HYDRO OTTAWA LIMITED - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Chartered Professional Accountant
- Chief Energy and Infrastructure Services Officer / As Chief Energy
and Infrastructure Services Officer, Adnan Khokhar leads the energy services, infrastructure management and business development functions at Hydro Ottawa. This includes the delivery of a full range of expert energy related services to the commercial sector.
He has held senior leadership roles in marketing, sales, supply chain and product management. He supports our corporate goals and initiatives by driving focused strategies that are coupled with superior operational execution. Prior to joining Hydro Ottawa, Adnan has worked in the telecom and networking equipment industries for Ciena, Nortel Networks and AT&T Canada.
Adnan is a Chartered Professional Accountant, and holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Wilfrid Laurier University and an MBA from Queen's University.
Bernie Ashe, Chair, was appointed to the Hydro Ottawa Holding Inc. Board effective July 1, 2022. In October 2023 he was also appointed to the Board of Directors of Hydro Ottawa Limited and subsequently elected Chair of both Boards. He has enjoyed a successful career as a key community builder, contributing to Ottawa's economic growth and making the city a better place to live and work. In 2015, Bernie was named the CEO of the Year by the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce, and in 2018, he received the Order of Ottawa. Bernie is currently Executive Chairman and shareholder of Deslaurier Custom Cabinets, one of Ottawa's leading suppliers of custom kitchens.
In his role as Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer of the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club (1990-97) Bernie helped establish the business of hockey and build the Canadian Tire Centre. As the first CEO of the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group (OSEG), (2013 -18), he was instrumental in the development of Lansdowne Park as a destination, and launching major sports franchises.
Bernie helped launch the OSEG Foundation and raise over two-million dollars to enable youth from all backgrounds to participate in team sports. He launched the Bernie Ashe Sports Fund, which provides children in care with the Children's Aid Society a chance to participate in organized sport. He remains a member of the OSEG Foundation Community Cabinet.
A long-serving trustee (1993-2004) and former Chairman of the Board of CHEO (2000-02), Bernie also served on the Board of the Shaw Centre and the Board of Celebrations Ottawa, the organization planning the Ottawa events for Canada's 150th anniversary. He was a member of the Mayor's Leadership Table on Homelessness and acted as a mentor to future leaders as CEO in Residence of the University of Ottawa's Telfer School of Business. He also served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Ottawa Film Office (2018-2022), which advocates for film and animation production in Ottawa.
Bernie's wife is Nancy and his children are Lauren, Christine, Anthony and Scout. They have 3 grandchildren.
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer
- President
Bryce Conrad has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Hydro Ottawa since 2011. Under his leadership, Hydro Ottawa has become one of the most profitable, innovative and customer-oriented utilities in Canada, regularly winning awards and accolades for customer service and innovation. Since 2012, Hydro Ottawa has tripled its renewable generation, making it the largest municipally owned generator of clean, green energy in Ontario.
Prior to joining Hydro Ottawa, Bryce served as Assistant Deputy Minister - Program Operations at Infrastructure Canada, where he managed the implementation of the $4 billion Infrastructure Stimulus Fund, overseeing the selection and management of 4,000 projects that created more than $10 billion in economic activity. He was also responsible for the oversight and administration of the Building Canada Fund, the Green Infrastructure Fund and the Gas Tax agreements with provinces and municipalities.
An active community champion, Bryce sits on the Board of Directors for The Ottawa Hospital Foundation, and has served on the Board of Directors for United Way/Centraide Ottawa.
Bryce has extensive governance experience, serving on the Board of Directors for industry associations including Electricity Canada, the Ontario Energy Association, and the Institute on Governance. In 2022, Bryce became Board Chair of the Electricity Distributors Association and Vice-Chair of The MEARIE Group.
Bryce is fluently bilingual, and holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from Queen's University, a Master of Public Administration from Carleton University, and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Ottawa.
Job Titles:
- Chief Financial Officer
- Chief Financial Officer of Hydro Ottawa Holding Inc
As Chief Financial Officer of Hydro Ottawa Holding Inc., Geoff Simpson supervises the finance, treasury, regulatory and risk management groups and is the chief financial spokesperson for the organization. He is a key member of the Executive Management Team and advises them on matters relating to financial reporting, budget management, cost benefit analysis, forecasting needs and the securing of new funding.
