INTO THE FUTURE
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US
FOR SEASON 4.
This panel discussion made possible with support from:
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5
Canada is about to enact the most dramatic change to the automotive industry in 100 years. What will implementing the first national ZEV mandate mean for Canada’s automotive sector?
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Manager of Politics & Governmental Affairs, Porsche Ag
Karl Dums
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President & CEO, Electric Mobility Canada
Daniel Breton
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President & CEO, Electricity Canada
Francis Bradley
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Vice President, Corporate, Toyota Canada Inc.
Stephen Beatty
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Senior Writer
Driving
David Booth
Moderator
Panelists
HOW WILL ZEV MANDATES SHAPE OUR FUTURE?
What technologies can help unclog our current highways and how can we design new highways that serve traffic better?
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19
THE HYDROGEN REVIVAL
WEDNESDAY, MAY 3
IS CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE
THE LAST ROADBLOCK FOR
EV DOMINATION?
Wednesday, December 14
Senior Editor
Driving
Vice President, Corporate
Toyota Canada Inc.
Automotive Market Analyst
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Unauthorized distribution, transmission
or republication strictly prohibited.
TRAFFIC'S A MESS.
HOW DO WE FIX IT?
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Vice President & Practice Lead - Civil Engineering Services Canada, SNC-Lavalin
Sabrina Martineau
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Senior Director, Public Affairs, Canadian Automobile Association
Kristine D’Arbelles
Professor, Director,
The Toronto Intelligent Transportation Systems Centre, University of Toronto
Baher Abdulhai
Read Bio
Senior Writer
Driving
David Booth
Moderator
panelists
Read Bio
Is clean, green piston power really a possibility? More importantly, who will lead the hydrogen-as-a-vehicle-fuel revolution?
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365 Bloor St East, Toronto, ON, M4W3L4, www.postmedia.com © 2023 Postmedia Network Inc. All rights reserved. Unauthorized distrbution, transmission or republication strictly prohibited.
Are charging stations the final roadblock to an EV takeover? Can we build chargers fast enough to meet demands of rising EV sales?
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Vice President & Practice Lead - Civil Engineering Services Canada, SNC-Lavalin
Sabrina Martineau
Read Bio
Kristine D’Arbelles
Senior Director,
Public Affairs, Canadian Automobile Association
Read Bio
Baher Abdulhai
Professor, Director,
The Toronto Intelligent Transportation Systems Centre, University of Toronto
Read Bio
David Booth
Senior Editor
Driving
Moderator
Panelists
Is Charging Infrastructure the last roadblock for EV domination?
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Kristine D’Arbelles | Senior Director, Public Affairs, Canadian Automobile Association
Kristine D’Arbelles has more than a decade of experience in public affairs, working to represent the interest of the travelling public. As senior director of public affairs with the Canadian Automobile Association, she strategically manages and executes communications initiatives and programs on CAA's five pillars: road safety, environment, mobility, infrastructure and consumer protection. Kristine has been one of the lead spokespersons on CAA National’s research reports around smart infrastructure. She has a masters in communications management from McMaster University, and is based in Ottawa, Canada.
Baher Abdulhai has been a professor at the University of Toronto since 1998. Born in Cairo, Egypt in 1966, and earned his Ph.D. in engineering from the University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, USA, in 1996.
Prof. Baher Abdulhai has 35 years of experience in transportation systems engineering and Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). He is the founder and Director of the Toronto ITS Centre and the founder and co-Director of i-City Centre for Automated and Transformative Transportation Systems (iCity-CATTS). Abdulhai received several awards including IEEE Outstanding Service Award, Teaching Excellence award, and research awards from Canada Foundation for Innovation, Ontario Research Fund, and Ontario Innovation Trust. He served on the Board of Directors of the Government of Ontario (GO) Transit Authority from 2004 to 2006. He served as a Canada Research Chair (CRC) in ITS from 2005 to 2010. The ITS Centre won the Ontario Showcase Merit Award of Excellence and the National GTEC Bronze Medal Award in 2005. His research team won international awards including the International Transportation Forum innovation award in 2010 (Hossam Abdelgawad), IEEE ITS 2013 (Samah El-Tantawy) and INFORMS 2013 (Samah El-Tantawy). In 2014, he won the University of Toronto Inventor of the Year Award. In 2015 he has been inducted as a Fellow of the Engineering Institute of Canada (EIC). In 2018, he won the prestigious CSCE Sandford Fleming (Career Achievement) Award for his contribution to transportation in Canada. He has been elected Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering in 2020. In 2021, he won the Ontario Professional Engineers Awards (OPEA) Engineering Medal for career Engineering Excellence.
Baher Abdulhai | Professor, Director, The Toronto Intelligent Transportation Systems Centre,
University of Toronto
Ms. Sabrina Martineau graduated from Laval University in Civil Engineering in 2006. She has extensive project experience in the fields of municipal engineering, transportation, wastewater treatment and hydraulic development. In addition to her position as Project Manager, Ms. Martineau has also served as Department Manager for Urban Infrastructure in the Infrastructure Engineering Division - Eastern Canada, as well as Federal Market Manager in Quebec, handling major clients in the municipal sector. Since 2022, she has taken over the position of Vice President, Practice Lead, Civil where she manages over 520 employees.
