Dr. John Preston is a Professor of Engineering Physics at McMaster University and serves as Strategic Advisor to the Vice-President, Research on the university’s nuclear enterprise. He previously served as Associate Dean of Research, Innovation and Partnerships in the Faculty of Engineering, where he expanded the research portfolio by 70% and strengthened industry and student engagement. His current focus is advancing McMaster’s leadership in nuclear medicine, clean energy, and advanced materials.

Dr. Goran Calic is Associate Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship and Leadership Chair at the DeGroote School of Business, McMaster University, where he teaches in MBA and Executive Education programs. He earned his PhD in Strategy (with a minor in Economics), completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Computational Cognitive Neuroscience at Purdue University, and was a Visiting Scholar in the Strategy Unit at Harvard Business School (2024–2025). His award-winning research on organizational innovation and creativity—including the Max Henri Boisot Award—has been published in leading journals such as Strategic Management Journal, Harvard Business Review, PLOS One, and BMJ Open. He previously led the redesign of McMaster’s MBA first-year curriculum during his tenure as Director of MBA Programs and currently heads the Nuclear Systems Design and Analytics (NSDA) working group, which advances nuclear systems through interdisciplinary research and data-driven innovation. 

Dr. Bijan Alagheband is Manager of Economics and Load Forecasting at Hydro One, a role he has held since 2016, overseeing energy forecasting, econometric analysis, and forecasting precision across Ontario’s electricity sector. He earned his PhD in Economics (specializing in econometrics and economic development) and an MA in Economics from McGill University, and a BA in Economics from Tehran University. Dr. Alagheband also contributes academically as a Lecturer in the Master of Finance and MBA programs at McMaster University since around 2010.

Ivette Vera-Perez is President & CEO of the Organization of Canadian Nuclear Industries (OCNI), having assumed the role on March 31, 2025. She is a seasoned leader with over 20 years of experience in energy, cleantech, and sustainability, holding an M.A.Sc. from UBC and an MBA from McGill. Prior to OCNI, she led the Canadian Hydrogen Association as President & CEO—where she rebranded the association and broadened its national impact—and directed major GHG reduction programs at Ontario Centres of Innovation, managing over CAD $275 million in funding.

Lisa McBride is Country Leader, Small Modular Reactors (SMR) Canada at GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy, leading the deployment strategy for the BWRX-300 SMR and positioning Canada to host the world’s first operational grid-scale SMR before 2028. She has more than 20 years of experience in the nuclear industry, having held leadership roles across Ontario Power Generation in areas such as nuclear security, emergency management, labour relations, and stakeholder engagement. Outside her GE Hitachi role, she serves as President of Women in Nuclear (WiN) Canada and holds board positions with the Canadian Nuclear Association, OCNI (Organization of Canadian Nuclear Industries), the WiN Global Executive Board, and Ontario Tech University’s Board of Governors. She holds a Master of Arts in Leadership from the University of Guelph.

Sonia Qureshi is a technically proficient and commercially knowledgeable Nuclear Industry Professional with 27 years of experience within the Canadian nuclear energy sector. She currently serves as the Vice President, Projects, and Chief Technology Officer at Conexus Nuclear. She holds a Chemical Engineering honors degree from the University of Toronto and is a licensed Professional Engineer with the Professional Engineers of Ontario (PEO).

Dr. Rui Duan is an Assistant Professor in Finance & Business Economics at McMaster University’s DeGroote School of Business, specializing in topics like sustainable finance, climate and biodiversity risks, green innovation, cybersecurity risks, and corporate disclosure. She earned her PhD in Finance from York University and has published in top-tier journals, including Management Science and the Journal of Empirical Finance. Dr. Duan serves on the review board of Corporate Governance: An International Review and is an active ad-hoc referee for several leading publications, such as Management Science, Journal of Corporate Finance, and Journal of Business Ethics.

Shariq Alvi is a Managing Director on the Energy, Infrastructure & Transition team within Global Investment Banking at CIBC Capital Markets, based in Toronto. He brings over 25 years of advisory and capital markets experience in the infrastructure, energy, and power sectors (including nuclear), specializing in M&A, greenfield projects, P3s, privatizations, debt advisory and project financings. He has also advised on several indigenous related financing and M&A transactions and has extensive experience with government agencies and public sector capital. He has advised on greenfield projects with a capital value in excess of $100 billion. Shariq previously founded and led an international bank’s project finance advisory business in Canada and has worked across infrastructure and corporate finance teams in Montreal, Toronto, and London (UK) for a large global professional services firm. He has also moderated high-level panels—such as at the 2024 IESO First Nations Energy Symposium—and participated in a panel on financing small modular reactors at CNLO’s 2024 Nuclear Law School.