Geoff has over 30 years of senior financial experience. Prior to joining Hydro Ottawa, Geoff was Directorate Leader for the Ottawa Police Service and Manager of Financial Support for Transportation, Utilities, Public Works and Development Services at the City of Ottawa.
Geoff sits on the Board of The Royal Ottawa Hospital Foundation, holds an Honours Bachelor of Commerce from Carleton University and is a C.P.A., C.G.A.
Job Titles:
- Chief Electricity Generation Officer
Greg Clarke brings more than 27 years of experience in energy services, energy performance contracting and renewable power generation to Energy Ottawa. As Chief Electricity Generation Officer, he oversees the planning, development, construction and financing of the company's renewable power generation projects and the operations of its existing generating facilities.
Greg also represents the interests of Energy Ottawa on the boards of PowerTrail Inc. and Moose Creek Energy LP, the company's joint ventures with IGRS Inc. that operate landfill gas to energy plants. In addition, he serves on the board of Chaudière Water Power Inc., the company that is jointly owned by Energy Ottawa and Hydro Quebec that owns the ring dam at Chaudière Falls.
Before joining Energy Ottawa, Greg was the General Manager of one of Canada's leading energy performance contracting firms, where he managed energy audits, feasibility studies, engineering design, and energy retrofit projects. Earlier in his career, he also worked in various capacities in the Ontario utility industry and developed energy management programs and time-of-use rate structures for several large organizations.
Job Titles:
- Chief Electricity Distribution Officer
As Chief Electricity Distribution Officer, Guillaume Paradis is responsible for the planning, design, operation, construction and maintenance of our electrical power distribution system. In his role, Guillaume leads a team directly accountable for ensuring the safe, efficient, and reliable delivery of electricity to Hydro Ottawa customers.
Guillaume has over a decade of industry experience in progressive leadership roles ranging from research program management to distribution planning, asset management, design, and construction.
Guillaume is fluently bilingual, is a registered Professional Engineer in Ontario (P.Eng.), and holds a degree in Applied Sciences - Electrical Engineering from the University of British Columbia.
As Chief Customer Officer, Julie Lupinacci is responsible for developing and implementing the customer strategy, transforming the total customer experience, and guiding the direction of the business in terms of customer needs. In her role, Julie leads the Customer Service, Communications and Public Affairs, and Conservation and Demand Management teams. She is responsible for the customer service, marketing, product development, external communications, public affairs, corporate reputation, and brand equity function.
With more than 15 years in Customer Care, Sales and Marketing, Julie has a wide background in business including project management, customer/vendor relations, international partner program management, procurement, sales, marketing, and program development.
Julie is fluently bilingual and holds a Masters of Business Administration from University of Ottawa and is a Certified Sales Professional (CSP).
Job Titles:
- Chief Human Resources Officer
- Member of Electricity Human Resources Canada 's Board of Directors
As Hydro Ottawa's Chief Human Resources Officer, Lyne is responsible for providing leadership and guidance on all matters related to people, safety, the environment and business continuity management.
A seasoned executive and human resources professional, Lyne has over 30 years of experience in the human resources field, having held various management positions in the energy, municipal, health care and not-for-profit sectors.
Lyne is fluently bilingual and holds a Master of Industrial Relations from Queens University, as well as a Bachelor of Public Administration from Carleton University. Lyne has been trained in human resources governance practices through the Conference Board of Canada and McMaster University and holds certifications in Alternative Dispute Resolution and Leadership Development.
Lyne is a member of Electricity Human Resources Canada's Board of Directors and a member of the Canadian Electricity Association's Human Resources Committee. Lyne also holds memberships in the Human Resources Professionals Association, the Society for Human Resource Management and the Canadian Pension and Benefits Institute.
Job Titles:
- Chief Information and Technology Officer
As Chief Information and Technology Officer, Mark Fernandes provides vision and leadership for the development and implementation of technology initiatives that support the advancement of Hydro Ottawa's business strategy and priorities. In his role, Mark oversees Technology Planning and Governance, Cybersecurity, Grid Technology, Enterprise Architecture, System Development and Integration and IT/OT Operations.
Prior to joining Hydro Ottawa, Mark worked in the business and consumer software industry for over 16 years managing IT Strategy, Operations, e-Commerce, Web Development, Cloud Infrastructure models, and mergers and acquisitions.
Mark holds a Bachelor of Arts with majors in Commerce and Sociology from the University of Bombay. He has also completed his post-graduate studies in Information Technology from the Information Technology Institute Ottawa and is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP).