Senior Advisors

Laura Barnett is a risk management professional with experience in the financial services industry. She has spent the majority of her career focused on operational risk, including emergency preparedness, where she has worked to bring teams together for collaboration focusing on their commonalities and connection points.

Equipped with her BA in Linguistics from York University, Glendon and MBA in Risk Management from Walden University, Laura has used her educational background to connect her people-focused skills with operational efficiency in both her professional and volunteer community work. She is passionate about supporting people to discover and develop their skills for betterment of their own local communities.

Laura has served on not-for-profit boards in Toronto and has been involved in several community development projects, both in Toronto and through partnership with organizations internationally.

Peter Boyd enjoys working where strategy, marketing and sustainability meet. In 2014 he moved from launch director and COO of the Carbon War Room, to independently launching The Time4Good Group. This now spans a social startup and consultancy, that includes advising The B Team on its Net-Zero initiative, and an Executive Fellowship at Yale’s Center for Business and the Environment.

He has over fifteen years of commercial experience with the Virgin Group, latterly serving as CEO of Virgin Mobile South Africa. He started his career with McKinsey & Co. after graduating BA Hons. from Oxford University reading Philosophy, Politics & Economics.

In parallel to his work at Time4Good, he is a member of the board of trustees at Earthplace and serves on the mayoral Green Task Force in his hometown of Westport, CT (which also recently targeted a ‘Net-Zero by 2050’ sustainability goal).

Dr. Charlebois is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world’s most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.

Nigel is an experienced executive and consultant in international and multi-sector assignments.  His advisory work focuses on incorporating principles of sustainability, innovation, risk mitigation and continuous improvement in strategic, operational, and technical engagements.  He has worked on four continents serving clients in a wide range of industries including aerospace, banking, capital markets, oil and gas, mining, pulp and paper, power systems and renewable energy. More recently he has specified, designed, and/or built geo-solar systems for near net-zero green (multi-) residential home and commercial offices.

As an executive and/or co-founder he has launched three start-ups – E-Trade Canada, Potentia Solar, and Isla Power – which collectively have raised over $130 M in investor capital, and two of which have seen successful exits for the founders.  Nigel has served as chair and independent board member of Efficiency Capital Corp, a spin-off of The Atmospheric Fund, and the Canadian Solar Industries Association (CanSIA/CanREA) where he was the President’s Award winner in 2013.
 
His mission is to co-create and/or accelerate the execution of business strategies with triple bottom line benefits – economic, environmental, and social – serving client enterprises from start-ups to multi-nationals.  

Richard (Rick) is recognized as a leader who sees the big picture and taps into the intelligence of teams, partners, alliances and data to drive growth, innovation and positive change.

Over a 30 year career he has provided CEO leadership for international and domestic consumer packaged goods and beverage companies. He led the planning and implementation of growth and innovation focused sales, marketing, operations, mergers and acquisitions. He has served on Canadian corporate, NGO and NFP Boards—creating impressive and sustained growth in shareholder value.

Rick is a Director of VIVO Cannabis Inc., and Founder/Chair of the Socks4Souls not-for-profit charity. Previously, he was Chair of the Board of Dillon Consulting, he served for eight years, as an Ontario Power Authority Director, Diageo Chairman, and Richmond Hills Philharmonic Orchestra Director and Chair.

He is a sought-after keynote speaker and advisor to CEOs and senior decision-makers on key issues that impact their businesses and address how to translate future readiness strategies into sustainable action.

Aidan has a long history in stakeholder management, Indigenous community engagement, public education and policy development. He works with clients across all sectors to find creative solutions for their projects and sets the strategic direction for their organization.

Clients quickly come to rely on Aidan’s candour, empathy, foresight, and ability to identify opportunities when charting new strategies, developing trust among their audiences, and overcoming stubborn challenges.

Matt is a systems thinker, who relishes working at the nexus of nature, technology and society. He is Chief Technology Officer and Biologist at HiGarden, where he leads the innovation of sustainable urban agriculture tech.

His overarching focus is on how biodiversity and ecosystem principles can pave the way for a more resilient future - whether in an urban farm or an ecosystem. As a post-doctoral fellow at McMaster University, he led a research program on the purposeful design of ecosystems to produce food and other valuable services like education. At the same time, he collaborated with the French National Centre for Scientific Research to develop methods for uncovering how biodiversity keeps natural ecosystems stable. He has helped secure numerous research grants, including a top-finalist in the prestigious NSERC Discovery Frontiers competition.

He has also worked on the wicked problems – and solutions – of conservation. He served as a Wildlife Ecotoxicologist at Environment and Climate Change Canada, tracking the impacts of industrial pollution on the Great Lakes. He was also a consultant for the Bermuda Government and Bermuda Zoological Society, supporting the mapping and protection strategies of critical coral reef habitats. As a doctoral researcher, he innovated statistical tools for better biodiversity accounting and predicting ecosystem change. He continues to contribute to the science and conservation of biodiversity through publishing, conferences, advising and mentoring.

Matt’s conviction is that understanding, protecting and emulating nature is a key to transforming our planet for the better. He holds a PhD in Biology from McMaster University, and an MSc in Marine Science from the University of Otago, New Zealand.

