Robert Stewart is a postdoctoral researcher at the RISC (Risk and Insurance Studies Centre) and at York University, where his research is focused on Sustainable Finance. He has a PhD in Economic Development Policy from the Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies (SALISES) at the University of the West Indies, and also holds a PRM (Professional Risk Manager) designation from PRMIA (Professional Risk Managers’ International Association). He has spent several years working in the banking sector and has also conducted research on financial development, banking stability, and regulatory capital administration.

Indira Moudi is a globally recognized business leader in sustainable agribusiness, global trade, and economic development. As CEO of Viandes Lafrance, she has transformed the company into a model of responsible production, championing sustainability, inclusion, and innovation. Under her leadership, Viandes Lafrance, founded in 1929, became the first federally certified multi-species slaughterhouse in Quebec, showcasing how to produce responsible animal protein and expanding this sustainable approach to national and international markets.

With a career spanning five continents, Indira has held leadership roles at Schlumberger, Baker Hughes, and Orano. Her expertise in energy and agribusiness allows her to drive complex global initiatives, foster economic resilience, and navigate evolving geopolitical challenges.

A strong advocate for repreneurship, Indira promotes business succession and revitalization as key strategies for economic sustainability. Through Viandes Lafrance, she demonstrates how repreneurship preserves industry heritage while fostering innovation and responsible business practices.

Indira is a member of IMAGINE LEADERS, a global community dedicated to accelerating systems change, and actively contributes` to discussions on sustainable business and economic transformation. She has received multiple prestigious awards, including the Pauline-B. Allard Builder Award, SME CEO of the Year 2023, and the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2024 African Canadian Business Summit.

Born in Algeria and raised within the five major religions, she brings a deeply diverse perspective to leadership. She remains committed to leveraging human-centered leadership to create meaningful global impact.

Murray is the Founder and Managing Partner of ArcTern Ventures, a Toronto-based venture capital firm with offices in San Francisco and Oslo. Established in 2012, ArcTern invests globally in breakthrough technology companies tackling climate change and sustainability. The firm is currently deploying its $350 million Fund III into early growth climatetech companies across energy, mobility, food systems, and industrial decarbonization. Before ArcTern, Murray founded and scaled three startups in the telecom and climatetech sectors. He is also a former Olympian, having represented Canada in the 1992 Games.

Nathaniel Keohane is President of the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES), a widely respected, nonpartisan non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C., that works with policy makers and leading businesses to accelerate the transition to a thriving, just, and resilient net-zero-emissions economy. Dr. Keohane is a globally recognized expert on climate policy, carbon markets, and environmental economics. He has 30 years of energy and environmental policy experience in academia, government, and the non-profit sector, including at Environmental Defense Fund, where he held a range of roles including Chief Economist and Senior Vice President for Climate; in the White House, as Special Assistant to President Obama for Energy and Environment in the National Economic Council (2011-2012); and, earlier in his career, as Assistant and then Associate Professor of Economics at the Yale School of Management. He holds a Ph.D. from Harvard and a B.A. from Yale. An avid hiker and rower, Nat lives in New York City with his wife and two daughters.

Hilen G. Meirovich is the Director of Climate Change and Environment at IDB Invest, where she manages the climate work of the institution in Latin America and the Caribbean. Under her leadership, IDB Invest expanded its climate advisory services, quadrupling climate-related transactions, and building a $10.3 billion climate finance portfolio. Her leadership included spearheading innovative financing mechanisms, resource mobilization, and aligning organizational practices with the Paris Agreement. She is also an active speaker at global climate forums and an adjunct professor at George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs. Meirovich holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from Georgetown University.

Kai Alderson is a Partner in Fasken’s energy and natural resources group in Vancouver and co-leads Fasken’s ESG and Sustainability Group. He provides strategic advice to industrial emitters, financial institutions and regulated utilities on climate- and sustainability-related corporate disclosures, environmental product marketing, carbon offset transactions and corporate decarbonization initiatives. He also advises clients on business and governance issues arising from social enterprise initiatives and Indigenous economic participation in natural resource projects.

As a Vice President with the Sustainable Investment team, John leads the team’s growth initiatives and collaborates with teams across the firm to build timely and customized solutions to meet the needs of the firm’s clients. John also quarterbacks ESG integration practices for the firm’s equities and fixed income asset classes. He began his career at TD through an enterprise-wide rotational program, giving him a diverse set of banking experiences, including rotations with TD Bank’s Enterprise Environment team and the firm. Prior to joining TD, John spent five years working in Canadian politics as a lobbyist and as an assistant for a Member of Provincial Parliament. John holds a B.A. with Honours in Political Studies and an MBA, both from Queen’s University.

Brian Vaasjo was previously President and CEO of Capital Power, a power generation company, a position he had held since Capital Power’s Initial Public Offering in 2009 until May of 2023. Under his leadership, Capital Power had become Alberta’s leading developer of new power generation and has successfully acquired and developed power generation projects in B.C., Ontario, and the United States. Prior to that, Mr. Vaasjo held various positions at EPCOR Utilities including President of EPCOR’s Energy Division and Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer commencing in 1998. For 19 years before that he held various positions with the predecessor companies to Enbridge. Mr. Vaasjo served on the Capital Power Board from 2009 to 2023 and the Capital Power Income LP Board from 2005 to 2011 which he chaired from 2009 to 2011. Other directorships have included the Alberta Health Services Board, Shock Trauma Air Rescue Board (STARS) where he served as chairman and the United Way of the Alberta Region which he also served as chairman. He currently serves as a Member of the Advisory Council to the Dean of Medicine and Dentistry – University of Alberta. Mr. Vaasjo holds a Bachelor of Education degree and an MBA from the University of Alberta. He is also Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Professional Accountants (FCPA).

As Head of ESG for the General Account, Ariel helps Manulife navigate the complexities and trade-offs of the transition to net zero for its $400B+ portfolio of invested assets. Prior to joining Manulife, Ariel led implementation and assessment of sustainability strategies at Deloitte, working across key sectors in the energy ecosystem, including some of Canada’s largest oil & gas producers, metal and mining companies, and financial institutions. She has a Masters of Science in Sustainable Energy Development from the University of Calgary and a Bachelors of Science, with specialization in Biology from the University of Alberta.