Sabrina Martineau | Vice President & Practice Lead - Civil Engineering Services Canada, SNC-Lavalin
Stephen Beatty is Vice President and Corporate Secretary of Toyota Canada Inc. (TCI), based out of the head office in Toronto, Ontario. He is responsible for the company’s Administration, Corporate Strategy & Innovation, External Affairs, Information Services, and Legal teams.
Prior to joining TCI in 1998 as National Manager, Government and Public Relations, Stephen worked for 10 years as Executive Director of the Canadian Apparel Manufacturers Institute and the Canadian Apparel Federation, the Ottawa-based national trade associations for the clothing industry in Canada. In his time with the associations, Stephen led the industry’s efforts to transform itself into a modern, export-based business. He brought to that task extensive experience in strategic planning, policy development, and media relations that he gained as a senior political advisor in Ottawa. His last position before leaving government to join the apparel industry was as Chief of Staff to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada.
Stephen has been actively involved with a number of volunteer advisory boards and was most recently Chair of the Global Automakers of Canada. He was also chair of the Board of Directors of AUTO21, a network of centres of excellence that focuses on Canadian research expertise to improve the global competitiveness of Canada’s automotive industry.
Stephen holds a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in political studies from the University of Guelph. He also holds a second BA degree in sociology and a master’s in public administration from Carleton University.
Stephen Beatty | Vice President, Corporate, Toyota Canada Inc.
Francis Bradley is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Electricity Canada. Founded in 1891, Electricity Canada (formerly the Canadian Electricity Association) is the national voice for sustainable electricity for its members and the customers they serve as the country works towards a Net Zero by 2050 future.
Electricity Canada members include integrated electric utilities, independent power producers, transmission and distribution companies, power marketers, manufacturers and suppliers of materials, technology, and services. The Association supports, through its advocacy efforts, the regional, national, and international success of its members. Francis is the co-chair of the National Cross-Sector Forum, overseeing Canada’s Action Plan for Critical Infrastructure. He also sits on the Steering Committee for the Electricity Sub-Sector Coordinating Council (ESCC), the Board for the Energy Council of Canada (ECC), the Positive Energy Advisory Council, and is a founding Board member of the Canadian Transportation Alliance. At the North American Electric Reliability Corporation’s (NERC) Member Representatives Committee and Board of Trustees’ meetings, Francis represents Electricity Canada and advocates strongly for its members in their activities related to the Electric Reliability Organization Enterprise, and its role in ensuring the reliability and security of the North American bulk power system.
Prior to being named CEO in June 2019, Francis managed Electricity Canada’s day-to-day activities as Chief Operating Officer since 2014. During that time, he also was a member of the National Advisory Committee of Canada’s Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction and was a co-chair with the Standards Council of Canada of the Smart Grid Standards Advisory Committee.
In 2019, Francis created and continues to host “The Flux Capacitor” podcast series featuring discussions about the future of electricity with CEOs, regulators, political figures, and leaders from civil society. The Flux Capacity is currently airing episode 064.
Francis Bradley | President & CEO, Electricity Canada
Daniel Breton is President and CEO of Electric Mobility Canada, one of the oldest associations dedicated to the electrification of transportation in the world. This organization has more than 150 members from the whole industry ecosystem including electricity suppliers, light, medium, heavy-duty and off-road vehicle manufacturers, charging infrastructure manufacturers, cities, universities, unions, technology companies, mining companies, research centres, government departments, environmental NGOs, electric vehicle owners' associations, fleet managers, etc. A former Quebec Minister of the Environment, Sustainable Development, Wildlife and Parks, he was the first elected official in charge of a government strategy for the electrification of transportation in Canada in 2012. He graduated in sustainable carbon management and has written several articles and books on the subject of transportation electrification, climate change, air pollution and energy transition since 2003.
Daniel Breton | President & CEO, Electric Mobility Canada
Bio coming soon
Karl Dums | Manager of Politics & Governmental Affairs, Porsche Ag
David Booth, Driving’s Senior Writer, has a Bachelor’s degree in engineering complemented by decades working as an automotive journalist and commentator. He has a cynic’s view of politics, a child's wonder for anything powerful and an engineer's curiosity about how things work, all crucial for dissecting and disseminating the technology the industry constantly springs on us. And for the record, he thinks hybridization is the future, worships at the altar of supercars and absolutely adores his motorcycles, so his perfect vehicle is a 700-horsepower plug-in with two wheels.
David Booth | Senior Writer, Driving
Stephen Beatty | Vice President, Corporate, Toyota Canada Inc.
Stephen Beatty is Vice President and Corporate Secretary of Toyota Canada Inc. (TCI), based out of the head office in Toronto, Ontario. He is responsible for the company’s Administration, Corporate Strategy & Innovation, External Affairs, Information Services, and Legal teams.