Thomas (Tom) is an experienced executive and consultant, recognized for his business development leadership in driving sustainable growth for multinational and local Canadian companies and stakeholder communities across several sectors: technology, energy, construction, finance, manufacturing and professional services.

His 30-year career includes progressively more senior sales and business development roles with market leaders CIBC, Lafarge and Command Alkon (construction materials software), Founder & CEO of Connect4 Training and Wolters Kluwer (accounting software system). Most recently he has been working with Canadian startups and scaling companies to raise funds, build traction and revenue in cleantech, SaaS and green buildings.

Tom is a sought-after fractional revenue officer and senior advisor for startups and mid sized companies poised for growth.

He applies a disciplined action focused approach to establishing and developing stakeholder relationships; while delivering value through innovative sustainable solutions, which earns Tom and the companies he works with significant new revenues.

Academic credentials include an undergraduate Economics degree at McMaster University; postgraduate Business Diploma from Wilfrid Laurier; and certificates in project management, problem solving, strategic marketing and sales, and Dale Carnegie leadership skills.

To pay it forward, Tom provides directorship, mentoring, business development and fundraising to support NFP organizations, including 15 years on the boards of Toronto Junior Board of Trade (Toronto Young Professionals) and McMaster Alumni.

Sandra is an accomplished and seasoned sustainable design strategist and organizational development specialist. Based in Toronto, she is the Founder of Affecting Change Inc.; and is a Part-time Professor at the Humber Advanced Institute of Technology. She was formerly Visiting Professor and Adjunct at the University of Manitoba. Sandra is a sought-after guest speaker, facilitator and expert advisor.

She has the rare capacity of being both a building science expert as well as a strategist. Her projects cost-effectively achieve exceptionally high levels of sustainable design performance.

Previously: Sandra worked at HOK Architects as the Sustainable Design Area Leader on projects across Canada and the Middle East. She worked as a design professional for over 25 years on two continents; and did pioneering energy modelling work on off-grid building projects in the early 90’s.

Other qualifications include: Certified Passive House Designer; LEED-accredited Professional (with a Specialty in Building Design and Construction); Certified Sustainable Building Advisor; member of the Steering Committee for the Sustainable Transportation Hub and CMO for the City of Toronto; and Founder of the Cleantech Innovation Centre.

Chun is the former Corporate Energy Manager for Metrolinx and the City of Brampton as well as the Founder of Tree House Energy Services. With his 25+ years of client and consulting side experience–most recently with public sector organizations as well as private sector consultancies, he is a recognized expert in building decarbonization. His energy and decarbonization projects include the municipal, multi-residential, commercial, and institutional sectors. He is a professional engineer, certified energy manager, LEED AP and net zero expert who has developed an integrated and iterative decarbonization process published by CFE media. This publication that was also peer-reviewed comes from lived experience delivering tangible and scalable solutions as well as evaluating several consultant decarbonization proposals. In addition to his consultancy, Chun has also been appointed to FCM’s (Federation of Canadian Municipalities) Committee on Community Buildings Retrofits—where he assesses the technical and financial merits of funding applications for energy and emission reductions.

Peter Love provides strategic and policy advice on energy issues for companies, non-profits and governments. He is an Adjunct Professor at York University’s Faculty of Environmental Studies and does consulting through Love Energy Consultants. He is on the board of Energy Efficiency Alberta as well as a number of corporate and non-profit Boards active in the energy/environment area. In 2005, Peter was appointed Ontario’s first Chief Energy Conservation Officer with the Ontario Power Authority where his focus was on providing leadership in electricity conservation and advancing a conservation culture in Ontario. He was a leader in setting among the most aggressive targets for conservation in North America and reported that Ontario met its first conservation target of a five percent peak demand reduction by the end of 2007. Previously, Peter was the Executive Director of the Canadian Energy Efficiency Alliance, co-founder of the Summerhill Group and co-founder and first President of EnerQuality Corporation, the company that was created to deliver the R-2000 and Energy Star New Homes programs. An active volunteer, Peter is Advisor for the MaRS Cleantech practice and past chair of the Royal Canadian institute for Science. No stranger to the concept of a “cultural shift” in the Province, early in his career Peter worked as a project coordinator for Pollution Probe with the team that developed the 3Rs campaign “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle”. In recognition of Peter’s commitment to sustainable buildings and energy efficiency, he was inducted into the EnerQuality/R-2000 Hall of Fame and earned a Lifetime Achievement Award from Sustainable Buildings Canada. He is also a recipient of the 2013 Clean 50 Award which honours Canada’s top 50 contributors to sustainable development and clean capitalism in Canada. Peter has an MBA and BA from the University of Toronto and the ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors.

Pooja is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) with nearly 20 years of experience in financial services spanning Internal Audit, SOX, AML/ATF and global regulatory compliance. She is a seasoned audit and compliance professional who effectively combines sound technical knowledge with leadership skills to inspire, facilitate and enable strategic, risk-based project delivery.