Aida Cipolla is OPG’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Chief Administrative Officer (CAO). Aida and her team are responsible for providing OPG with strategic leadership and strategy for Finance, Human Resource, Information Technology including Digital Strategy and Cyber Security, Real Estate, and Corporate Business Development.

Aida joined OPG in March 2022 as Chief Financial Officer and SVP Finance from Toronto Hydro, where she had worked since 2008 as Executive Vice President and CFO. At Toronto Hydro, Aida supported critical initiatives such as electricity rate applications and successfully reshaped Toronto Hydro’s Finance function. Prior to joining Toronto Hydro, Aida worked for KPMG LLP in Toronto and Dublin, Ireland, leading audit and advisory engagements.

Aida is known as a forward-thinking thought leader and spokesperson for the electricity industry. She is the first woman to chair the Electricity Canada CFO committee. Aida is a mentor through formal mentorship programs and a strong advocate for equity, diversity, and inclusion initiatives. She was recognized as one of the Canada’s Top 100 most powerful women in 2020 and as an honoree in Canada’s Top 40 under 40 in 2019. 

Aida sits on the Board of Directors of Women’s College Hospital as Vice Chair and is the Chair of the Quality, Academic, & Equity Committee of the Board. She is also a Board of Director of Laurentis Energy Partners and Eagle Creek Renewable Energy.

Aida is a fellow chartered professional accountant (FCPA, FCA), has received the Institute of Corporate Directors’ designation (ICD.D) and holds an Honors Bachelor of Commerce diploma with a minor in economics from McMaster University, Michael G. Degroote School of Business.

Dr. Bruno Paquin is CEO of AtomVie Global Radiopharma, where he led the company’s successful launch—including securing at least $40 million in Series A funding—and is overseeing the build-out of a state-of-the-art radiopharmaceutical CDMO facility in Hamilton, Ontario. Before founding AtomVie, he held multiple leadership roles at the Centre for Probe Development and Commercialization (CPDC)—including Director of Business Development and CEO—and drove record revenues and expanded industry presence. Earlier, he served as VP of Business Development at Immuni T, where he helped grow the company by 400% over seven years, and also held business development leadership roles at Genizon Biosciences. He holds a PhD in Biochemistry from the Université de Montréal.

Ron Harper is President & CEO of JFE Shoji Power Canada, where he emphasizes a people-first leadership approach and the importance of strong operational teams in meeting the growing demand for electrical energy solutions. Amid rising trade tensions and tariffs in March 2025, he highlighted the company’s long-established expertise in sourcing and supplying critical transformer core components across North America, reinforcing their agility and resilient supply chain. He has steered the company through strategic growth and market disruptions, including pandemic challenges, by fostering leadership accountability and building organizational resilience.

As Vice-President, Candu Engineering – Global, Craig leads the over 1,600 member  engineering team at Candu Energy.  He also provides engineering leadership and oversight of

Candu Energy’s projects in Canada and abroad.

Craig began his career with Candu Energy in 2005 and has held various positions within Engineering and Project Management. In 2023, Craig was rejoined and given the mandate to develop a growth strategy that would see the engineering team add an additional 900 new full-time employees in the first 18 months – more than doubling the existing headcount. He oversaw the restructuring of the department to better deploy engineering resources to meet the needs of multiple large, complex nuclear projects.

During his tenure Craig has fostered an accountability mindset among his team, ensuring each individual engineer is empowered to take ownership of their project’s performance. Craig continues to oversee the expansion of the Engineering team and the development and deployment of talent. 

David is the Regional Vice President of Global Markets for Westinghouse Canada, where he leads commercial strategy and customer engagement while supporting stakeholder engagement across the Canadian nuclear sector. With more than 23 years in Ontario’s energy industry, including 15 years in natural gas and the last six in nuclear.  David has built a career at the intersection of engineering, business development, and supply chain growth.

Westinghouse Electric Company is a global leader in nuclear energy innovation, committed to powering a cleaner, more sustainable future through safe, reliable, and carbon-free technologies. With over 70 years of experience and operations in 21 countries, Westinghouse operates through a buy-where-we-build philosophy, investing in communities and workforce development—to help shape resilient, low-emissions supply chains for generations to come.

David complements a strong technical background with deep commercial expertise and a passion for strengthening Canada’s nuclear supply chain to compete domestically and globally. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in Ontario with a Mechanical Engineering degree from the University of Toronto.

Jacqueline Cherevaty is Vice President of Strategic Services for Commercial Operations at BWX Technologies, Inc (BWXT). She directs the supply chain management, infrastructure and strategy of the nuclear power businesses at the company.

BWXT has over 60 years of expertise in engineering, manufacturing and servicing critical nuclear components, fuel and equipment for the nuclear power industry. As well, the company has decades of expertise developing and manufacturing medical isotopes and radiopharmaceutical drugs for the global nuclear medicine industry.