Prior to joining TCI in 1998 as National Manager, Government and Public Relations, Stephen worked for 10 years as Executive Director of the Canadian Apparel Manufacturers Institute and the Canadian Apparel Federation, the Ottawa-based national trade associations for the clothing industry in Canada. In his time with the associations, Stephen led the industry’s efforts to transform itself into a modern, export-based business. He brought to that task extensive experience in strategic planning, policy development, and media relations that he gained as a senior political advisor in Ottawa. His last position before leaving government to join the apparel industry was as Chief of Staff to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada.
Stephen has been actively involved with a number of volunteer advisory boards and was most recently Chair of the Global Automakers of Canada. He was also chair of the Board of Directors of AUTO21, a network of centres of excellence that focuses on Canadian research expertise to improve the global competitiveness of Canada’s automotive industry.
Stephen holds a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in political studies from the University of Guelph. He also holds a second BA degree in sociology and a master’s in public administration from Carleton University.
David Booth, Driving’s Senior Writer, has a Bachelor’s degree in engineering complemented by decades working as an automotive journalist and commentator. He has a cynic’s view of politics, a child's wonder for anything powerful and an engineer's curiosity about how things work, all crucial for dissecting and disseminating the technology the industry constantly springs on us. And for the record, he thinks hybridization is the future, worships at the altar of supercars and absolutely adores his motorcycles, so his perfect vehicle is a 700-horsepower plug-in with two wheels.
David Booth | Senior Writer, Driving
Francis Bradley is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Electricity Canada. Founded in 1891, Electricity Canada (formerly the Canadian Electricity Association) is the national voice for sustainable electricity for its members and the customers they serve as the country works towards a Net Zero by 2050 future.
Electricity Canada members include integrated electric utilities, independent power producers, transmission and distribution companies, power marketers, manufacturers and suppliers of materials, technology, and services. The Association supports, through its advocacy efforts, the regional, national, and international success of its members. Francis is the co-chair of the National Cross-Sector Forum, overseeing Canada’s Action Plan for Critical Infrastructure. He also sits on the Steering Committee for the Electricity Sub-Sector Coordinating Council (ESCC), the Board for the Energy Council of Canada (ECC), the Positive Energy Advisory Council, and is a founding Board member of the Canadian Transportation Alliance. At the North American Electric Reliability Corporation’s (NERC) Member Representatives Committee and Board of Trustees’ meetings, Francis represents Electricity Canada and advocates strongly for its members in their activities related to the Electric Reliability Organization Enterprise, and its role in ensuring the reliability and security of the North American bulk power system.
Prior to being named CEO in June 2019, Francis managed Electricity Canada’s day-to-day activities as Chief Operating Officer since 2014. During that time, he also was a member of the National Advisory Committee of Canada’s Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction and was a co-chair with the Standards Council of Canada of the Smart Grid Standards Advisory Committee.
In 2019, Francis created and continues to host “The Flux Capacitor” podcast series featuring discussions about the future of electricity with CEOs, regulators, political figures, and leaders from civil society. The Flux Capacity is currently airing episode 064.
Francis Bradley | President & CEO, Electricity Canada
Daniel Breton is President and CEO of Electric Mobility Canada, one of the oldest associations dedicated to the electrification of transportation in the world. This organization has more than 150 members from the whole industry ecosystem including electricity suppliers, light, medium, heavy-duty and off-road vehicle manufacturers, charging infrastructure manufacturers, cities, universities, unions, technology companies, mining companies, research centres, government departments, environmental NGOs, electric vehicle owners' associations, fleet managers, etc. A former Quebec Minister of the Environment, Sustainable Development, Wildlife and Parks, he was the first elected official in charge of a government strategy for the electrification of transportation in Canada in 2012. He graduated in sustainable carbon management and has written several articles and books on the subject of transportation electrification, climate change, air pollution and energy transition since 2003.
Daniel Breton | President & CEO, Electric Mobility Canada
Bio coming soon
Karl Dums | Manager of Politics & Governmental Affairs, Porsche Ag
David Booth, Driving’s Senior Writer, has a Bachelor’s degree in engineering complemented by decades working as an automotive journalist and commentator. He has a cynic’s view of politics, a child's wonder for anything powerful and an engineer's curiosity about how things work, all crucial for dissecting and disseminating the technology the industry constantly springs on us. And for the record, he thinks hybridization is the future, worships at the altar of supercars and absolutely adores his motorcycles, so his perfect vehicle is a 700-horsepower plug-in with two wheels.
David Booth | Senior Writer, Driving
Baher Abdulhai has been a professor at the University of Toronto since 1998. Born in Cairo, Egypt in 1966, and earned his Ph.D. in engineering from the University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, USA, in 1996.
Prof. Baher Abdulhai has 35 years of experience in transportation systems engineering and Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). He is the founder and Director of the Toronto ITS Centre and the founder and co-Director of i-City Centre for Automated and Transformative Transportation Systems (iCity-CATTS). Abdulhai received several awards including IEEE Outstanding Service Award, Teaching Excellence award, and research awards from Canada Foundation for Innovation, Ontario Research Fund, and Ontario Innovation Trust. He served on the Board of Directors of the Government of Ontario (GO) Transit Authority from 2004 to 2006. He served as a Canada Research Chair (CRC) in ITS from 2005 to 2010. The ITS Centre won the Ontario Showcase Merit Award of Excellence and the National GTEC Bronze Medal Award in 2005. His research team won international awards including the International Transportation Forum innovation award in 2010 (Hossam Abdelgawad), IEEE ITS 2013 (Samah El-Tantawy) and INFORMS 2013 (Samah El-Tantawy). In 2014, he won the University of Toronto Inventor of the Year Award. In 2015 he has been inducted as a Fellow of the Engineering Institute of Canada (EIC). In 2018, he won the prestigious CSCE Sandford Fleming (Career Achievement) Award for his contribution to transportation in Canada. He has been elected Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering in 2020. In 2021, he won the Ontario Professional Engineers Awards (OPEA) Engineering Medal for career Engineering Excellence.
