

  Bio

  Bill has worked for Ontario Power Generation (OPG) for 14 years in a number of roles including Nuclear Training Simulator Software, Station Engineering, Fuel Handling, Nuclear Oversight/Auditing and most recently Training. He is currently the Director of Training Programs, overseeing the implementation and execution of training programs for all OPG Nuclear staff.

  Bill holds a Bachelor of Computer Engineering from Memorial University of Newfoundland and a Graduate Diploma in Nuclear Design Engineering from Ontario Tech University. Bill resides in the Durham Region with his wife and two young kids who now take up most of his free time.

• Claudio Faria

  Title

  Site Manager - Oshawa

  Organization

  Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority (HOPA)

  Bio

  Claudio has worked in Management, Operations and Design in various capacities for the Aerospace, Automotive and Medicinal industries.
  
  He led various Engineering teams in some of the most complex problem solving exercises at GM Canada, Bombardier and Boeing.
  
  Currently, he Manages the HOPA Oshawa Marine Port facility.

   

• Dilesha Stelmach

  Title

  Founder/CEO

  Organization

  Oui STEM Academy

  Bio

  Dilesha Stelmach is a STEM leader who specializes in Blockchain technology. In 2018, She received her Certified Blockchain Professional (CBPro) Certification from York University with the hopes of creating curriculum that will inspire the next generation.

  Dilesha serves as both Founder of Oui STEM Academy and Director of Business Development of OneHealth Technologies Inc. Notably, Dilesha is a United Nation SDG Leadership Award winner and Guest Lecturer at Howard University.

   

• Jeff Goldman

  Title

  Principal

  Organization

  The Tamarac Investment Group

  Bio

  Following a 25 year career as a mental health clinician and senior administrator in both hospital and community health care organizations, Jeff Goldman joined the family construction and land development business.
  
  Under his leadership, the company garnered many awards and accolades in new home construction including the coveted "Green Builder of the Year" for Ontario.
  
  More recently, Jeff has become the Principal of The Tamarac Investment Group which fosters growth and innovation in such diverse industries as land development, environmental management, food services and hospitality. Sustainability, uniqueness and outside the box thinking are fundamental to the enterprises in which Tamarac becomes involved.
  
  Jeff is a noted public speaker, known to engage his audiences with humour, conviction and a fondness for storytelling.

• Larkin Mosscrop

  Title

  Project Manager

  Organization

  Canadian Nuclear Laboratories

  Bio

  Larkin Mosscrop is a PhD Candidate in the School of Public Policy at the University of Regina studying science communication and decision making. Prior to moving into social sciences, she studied ecology obtaining her Honours degree from the University of Ottawa and her Masters from Queen’s University. She has many areas of interest including leadership, communication and science literacy as well as environmental and nuclear science. She has a wide range of experience including research, field work, teaching, project management and as a technical subject matter expert.

  She currently works at Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, where she is a Project Manager with research and development. Larkin is a strong nuclear advocate being engaged in in-school programming, teaching for the Canadian Nuclear Society and speaking with communities about nuclear science and technology.

• Michelle Branigan

  Title 

  CEO

  Organization

  Electricity Human Resources Canada

  Bio

  Michelle Branigan is the Chief Executive Officer of Electricity Human Resources Canada (EHRC). Branigan is a subject matter expert when it comes to the market and industry and enjoys working closely with employers, educators and other industry stakeholders to address labour market and HR challenges, ensuring they have the tools, resources and research needed to meet current and future workforce needs.
  
  As a Champion of diversity and inclusion, she is passionate about leading real change for the advancement of women and minorities and has spearheaded many instrumental programs which have sparked a national movement for organization to become agents of change. Among these initiatives is The National Leadership Accord on Gender Diversity for the Electricity Industry - a public commitment by employers, educators, unions, and governments to build a workforce that is truly representative of Canada’s people.
  
