CLEAN PROSPERITY - Key Persons
Anjum Mullick is an environmental engineer and senior leader with over 20 years of experience in the private, public, and climate technology start-up sectors. She has developed and led numerous environmental, social, and governance strategies, and has held leadership roles at Worley, the City of Edmonton, and Growing Greener Innovations.
Anjum is passionate about equity, diversity, and inclusion. She recently received the Women in Engineering and Geoscience Champion Award from the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA) Summit Awards, and the Stars of Alberta Award for Breaking Barriers in Gender Diversity.
As a former member of the APEGA Environmental Committee, Anjum has worked with industry stakeholders and government organizations to develop environmental policy and guidelines. She was a member of the Canadian Council of Professional Engineers' Canadian Engineering Qualifications Board Environment and Sustainability Committee to develop a National Practice Guideline on Environmental Site Remediation. Anjum is also a board member of the Alberta Environmental Appeals Board and is cross-appointed to the Alberta Public Lands Appeal Board.
Why Anjum joined Clean Prosperity
"I believe it is critical to have climate policy that is pragmatic, equitable and inclusive, balancing prosperity and sustainability for future generations. I believe Clean Prosperity is leading the way in bringing all perspectives to the climate discussion."
Dana Saric is a partner practicing banking and corporate law at Osler, a preeminent business law firm in Canada. Her legal practice focuses on project development, strategic investments, and project finance in the electrical power, agribusiness, technology, and energy infrastructure sectors. With over a decade of diverse professional experience, Dana has observed the impact of climate policy and incentive structures on corporate decision-making and capital investments across Canada. She has significant experience advising resource developers in a variety of industries on the opportunities and implications stemming from Canadian climate legislation and carbon markets, and assisting them with structuring their projects and partnerships to profitably align with their corporate climate ambitions.
Dana also writes and speaks regularly on matters of interest to carbon market participants, including renewable energy procurements, the evolution of provincial, federal and global carbon market mechanisms, and sustainable impact lending structures.
Dana holds a law degree from the University of Toronto and an undergraduate business degree from McGill University.
Why Dana joined Clean Prosperity
David V. Wright is a professor in the University of Calgary's Faculty of Law where he is a member of the Natural Resources, Energy and Environmental Law Research group. David teaches environmental law, environmental impact assessment law, torts, and negotiations, and he is a frequent speaker at national and international events. His research has been published in leading academic law journals. He has also testified before several parliamentary committees on matters of environmental and natural resources law and policy. David is a director on the board of the Canadian Institute of Resources Law, a member of the IUCN World Commission on Environmental Law, and in 2021 he was named to the federal roster for impact assessment panel reviews.
Prior to his faculty appointment, David held positions with Canada's Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development, the United Nations Development Programme, the law firm of Stewart McKelvey, and the Marine and Environmental Law Institute at Dalhousie University. David was also General Counsel for the Gwich'in Tribal Council in Canada's Western Arctic region, where he regularly advised on the duty to consult, Indigenous governance, and regulatory matters. He holds a graduate degree and law degree from Dalhousie University and a Master of Laws degree from Stanford University. During his graduate studies at Stanford Law School, David was a fellow with the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment.
Why David joined Clean Prosperity
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- President of Up Capital Ltd
Greg Kiessling is president of Up Capital Ltd., a private investment firm that focuses on early stage companies whose products and services will lead to increased prosperity while reducing environmental impacts. Earlier in his career, Greg was co-founder, chairman, and CEO of Sitraka, which was Canada's largest self-financed software company when it was purchased in 2002.
Sitraka was recognized as one of Canada's 50 Best Managed Companies six times and was also named one of Canada's Top 100 Employers. Greg also served in a variety of fundraising and board leadership roles for the ground-breaking Pathways to Education program between 2002 and 2013.
Why Greg founded Clean Prosperity
"I've always believed that a better future requires both economic strength and a sustainable approach to environmental issues. Applying market-based solutions to environmental problems can solve them at the lowest cost to the economy, jobs, and prosperity. It worked with acid rain and it can work with climate change. That's why I am a foundational donor to Canadians for Clean Prosperity."
Job Titles:
- Director of Communications
Jake has worked with human rights, humanitarian aid, social entrepreneurship, and environmental organizations all over the world. In addition to his background in communications, Jake has also worked in field logistics and information technology. He sees carbon pricing as the most practical and realistic way to get people of different political viewpoints working together to reduce emissions and meaningfully address climate change.
Job Titles:
- Director of Policy and Government Relations
- Government Relations and Campaign Strategist
Jason Clark is a government relations and campaign strategist. He has advised senior leadership of leading Canadian and international businesses and not-for-profits, with a focus on federal government relations and advocacy.
Prior to joining Clean Prosperity, Jason was a senior consultant at Crestview Strategy, a leading Canadian public affairs firm, where he specialized in energy, climate, trade, and sustainable development.