Baher Abdulhai | Professor, Director, The Toronto Intelligent Transportation Systems Centre, University of Toronto
Kristine D’Arbelles has more than a decade of experience in public affairs, working to represent the interest of the travelling public. As senior director of public affairs with the Canadian Automobile Association, she strategically manages and executes communications initiatives and programs on CAA's five pillars: road safety, environment, mobility, infrastructure and consumer protection. Kristine has been one of the lead spokespersons on CAA National’s research reports around smart infrastructure. She has a masters in communications management from McMaster University, and is based in Ottawa, Canada.
Kristine D’Arbelles | Senior Director, Public Affairs, Canadian Automobile Association
Ms. Sabrina Martineau graduated from Laval University in Civil Engineering in 2006. She has extensive project experience in the fields of municipal engineering, transportation, wastewater treatment and hydraulic development. In addition to her position as Project Manager, Ms. Martineau has also served as Department Manager for Urban Infrastructure in the Infrastructure Engineering Division - Eastern Canada, as well as Federal Market Manager in Quebec, handling major clients in the municipal sector. Since 2022, she has taken over the position of Vice President, Practice Lead, Civil where she manages over 520 employees.
Sabrina Martineau | Vice President & Practice Lead - Civil Engineering Services Canada,
SNC-Lavalin
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Read Bio
CEO
Hydra Energy
Jessica Verhagen
Read Bio
Group Manager & Director
of Fuel Cell Solutions
Toyota Motor North America
Craig Scott
Read Bio
Vice Chancellors Senior Research Fellow
RMIT University
Dr. Nasir Mahmood PhD. CPEng
Read Bio
Vice President Transportation Solutions HTEC
Jeff Grant
Read Bio
Senior Writer
Driving
David Booth
Moderator
panelists
David Booth, Driving’s Senior Writer, has a Bachelor’s degree in engineering complemented by decades working as an automotive journalist and commentator. He has a cynic’s view of politics, a child's wonder for anything powerful and an engineer's curiosity about how things work, all crucial for dissecting and disseminating the technology the industry constantly springs on us. And for the record, he thinks hybridization is the future, worships at the altar of supercars and absolutely adores his motorcycles, so his perfect vehicle is a 700-horsepower plug-in with two wheels.
David Booth | Senior Writer, Driving
David Booth, Driving’s Senior Writer, has a Bachelor’s degree in engineering complemented by decades working as an automotive journalist and commentator. He has a cynic’s view of politics, a child's wonder for anything powerful and an engineer's curiosity about how things work, all crucial for dissecting and disseminating the technology the industry constantly springs on us. And for the record, he thinks hybridization is the future, worships at the altar of supercars and absolutely adores his motorcycles, so his perfect vehicle is a 700-horsepower plug-in with two wheels.
David Booth | Senior Writer, Driving
Jeff Grant has over 22 years' experience in business and project development and government relations in the hydrogen sector. At HTEC, Jeff is responsible for the Transportation Solutions department, involving fleet transition planning, transportation project development and execution, and vehicle leasing for heavy-duty fleet partners.
With a passion for electrification of the transportation industry, Jeff has been instrumental in developing hydrogen and fuel cell equipment deployments in early markets. Prior to joining HTEC, Jeff was the principal and co-founder of Zen Clean Energy Solutions. He led Zen’s project development and fleet transition verticals with a focus on creating and refining ideas, finding, and securing non-dilutive funding, identifying partnerships, and delivering contracts. He led multiple project development files for Zen, including key partnerships for HTEC’s early-stage light-duty fueling network in BC. At Ballard Power Systems, Jeff spent 15 years in several key business development roles, including the commercial lead for the North American bus market. Jeff recently served as the Vice Chair of Hydrogen BC.
Jeff Grant | Vice President, Transportation Solutions, HTEC
Nasir Mahmood is a Vice-Chancellor Senior Research Fellow at RMIT University, obtained his PhD from Peking University in 2015. His research interest involves the development of advanced materials for a sustainable society. He is one of the highly cited researchers in the World by Clarivate, WebofScience. His early career began at the University of Wollongong, Australia (2015-16) followed by securing a research fellow position at Tianjin University, China (2016-17).