  Originally from Ireland, Branigan holds a master’s degree in training and Performance Management from the University of Leicester, U.K., and is a certified Project Management Professional. She is currently an active Board Member with the Energy Council of Canada, the Irish Film Festival Ottawa, and a recipient of Women in Renewable Energy’s (WiRE) 2015 Woman of the Year award, which recognizes and celebrates professional women working in the energy sector who go above and beyond business as usual.

Finals (March 25, 2021)

• Absar Beg

  Title

  President

  Organization

  Lifelong Group of Companies

  Bio

  Dream. Vision. Build. Sell. Service. Repeat.

  Absar learned the value of a dollar at a very young age, first job at age 9, then went on to start his first company at age 15. University by day, sales and deliveries at night, Absar still managed to fast track the Bachelor of Commerce program at the University of Toronto. Absar was recruited to Bay Street by Ernst & Young, where he quickly moved up the ranks to Manager and obtained his Chartered Accountant designation.

  Meanwhile, he spent his evenings and weekends fueling his passion for real estate working as a Real Estate Broker, Mortgage Broker, and construction project manager. Absar experienced the challenges in real estate, finance and construction and noted these archaic industries were ripe for change.
  
  As Chairman of Lifelong Group, Absar wears several hats; Chartered Accountant, Real Estate Broker, Mortgage Broker and Builder and is equipped to manage Lifelong’s team of experts to roll out a unique vertically integrated process.

• Bradley Wamboldt

  Title

  GM, Enterprise Technology

  Organization

  Suncor

  Bio

  Bradley was appointed General Manager, Enterprise Technology in 2017. He supports the Enterprise-wide development and commercialization of disruptive technologies in the areas of improved sustainability of the existing Oilsands-to-product value chain, zero-emissions industrial power generation and alternative (renewable) liquid fuels. Prior to this appointment, he held a number of technical, operational and functional leadership roles in the company.
  
  Before joining Suncor in 2003, Bradley worked for Shell Canada Ltd., where he held various roles in conventional oil and gas and in oil sands.
  
  Bradley holds masters of business administration (with distinction) degree from the Ivey School of Business at the Western University and a bachelor of engineering (chemical) degree from McGill University.

• David Simao

  Title

  Chair, University Sector

  Organization

  CUPE Ontario

  Bio

  David Simao (he/him) is the Chair of CUPE Ontario’s University sector, where he speaks on behalf of over 35,000 support workers and contract academic workers across 16 campuses. He has been involved with the labour movement since a young age, often attending meetings and protests with his mother, a leader at the time in the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW).

  Since joining the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) in 2009, David has held a number of leadership positions within CUPE and, as well as being Sector Chair, is the current Ontario representative to the CUPE National Post-Secondary Task Force. David is an alumnus of Carleton University, where he graduated with a B.A. in Political Science and Law, and an M.A. in Political Science.

• Gord Simmonds

  Title

  President and CEO

  Organization

  Lenbrook Corp.

  Bio

  Gord Simmonds is CEO of The Lenbrook Group, a private, Pickering, Ontario based and entrepreneurially driven company with diverse interests in distribution channel management, global brand ownership, and technology developments across the audio and wireless communication markets. 

  With over 40 years of experience, Gord leads a business developing award winning legacy consumer audio brands NAD Electronics and PSB Loudspeakers. In addition, Lenbrook more recently launched Bluesound, a world leading brand of high res streaming audio, app based, wireless multi-room, multi zone solutions for home & business. 

  Selling communication systems and devices is also a deeply rooted part of Lenbrook’s business. The company has incubated, developed, and sold several businesses in the wireless communications market, most notably Clearnet Communications. In 2008 Gord, along with his two brothers and late father, were inducted into the Canadian Telecom Hall of Fame for their contributions to the development of the wireless industry in the “Icons of Business” category. 