With 25 years of nuclear industry experience, Ms. Cherevaty’s career includes over 20 years of experience at Atomic Energy of Canada (AECL) and Kinectrics, where she held various operational and business development leadership roles for reactor refurbishments, inspection and maintenance systems, reverse engineering and asset life cycle management.

Ms. Cherevaty holds a bachelor’s degree in applied science in electrical engineering from the University of Toronto and a bachelor’s degree in education for mathematics and physics from the University of Toronto. She is a licensed professional engineer in the province of Ontario and holds her Professional Project Management from Project Management institute (PMI). Ms. Cherevaty is also a former Professional Women’s Hockey Player. She played Varsity Hockey at the University of Toronto, capturing a National Championship and was inducted into the University of Toronto Sports Hall of Fame in 2014.

Dr. David “Dave” Novog is a Professor of Engineering Physics at McMaster University and holds the NSERC-UNENE Industrial Research Chair in Nuclear Engineering, where he directs the McMaster Institute for Energy Studies (MIES). His expertise spans nuclear safety, reactor physics, thermal‑hydraulics, multiphysics reactor analysis, fuel cycles, and severe accident modeling. In 2024, he secured nearly CAD $800,000 in NSERC and NRCan funding to lead a study evaluating SMR (Small Modular Reactor) fuel performance and safety, focusing on TRISO fuel technology. Dr. Novog is also actively involved in SMR outreach and education, including leading workshops on SMR deployment and transition strategies.

Natalie Cutler is a communications, marketing, and public relations executive with over 20 years of experience having served various industries, including gasification, nuclear energy, nuclear medicine, electronics recycling and contract office furniture. At the CNA, Natalie is responsible for setting the overall strategic direction of the Association’s communications and member engagement efforts. In her role, she oversees media relations, public affairs, marketing and communications, as well as member relations.

Prior to joining the Canadian Nuclear Association, Natalie served as Director, Communications at OMNI Conversion Technologies; Director, Communications & Government Relations at BWXT Canada Ltd.; and Marketing and Public Relations Manager at Greentec International. While at BWXT Canada, Natalie oversaw communications, marketing, media relations, government relations, and Indigenous relations for the company’s Canadian operations.

Natalie also oversaw the public information programs for the company’s CNSC-licensed nuclear fuel and nuclear medicine divisions.

Natalie earned an honours diploma in Business Administration, Management Studies from Conestoga College in 1998 and served as a board member for the Organization of Canadian Nuclear Industries in 2022.

Karen Huynh is Director of Strategic Programs & Partnerships at Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL), where she is responsible for AECL’s Federal Nuclear Science and Technology Work Plan, a nuclear research and development program that supports the priorities of 15 federal departments and agencies. She is also responsible for developing strategic partnerships with government, industry and academia nationally and internationally to maximize the value and benefit of AECL’s S&T programs to support Canada’s nuclear innovation and talent development goals. She plays a key role in coordinating science and technology to inform policy and regulatory decisions, and advancing education, training, knowledge-sharing, and workforce development efforts across Canada’s growing nuclear sector.

She has over 20 years of developing government programs including a number of Clean Energy Research and Development programs at the Office of Energy Research and Development and spent 10 years in R&D in industry before joining government.

Dr. Ron Oberth is the founder and President of RonOberth Consulting Inc. a consultancy that specializes in nuclear business development and related services.

Dr. Ron Oberth was President and CEO of the Organization of Canadian Nuclear Industries (OCNI) for 11 years until June 2022.  OCNI is an industry association that represents 240 private sector companies that supply equipment and services to the Canadian and offshore nuclear industries. Under his leadership OCNI more than doubled in size and significantly increased its influence and impact in the Canadian and international nuclear industries.

Prior to joining OCNI Ron served in various technical, project management, business development, and leadership roles for more than 30 years with Ontario Hydro, Ontario Hydro International, Ontario Power Generation, and the AECL Reactor Division.

Dr. Oberth is a graduate of the University of Manitoba, the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Business, received his PhD in aerospace propulsion from Princeton University, and was a post-doctoral fellow at the Technical University of Munich.

In June 2022 Dr. Oberth received the Ian McRae Award from the Canadian Nuclear Society and Canadian Nuclear Association for substantive contributions to the advancement of nuclear energy in Canada.

Mr. Guy Lonechild is President and CEO of the First Nations Power Authority (FNPA), a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing Indigenous-led clean energy and power infrastructure across Canada. He previously served as Vice-Chief and Chief of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations, overseeing a comprehensive 25-year economic development strategy emphasizing alternative energy, infrastructure, and community well‑being. In his current role, he co-chairs Natural Resources Canada’s SMR Leadership Table, chairs Bruce Power’s Indigenous Advisory Council on New Nuclear, and advises OPG’s New Nuclear Review Board, focusing on Indigenous stakeholder engagement, renewable innovation, and project finance. A recognized solution-oriented leader, he holds an MBA from Cape Breton University and serves on the boards of the Energy Council of Canada and the Clean Energy Association of British Columbia.