He has an excellent track record in publishing high-quality publications >145 with citations >12,000 and an H-index of 54 as well as holds 6 patents/applications and author of 10 books/book chapters, commercialization, attracting research funding and media attention, managing editorial responsibilities and organizing conferences. His research has been highlighted in more than 1000 media blogs, magazines, television, and radio in many different languages across the world, reaching over 400 million people. He has been awarded several prestigious awards including the Beijing Science and Technology Award 2018 by the Municipal Government of Beijing, China in recognition of his contribution to the technological and economic advancement of Capital City Beijing, RMIT Vice-Chancellor Postdoctoral Fellowship (2019-2022) and RMIT Vice-Chancellor Senior Research Fellowship (2022-2026). He is also serving as an Associate Editor for Frontiers in Chemistry.
Dr. Nasir Mahmood, PhD. CPEng | Vice Chancellors Senior Research Fellow, RMIT University
Craig Scott is GM/Director of Fuel Cell Solutions at Toyota Motor North America. Within his role, Craig is responsible for managing the planning and development of hydrogen fuel cell vehicle programs including heavy duty, commercial vehicle products with Kenworth/Paccar & Hino Motors America. In addition, Craig is expanding the role of hydrogen into non-automotive spaces such as stationary power and aviation. Previously he managed vehicle programs including the Toyota Mirai, Gen 2 Prius, RAV4 & Scion iQ EVs as well as the Toyota i-Road urban mobility vehicle. Beyond vehicle development, Craig also manages hydrogen-related strategic alliances and helps oversee US hydrogen infrastructure planning and implementation activities. Prior to joining Toyota in 2001, Craig was an associate fixed income portfolio manager with Pacific Investment Management Company in Newport Beach, CA.
Craig has a BS in Finance and Japanese Studies and earned a MBA in Strategy and Finance from the University of Southern California. Craig enjoys spending time with his family in Scotland and playing tennis near his home in
Los Angeles.
Craig Scott | Group Manager & Director of Fuel Cell Solutions, Toyota Motor North America
Jessica brings nearly 20 years of experience at the intersection of environment and finance, with her accomplishments recognized with a Business in Vancouver Top 40 Under 40 and a Canada’s Clean50 award in 2021. Promoted from Hydra COO to CEO in 2021, she was previously the VP of Business Development for Ecosphere+, part of Mirova Natural Capital in London, where she successfully sold hundreds of millions in international environmental assets, proving a new business model for investing in nature. Jessica supported the close of the Series B round and the go-to-market strategy for global Top 100 cleantech company, Axine Water and was part of the founding team of Evoke Innovations, a fund that raised $100 million from oil and gas companies to invest in early stage cleantech. She began her career in government, where she was responsible for some of North America’s first legislation and stakeholder engagement on emissions reporting and trading, carbon taxes and offsets.
Jessica Verhagen | CEO, Hydra Energy
Read Bio
CEO
Hydra Energy
Jessica Verhagen
Read Bio
Group Manager & Director of Fuel
Cell Solutions
Toyota Motor
North America
Craig Scott
Read Bio
Vice Chancellors Senior Research Fellow
RMIT University
Dr. Nasir Mahmood PhD. CPEng
Read Bio
Vice President Transportation Solutions
HTEC
Jeff Grant
Read Bio
Senior Editor
Driving
David Booth
Moderator
panelists
IS CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE
THE LAST ROADBLOCK FOR
EV DOMINATION?
David Booth, Driving’s Senior Writer, has a Bachelor’s degree in engineering complemented by decades working as an automotive journalist and commentator. He has a cynic’s view of politics, a child's wonder for anything powerful and an engineer's curiosity about how things work, all crucial for dissecting and disseminating the technology the industry constantly springs on us. And for the record, he thinks hybridization is the future, worships at the altar of supercars and absolutely adores his motorcycles, so his perfect vehicle is a 700-horsepower plug-in with two wheels.
David Booth | Senior Writer, Driving
Jeff Grant has over 22 years' experience in business and project development and government relations in the hydrogen sector. At HTEC, Jeff is responsible for the Transportation Solutions department, involving fleet transition planning, transportation project development and execution, and vehicle leasing for heavy-duty fleet partners.
With a passion for electrification of the transportation industry, Jeff has been instrumental in developing hydrogen and fuel cell equipment deployments in early markets. Prior to joining HTEC, Jeff was the principal and co-founder of Zen Clean Energy Solutions. He led Zen’s project development and fleet transition verticals with a focus on creating and refining ideas, finding, and securing non-dilutive funding, identifying partnerships, and delivering contracts. He led multiple project development files for Zen, including key partnerships for HTEC’s early-stage light-duty fueling network in BC. At Ballard Power Systems, Jeff spent 15 years in several key business development roles, including the commercial lead for the North American bus market. Jeff recently served as the Vice Chair of Hydrogen BC.
Jeff Grant | Vice President, Transportation Solutions, HTEC
Nasir Mahmood is a Vice-Chancellor Senior Research Fellow at RMIT University, obtained his PhD from Peking University in 2015. His research interest involves the development of advanced materials for a sustainable society. He is one of the highly cited researchers in the World by Clarivate, WebofScience. His early career began at the University of Wollongong, Australia (2015-16) followed by securing a research fellow position at Tianjin University, China (2016-17). He has an excellent track record in publishing high-quality publications >145 with citations >12,000 and an H-index of 54 as well as holds 6 patents/applications and author of 10 books/book chapters, commercialization, attracting research funding and media attention, managing editorial responsibilities and organizing conferences. His research has been highlighted in more than 1000 media blogs, magazines, television, and radio in many different languages across the world, reaching over 400 million people. He has been awarded several prestigious awards including the Beijing Science and Technology Award 2018 by the Municipal Government of Beijing, China in recognition of his contribution to the technological and economic advancement of Capital City Beijing, RMIT Vice-Chancellor Postdoctoral Fellowship (2019-2022) and RMIT Vice-Chancellor Senior Research Fellowship (2022-2026). He is also serving as an Associate Editor for Frontiers in Chemistry.