  Alongside his Lenbrook responsibilities, Gord was the majority owner of the Belleville Bulls OHL Hockey Club from 2004. Gord sold and moved the team in 2015 but remained a minority partner in the Hamilton Bulldogs OHL Hockey Club until 2019. Throughout this entire period, he served as a member of the Board of Governors of the Ontario Hockey League. 

  Gord enjoys community work which included leading a Rouge Valley Hospital Capital Campaign, Vital Links, which raised over $20M. For 10 years he was a member of the Board for the Room 217 Foundation. He is on the Advisory Board of Arrow Entrepreneur, a faith based organization supporting leadership development for business owners.  In 2002, Gord received with the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal for his work serving the community and fellow Canadians. 

  Gord grew up in Port Perry and he and his wife Sharon raised their family of four in the North Durham community of Uxbridge.

• Janet Knight

  Title

  Executive Vice President

  Organization

  Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority (HOPA)

  Bio

  For over 20 years Janet has worked at the Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority (HOPA), currently in the role of Executive Vice President providing direct oversight to Finance, IT, HR, Security and the Port of Oshawa. Past roles with the Port included CFO/VP Marina Services and Controller. HOPA is one of 17 Canadian Port Authorities established under the Canada Marine Act, is required to be financially self-sufficient and reports to Transport Canada. Its mandate is to manage the harbours of Hamilton and Oshawa, to oversee commercial activity and make a positive impact to Ontario’s economy.

  HOPA serves as an engine of growth and employment, and generates over $7 billion of economic activity to the Canadian economy as well as supports the sustainability of 40,000 jobs. Janet is member of the Board of Directors of the Marine Club. She graduated from McMaster University in 1986 with a Bachelor of Commerce and attained the professional designation of Certified Management Accountant in 1992.

• Juliana Rodrigues Dionisio Pereira

  Title

  Senior Manager, Model Development

  Organization

  Scotiabank

  Bio

  Juliana is a Senior Manager at Scotiabank where she works in the Retail Models & Analytics group providing analytical expertise and leading a team that is responsible for development of credit risk models used for account management and Regulatory and Economic Capital calculations. In her previous role Juliana worked at Itau Unibanco before moving to Canada.
  
  Juliana holds a masters degree in Mathematics from University of Sao Paulo (Brazil) and a Data Science Certificate from University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies.

• Mary Meffe

  Title

  Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer

  Organization

  Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC)

  Bio

  Mary Meffe is MPAC’s Vice-President, Corporate and Information Services and Chief Financial Officer, responsible for overseeing the organization’s financial planning and operations, information services, facilities management and data governance.
  
  Mary has more than 20 years of expertise developed in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors, with demonstrated success advising leadership teams in fast-paced, dynamic environments. Before joining MPAC in 2018, she was Chief Financial and Administrative Officer at the Ontario College of Trades, where she provided strategic financial and operational guidance to the leadership team of a newly formed organization. Prior to that, she served as Chief Financial Officer at Planet Energy and Just Energy Group.
  
  Mary is an active community volunteer and is currently the Chair of the Finance and Audit Committee of the Ontario Arts Council,
  
  Mary has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Toronto and holds the CPA, CA and Chartered Director designations.

• Ron Oberth

  Title

  CEO

  Organization

  Organization of Canadian Nuclear Industries

  Bio

  Ron is President and CEO of the Organization of Canadian Nuclear Industries (OCNI), an industry association that represents 240 private sector companies that supply equipment and services to Canadian and offshore nuclear power plants. Prior to joining OCNI Ron served in various technical, project and business development roles for more than 30 years with AECL and Ontario Power Generation.
  
  Dr. Oberth is a graduate of the University of Manitoba, the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Business, and received his PhD in aerospace propulsion from Princeton University. He was also awarded a post-doctoral fellowship at the Technical University of Munich.
  
  Ron completed the ICD/Rotman Directors Education Program in March 2020 (DEP82) and in January 2021 was invited to serve on the IBB National Pension Fund’s Clean Energy Strategy Advisory Committee.