As Director, SOX Operations at RBC over the last 2 years, Pooja led the development and implementation of the bank's centre of excellence for SOX Compliance. She currently oversees the annual assessment of internal controls over financial reporting, risk management practices, corporate governance processes, and fraud prevention and detection across RBC in support of the annual CEO/CFO certification.

Liz McHardy is a Partner at LURA Consulting, a community engagement and collaborative planning firm in Ontario; with particular expertise in helping all size of communities to engage residents in developing a diversity of planning, climate change action and sustainability initiatives. Over the past two decades, her speciality has been in collaborative planning, facilitation, problem solving and strategy with and for people involved in the discovery of solutions.

“I am excited to join RSI Board of Advisors because its mission aligns with my personal and professional values and passion; for advancing the readiness of individuals and communities to reimagine and co-develop a more sustainable future.”

Liz holds an MBA in Leadership from Royal Roads University. As a lifelong learner and systems thinker, she has completed several executive development programs. In 2019 she was a recipient of the Clean 50 Award which honours Canada’s top 50 contributors to sustainable development and clean capitalism.

Kevin Smith harnesses the transformative power of technology to forge new paths towards sustainability in the building sector. His academic journey began with a BASc in Civil & Environmental Engineering from the University of Toronto, a foundation that fueled his passion for sustainable practices in the built environment. Furthering his expertise, Kevin earned a Master's degree and a PhD, specializing in energy-efficient technologies, at the prestigious Technical University of Denmark (DTU). His work at DTU, which stands at the forefront of engineering excellence in Europe, reflects his commitment to innovation and academic rigor.

As an Associate Professor, Kevin spearheads advanced courses in High-Performance Buildings, Ventilation & Indoor Climate, Sustainable Buildings in Extreme Environments, and Sustainable District Heating, among others, shaping the minds of future industry leaders. His pioneering research intersects massive datasets with advanced simulations to create 'digital twins' of HVAC systems, reflecting his dedication to scalability and the synergy between engineering and digital intelligence.

With over 50 Master's theses under his guidance and a growing portfolio of PhD supervisions, Kevin's influence extends beyond academia. His research in digital twins and artificial intelligence is setting new standards in optimal control and data integration within the building sector. A bridge between continents, Kevin's collaboration with RSI ensures a continuous exchange of knowledge between Canada and Denmark, fostering global sustainability initiatives.

His work is characterized by a blend of technical excellence and a visionary approach to engineering.

Joe Tankersley is a futurist and advocate for better tomorrows. He uses his skills to help organizations and community groups re-imagine our tomorrows through the power of foresight and strategic narrative.

Prior to launching his own consultancy in 2015, Joe spent twenty years with Walt Disney Imagineering. During his time with WDI he worked as writer, producer, and internal futurist for Disney’s elite Blue Sky studio. Whether he was designing immersive experiences for global audiences or helping executives discover future opportunities Joe used the power of story to spark imagination and help individuals see beyond the horizon.

Building on his Disney experience, Joe developed his Strategic Narrative Foresight Technique. This unique approach to futures thinking combines rigorous research with the creativity of storytelling to help unlock future possibilities. Joe has used this technique to help fortune fifty companies, nonprofits, and community groups "Imagineer their best tomorrows."

Joe has long been an advocate for others working to expand our imaginative capacities. In 2021, he partnered with Karyn Zuidinga of Nextwave Innovation to start The Practopia Project. The project’s goal is to inspire positive tomorrows by showcasing the latest in imaginative foresight and speculative fiction.

Joe has served on the boards of directors of the Global Future Forum, Association of Professional Futurists, The Federal Alliance for Safe Homes, The Blue Community Consortium, and the Whale Center. He is currently a community fellow at the Center for Global Economic and Environmental Opportunity at the University of Central Florida.

Joe's essays and speculative fiction have appeared in professional foresight journals and popular environmental and business periodicals. In addition, his collection of strategic narratives, Reimagining Our Tomorrows, was published in 2018.

He graduated from Emory University with a B.A. in English and received his M.A. in Communication from Florida State University.

Madelyn Webb trained as a freshwater scientist, obtained a mid-career business degree, and specialized in Great Lakes-St. Lawrence policy projects while employed over the course of her career by a binational (Canada-U.S.) institute as well as all three levels of government. More recently her interests have been in the non-governmental sector, participating in climate emergency preparedness at the community level, including RSI's St. James Town Project. Her passions are climate policy and community development. She has a certificate in facilitation from the Institute for Cultural Affairs (Canada) and her ESL Teaching certificate from the TDSB.

Troy Wright is a results-driven business executive with excellent leadership skills and a proven track record of turning around weak or underperforming businesses. Industry experience includes a proven 30-year track record in the technology and financial services industries, including several senior officer positions at Scotiabank, both in Canada and internationally. Having also founded several FinTech companies, Troy has developed a very clear understanding of the challenges and opportunities faced by business leaders. Troy’s impressive background in financial services spans decades. During Troy’s career at Scotiabank, he held many notable roles including President and CEO of the Scotiabank Group Mexico, the largest subsidiary of Scotiabank outside of Canada, and Executive Vice President of Canadian Retail Branches and Channels at Scotiabank Canada.