Dr. Nasir Mahmood, PhD. CPEng | Vice Chancellors Senior Research Fellow, RMIT University
Craig Scott is GM/Director of Fuel Cell Solutions at Toyota Motor North America. Within his role, Craig is responsible for managing the planning and development of hydrogen fuel cell vehicle programs including heavy duty, commercial vehicle products with Kenworth/Paccar & Hino Motors America. In addition, Craig is expanding the role of hydrogen into non-automotive spaces such as stationary power and aviation. Previously he managed vehicle programs including the Toyota Mirai, Gen 2 Prius, RAV4 & Scion iQ EVs as well as the Toyota i-Road urban mobility vehicle. Beyond vehicle development, Craig also manages hydrogen-related strategic alliances and helps oversee US hydrogen infrastructure planning and implementation activities. Prior to joining Toyota in 2001, Craig was an associate fixed income portfolio manager with Pacific Investment Management Company in Newport Beach, CA.
Craig has a BS in Finance and Japanese Studies and earned a MBA in Strategy and Finance from the University of Southern California. Craig enjoys spending time with his family in Scotland and playing tennis near his home in Los Angeles.
Craig Scott | Group Manager & Director of Fuel Cell Solutions, Toyota Motor North America
Jessica brings nearly 20 years of experience at the intersection of environment and finance, with her accomplishments recognized with a Business in Vancouver Top 40 Under 40 and a Canada’s Clean50 award in 2021. Promoted from Hydra COO to CEO in 2021, she was previously the VP of Business Development for Ecosphere+, part of Mirova Natural Capital in London, where she successfully sold hundreds of millions in international environmental assets, proving a new business model for investing in nature. Jessica supported the close of the Series B round and the go-to-market strategy for global Top 100 cleantech company, Axine Water and was part of the founding team of Evoke Innovations, a fund that raised $100 million from oil and gas companies to invest in early stage cleantech. She began her career in government, where she was responsible for some of North America’s first legislation and stakeholder engagement on emissions reporting and trading, carbon taxes and offsets.
Jessica Verhagen | Managing Partner, Goehring & Rozencwajg Associates, LLC
Read Bio
President and Chief Executive Officer
Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers’ Association
Brian Kingston
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Professor
University of Waterloo
Claudio Cañizares
Ph. D., P. Eng.
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Managing Director
ASPIRE
Tallis Blalack, Ph.D.
Read Bio
Vice President and Market Lead - Power Grids
SNC-Lavalin
Ramy Azar, Ph.D.
Read Bio
Senior Writer
Driving
David Booth
Moderator
experts
David Booth, Driving’s Senior Writer, has a Bachelor’s degree in engineering complemented by decades working as an automotive journalist and commentator. He has a cynic’s view of politics, a child's wonder for anything powerful and an engineer's curiosity about how things work, all crucial for dissecting and disseminating the technology the industry constantly springs on us. And for the record, he thinks hybridization is the future, worships at the altar of supercars and absolutely adores his motorcycles, so his perfect vehicle is a 700-horsepower plug-in with two wheels.
David Booth | Senior Writer, Driving
As Vice President & Market Lead at SNC-Lavalin, Dr. Ramy Azar leads the Power Grid business unit responsible for executing large, complex energy projects both nationally and across the globe. Projects include transmission lines and substations at high and extra-high voltages up to 765kV AC and 500kV DC, interconnection of renewable generation, and optimal integration of power grid technologies including energy storage, smart grids, power electronics, and the long-term planning of electrical infrastructure.
With just over 20 years of experience in the field of power grids, he also acts as subject matter expert and contributes to the company's Thought Leadership and technical innovation initiatives. In this context he is a member of the board of CIGRÉ Canada and was active on multiple study committees. He is also an IEEE Senior Member.
Amongst his numerous publications, he was a lead author on SNC-Lavalin’s Engineering Net Zero Canadian Technical Report, which looked at the 2050 targets, and a follow-up report entitled: Is Canada On Track to Meet its 2030 targets.
Ramy is fully fluent in 4 languages and holds a Ph.D. and a Masters in Electrical Engineering from Cambridge University (U.K.), as well as a Bachelors in Electrical Engineering from McGill University (Canada).
Ramy Azar, Ph.D. | Vice President and Market Lead - Power Grids, SNC-Lavalin
Dr. Tallis Blalack is the Managing Director of the ASPIRE (Advancing Sustainability through Powered Infrastructure for Roadway Electrification) Research Center, an NSF sponsored engineering research center involving 9 universities, more than 65 faculty, 160 students and a dozen full-time staff, 4 national lab partners, and more than 50 industry and innovation partners.