Dr. Heather Sheardown is Dean of Engineering at McMaster University and a Professor of Chemical Engineering with a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Ophthalmic Biomaterials and Drug Delivery Systems. She also serves as Scientific Director of the C20/20 Innovation Hub, where her work has spun off three biomedical companies. A Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering and the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, she received the 2020 Hamilton YWCA Women of Distinction award for her leadership in science and engineering.

Since 2016, Jerry Hopwood has served as President of the University Network of Excellence in Nuclear Engineering (UNENE), leading Canada’s university–industry partnership in nuclear research and education. In 2023, Jerry was appointed to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, as a permanent, part-time Commission member for a 5-year term.

Jerry was educated at Oxford University, where he studied applied physics, and he has over 4 decades of extensive experience in the nuclear industry. After starting out in the nuclear field in Great Britain, he moved to Canada to join Atomic Energy of Canada Limited as a reactor safety specialist. After secondments to Point Lepreau during its initial operation and later to South Korea as technical director for AECL, Mr. Hopwood held progressively senior positions in design, product development and business development with AECL before retiring as Vice-President, Reactor Development. From 2011 to 2015, he worked with SNC-Lavalin (now AtkinsRéalis) CANDU Energy as Vice President for Product Development. He has published more than 40 journal articles and conference papers covering all aspects of nuclear technology.

Mr. Hopwood volunteers with the Canadian Nuclear Society and internationally, in collaborative education activities with the IAEA. He serves as the chair of the international Nuclear Education Networks association, covering networks of educators on all continents. In June 2019, he received the CNS/CNA Harold Smith Outstanding Contribution Award for services to the nuclear community.

Markus Piro is Associate Professor and Director of the Minor in Nuclear Studies & Society at McMaster. His area of specialty is in nuclear fuel engineering with experience working across the nuclear fuel cycle. He also serves on several industry committees and working groups with the OECD/NEA, CSA, and Conexus. Prior to joining McMaster, he held positions at Ontario Tech University, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Outside his role at McMaster, he also supports the UNENE educational program and is President of Piro Consulting, a company providing support to industry and government stakeholders primarily in safety and licensing.

Mario Pieries is the Associate and Global Director, Nuclear at Hatch Ltd., bringing over 19 years of experience delivering complex, large-scale projects across the energy sector. He has lead diverse teams on OPG’s Darlington Refurbishment, Bruce Power’s Major Component Replacement Project, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Reactor Demonstration Project for Dow Chemical (on behalf of X-energy), and the Deep Geological Repository Development for the Nuclear Waste Management Organization.

Mario began his career at Suncor Energy’s Sarnia Refinery before joining Ontario Power Generation at both the Pickering and Darlington Nuclear Stations. In 2013, he returned to Suncor to lead process safety management and operational excellence at the Petro-Canada Lubricants refinery. Since joining Hatch in 2017, he has held progressive roles in consulting, engineering management, and project leadership, culminating in his current global leadership position.

Recognized for fostering collaborative environments and building high-performing teams, Mario consistently delivers projects safely, on time, on budget, and to the highest quality standards. He holds a degree in Chemical Engineering from McMaster University and a Master’s in Engineering from Ontario Tech University. He has also served as a part-time professor at both Algoma and McMaster Universities.

Mario is a former Director and Vice President of the Air and Waste Management Association, a current board member of the Organization of Canadian Nuclear Industries, and an active member of the Project Management Institute and Professional Engineers Ontario.

Gianni Parise is McMaster University’s Vice-President, Research, responsible for leading and advancing the university’s robust research enterprise. In this role, he oversees a broad ecosystem that supports researchers in securing funding, building partnerships with industry and government, driving commercialization and innovation, and enhancing the national and global reputation of McMaster’s research efforts.

Parise also serves as Chair of the Board of McMaster Innovation Park (MIP), where he plays a key role in accelerating innovation, commercialization, and entrepreneurship both on campus and across the region.

With more than 20 years of experience in research, academic, and institutional leadership at McMaster, Parise most recently served as Acting Dean of the Faculty of Science. He has also held positions as Acting Deputy Vice-President, Research and Associate Dean of Research and External Relations in the Faculty of Science. In these roles, he led initiatives to foster interdisciplinary collaboration, promote a culture of innovation, maximize the impact of McMaster’s research centres and institutes, and launch commercialization seed funds. He also contributed significantly to the development of McMaster’s Strategic Research Plan.