Since arriving in Ottawa, he has worked with a wide range of Canadian non-profit organizations on international development and trade issues, including Engineers Without Borders Canada and RESULTS Canada. Previously, Jason managed one of the largest public engagement campaigns on climate change, energy, and sustainability in Great Britain, working in partnership with all levels of government, business, industry and trade associations, the public sector, and civil society. Jason has also worked directly with female entrepreneurs and social enterprises in Lesotho, Africa.
Jason holds a Master of Arts degree in International Studies and Diplomacy with a Specialization in Global Energy & Climate Change Policy from SOAS, University of London, and an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Western University. Jason serves on the Board of Canadian Business for Social Responsibility (CBSR) and has previously served on the Board of the Ottawa Bicycle Club, one of the oldest and largest bicycle clubs in Canada.
Matthew Holmes has over 15 years of experience in executive leadership, government relations, public policy, non-profit management, and business development.
As the founding executive director of the Canada Organic Trade Association, he helped develop national standards and a new regulatory regime. He advocated for the world's first organic equivalency arrangement for trade between Canada and the United States, which became a model for mutual recognition agreements between governments around the world.
Matthew has worked in media and Canada's cultural industries, including his role as president and CEO of Magazines Canada, the national representative body for Canadian-owned news, entertainment, arts, and business-to-business print and digital media. He serves as an advisor to New Canadian Media, a charity dedicated to amplifying the journalism and storytelling of newcomers to Canada within mainstream media.
Matthew also has experience in Canadian higher education, including in the president's office at York University and leading government and corporate relations for Queen's University at Kingston, where he is currently employed.
Why Matthew joined Clean Prosperity
"I am convinced that the transition to a decarbonized economy is not only necessary but achievable through a mix of market drivers and regulatory inducements. Clean Prosperity's focus on simple, cost-effective solutions to Canada's climate challenges is what we need right now."
Job Titles:
- Director of Research
- Environmental Specialist
Melissa Felder is an environmental specialist who has conducted research projects for organizations across Canada since 2001. Prior to joining Clean Prosperity, she was Climate Change Lead at MaRS Discovery District, where she developed initiatives integrating climate, clean technology impact, and the future of work.
Melissa has worked with the Canadian Climate Institute, the Information Communications and Technology Council, Sustainable Buildings Canada, and Sustainable Development Technology Canada, among others. She is a Cleantech Advisor for the Centre for Social Innovation's Climate Ventures and a Coalition Advisor for Mission from MaRS. Previously, she served a five-year term on the board of ZooShare Biogas Cooperative, Canada's first zoo-based bioenergy plant.
Melissa has a Masters in Bio-Resource Engineering from the University of British Columbia.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director
- Economist
Michael encourages the Liberals to release independent modelling of their climate plan (Canadian Press, 29 August 2021)
Michael notes that all federal parties now support carbon pricing (Globe and Mail, 15 April 2021)
Michael comments on impact of carbon tax on farmers (National Post, 15 December 2020)
Michael interviewed about the Liberal government's climate plan (The National on CBC, 11 December 2020)
Michael talks to Global's Farah Nasser about the Ontario climate plan (Global News at 5:30, 4 June 2019)
Michael talks to Evan Solomon about Canada's new 40-45% emissions-reduction target (The Evan Solomon Show on 580 CFRA, 22 April 2021)
Michael talks about plans to increase the carbon tax (980 CFPL, 16 December 2020)
Michael Bernstein is the executive director of Clean Prosperity, a Canadian non-profit that works toward market-based solutions to the climate crisis.
Michael is an economist by training. He is an advisor to elected leaders across the political spectrum, and a frequent commentator on climate policy. He was named on The Hill Times' Top 100 Lobbyists List for 2021.
Michael joined Clean Prosperity in 2018. His career has spanned business, management consulting, international development, and politics. Prior to Clean Prosperity, Michael was the CEO of Mama Earth Organics, a small business that delivered organic produce from local farms to families around the Greater Toronto Area.
He worked directly with dozens of farmers and saw first-hand the effects climate change was having on the farms he worked with. As a father of two young kids, he's also very concerned about the future that we're leaving to the next generation.
Before working in the local food sector, Michael was a business management consultant at McKinsey where he advised Fortune 500 companies, institutional investors, and governments on key strategic and business issues. He also worked with InvestEco Capital to set up an advisory service that offered support to companies in the sustainable food sector.
Michael holds a Master's in Public Administration from the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government, and a B.A. in Economics from Yale University.
Michael serves on the C.D. Howe Institute's Energy Policy Council, on the Public Policy Forum's Energy Futures Forum, and as a MaRS Cleantech Volunteer Advisor.
When he's not working on climate change, you can find him building Lego airplanes with his kids or doing his best karaoke impression of Vanilla Ice.
Job Titles:
- General Manager of Yves Rocher North America
Nathalia is the General Manager of Yves Rocher North America. She began her career as an entrepreneur by founding a consulting startup in digital services and communication in Mexico City. She has over 15 years of management experience.