Tallis is a highly accomplished technology executive with a unique combination of experience in technology development and business management in Fortune 500 companies as well as start-ups, including two startups he co-founded. His experience spans industries including electric vehicles, industrial internet of things, semiconductors, cleantech, and software. Tallis holds a PhD in Electrical Engineering from Stanford
Tallis Blalack, Ph.D. | Managing Director, ASPIRE
Prof. Claudio Cañizares is a University Professor and the Hydro One Endowed Chair at the Electrical and Computer Engineering (E&CE) Department, and the Executive Director of the Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy (WISE) at the University of Waterloo, where he has held various academic and administrative positions since 1993 and has received multiple recognitions, especially the 2021-2022 Awards of Excellence in Graduate Supervision at both the University and Faculty of Engineering levels.
He obtained the Electrical Engineer degree from the Escuela Politécnica Nacional (EPN) in Quito-Ecuador in 1984, where he held different academic and administrative positions between 1983 and 1993, and his MSc (1988) and PhD (1991) degrees in Electrical Engineering are from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His research activities focus on the study of stability, control, optimization, modeling, simulation, and computational issues in bulk power systems, microgrids, and energy systems in the context of competitive energy markets and smart grids. In these areas, he has led or been an integral part of many grants and contracts from government agencies and private companies worth millions of dollars, and has collaborated with multiple industry and university researchers in Canada and abroad, supervising/co-supervising over 170 research fellows and graduate students. He has authored/co-authored close to 370 publications with near 28,000 citations and a 75 H-index, including journal and conference papers, technical reports, book chapters, disclosures and patents, and has been invited to deliver keynote speeches, seminars, tutorials, and presentations at many institutions and conferences worldwide.
Prof, Cañizares is the Editor-In-Chief of the Institute of Electrical & Electronic Engineering (IEEE) Transactions on Smart Grid, the 2022-2023 IEEE Division VII Director of the IEEE and Power & Energy Society (PES) Boards, and a Fellow of the IEEE, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, where he was the Director of the Applied Science and Engineering Division of the Academy of Science from 2017 to 2020, and a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering. He is also the recipient of the 2017 IEEE PES Outstanding Power Engineering Educator Award, the 2016 IEEE Canada Electric Power Medal, and of multiple IEEE PES Technical Council and Committee awards and recognitions, holding leadership positions in several IEEE-PES Committees, Working Groups, and Task Forces.
Claudio Cañizares, Ph. D., P. Eng. | Professor, University of Waterloo
Brian Kingston is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers’ Association (CVMA). The CVMA represents Canada’s leading manufacturers of light and heavy duty motor vehicles. Its membership includes Ford Motor Company of Canada, Limited, General Motors of Canada Company, and Stellantis (FCA Canada).
Prior to joining the CVMA, Brian was Vice President of Policy, Fiscal and International, at the Business Council of Canada where he led the Council’s economic policy priorities and global engagement. From 2009 to 2012 he served in the federal government with positions at the Department of Finance, Global Affairs Canada, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, the Treasury Board Secretariat, and the Privy Council Office.
In addition to his accomplishments in business and government, Brian is active in the non-profit sector including as past president of the Ottawa Economics Association and as a current board member of the Banff Forum.
Brian holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Carleton University, a master’s degree in international affairs from the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs and an MBA from Ivey Business School.
Brian Kingston | President and Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers’ Association
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President and Chief Executive Officer
Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers’ Association
Brian Kingston
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Professor
University of Waterloo
Claudio Cañizares Ph. D., P. Eng.
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Managing Director
ASPIRE
Tallis Blalack, Ph.D.
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Vice President and Market Lead - Power Grids, SNC-Lavalin
Ramy Azar, Ph.D.
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Senior Editor
Driving
David Booth
Moderator
experts
David Booth, Driving’s Senior Writer, has a Bachelor’s degree in engineering complemented by decades working as an automotive journalist and commentator. He has a cynic’s view of politics, a child's wonder for anything powerful and an engineer's curiosity about how things work, all crucial for dissecting and disseminating the technology the industry constantly springs on us. And for the record, he thinks hybridization is the future, worships at the altar of supercars and absolutely adores his motorcycles, so his perfect vehicle is a 700-horsepower plug-in with two wheels.
David Booth | Senior Writer, Driving
As Vice President & Market Lead at SNC-Lavalin, Dr. Ramy Azar leads the Power Grid business unit responsible for executing large, complex energy projects both nationally and across the globe. Projects include transmission lines and substations at high and extra-high voltages up to 765kV AC and 500kV DC, interconnection of renewable generation, and optimal integration of power grid technologies including energy storage, smart grids, power electronics, and the long-term planning of electrical infrastructure.
With just over 20 years of experience in the field of power grids, he also acts as subject matter expert and contributes to the company's Thought Leadership and technical innovation initiatives. In this context he is a member of the board of CIGRÉ Canada and was active on multiple study committees. He is also an IEEE Senior Member.
Amongst his numerous publications, he was a lead author on SNC-Lavalin’s Engineering Net Zero Canadian Technical Report, which looked at the 2050 targets, and a follow-up report entitled: Is Canada On Track to Meet its 2030 targets.
Ramy is fully fluent in 4 languages and holds a Ph.D. and a Masters in Electrical Engineering from Cambridge University (U.K.), as well as a Bachelors in Electrical Engineering from McGill University (Canada).
Ramy Azar, Ph.D. | Vice President and Market Lead - Power Grids, SNC-Lavalin
Dr. Tallis Blalack is the Managing Director of the ASPIRE (Advancing Sustainability through Powered Infrastructure for Roadway Electrification) Research Center, an NSF sponsored engineering research center involving 9 universities, more than 65 faculty, 160 students and a dozen full-time staff, 4 national lab partners, and more than 50 industry and innovation partners.
Tallis is a highly accomplished technology executive with a unique combination of experience in technology development and business management in Fortune 500 companies as well as start-ups, including two startups he co-founded. His experience spans industries including electric vehicles, industrial internet of things, semiconductors, cleantech, and software. Tallis holds a PhD in Electrical Engineering from Stanford.
Tallis Blalack, Ph.D. | Managing Director, ASPIRE
Prof. Claudio Cañizares is a University Professor and the Hydro One Endowed Chair at the Electrical and Computer Engineering (E&CE) Department, and the Executive Director of the Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy (WISE) at the University of Waterloo, where he has held various academic and administrative positions since 1993 and has received multiple recognitions, especially the 2021-2022 Awards of Excellence in Graduate Supervision at both the University and Faculty of Engineering levels.
He obtained the Electrical Engineer degree from the Escuela Politécnica Nacional (EPN) in Quito-Ecuador in 1984, where he held different academic and administrative positions between 1983 and 1993, and his MSc (1988) and PhD (1991) degrees in Electrical Engineering are from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His research activities focus on the study of stability, control, optimization, modeling, simulation, and computational issues in bulk power systems, microgrids, and energy systems in the context of competitive energy markets and smart grids. In these areas, he has led or been an integral part of many grants and contracts from government agencies and private companies worth millions of dollars, and has collaborated with multiple industry and university researchers in Canada and abroad, supervising/co-supervising over 170 research fellows and graduate students. He has authored/co-authored close to 370 publications with near 28,000 citations and a 75 H-index, including journal and conference papers, technical reports, book chapters, disclosures and patents, and has been invited to deliver keynote speeches, seminars, tutorials, and presentations at many institutions and conferences worldwide.
Prof, Cañizares is the Editor-In-Chief of the Institute of Electrical & Electronic Engineering (IEEE) Transactions on Smart Grid, the 2022-2023 IEEE Division VII Director of the IEEE and Power & Energy Society (PES) Boards, and a Fellow of the IEEE, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, where he was the Director of the Applied Science and Engineering Division of the Academy of Science from 2017 to 2020, and a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering. He is also the recipient of the 2017 IEEE PES Outstanding Power Engineering Educator Award, the 2016 IEEE Canada Electric Power Medal, and of multiple IEEE PES Technical Council and Committee awards and recognitions, holding leadership positions in several IEEE-PES Committees, Working Groups, and Task Forces.
Claudio Cañizares, Ph. D., P. Eng. | Professor, University of Waterloo
Brian Kingston is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers’ Association (CVMA). The CVMA represents Canada’s leading manufacturers of light and heavy duty motor vehicles. Its membership includes Ford Motor Company of Canada, Limited, General Motors of Canada Company, and Stellantis (FCA Canada).
Prior to joining the CVMA, Brian was Vice President of Policy, Fiscal and International, at the Business Council of Canada where he led the Council’s economic policy priorities and global engagement. From 2009 to 2012 he served in the federal government with positions at the Department of Finance, Global Affairs Canada, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, the Treasury Board Secretariat, and the Privy Council Office.
In addition to his accomplishments in business and government, Brian is active in the non-profit sector including as past president of the Ottawa Economics Association and as a current board member of the Banff Forum.
Brian holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Carleton University, a master’s degree in international affairs from the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs and an MBA from Ivey Business School.
Brian Kingston | President and Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers’ Association
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Project Lead, Transportation System Management,
Traffic Services Branch, Public Works Department, City of Ottawa
Omar Choudhry, P.Eng.
Omar Choudhry P. Eng. has been developing and implementing technology solutions for over 25 years on projects across the United States and Canada. His work currently focuses on new technologies in the Intelligent Transportation Systems and Connected Automated Vehicle spaces to assist in improving mobility, traveller information and traffic management for residents.
Omar Choudhry, P.Eng. | Project Lead, Transportation System Management, Traffic Services Branch,
Public Works Department, City of Ottawa
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P.Eng.,
Project Lead, Transportation System Management, Traffic Services Branch,
Public Works Department,
City of Ottawa
Omar Choudhry
Omar Choudhry P. Eng. has been developing and implementing technology solutions for over 25 years on projects across the United States and Canada. His work currently focuses on new technologies in the Intelligent Transportation Systems and Connected Automated Vehicle spaces to assist in improving mobility, traveller information and traffic management for residents.
Omar Choudry, P.Eng. | Project Lead, Transportation System Management, Traffic Services Branch, Public Works Department, City of Ottawa
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