Intact Centre Advisory Committee

Mike Pedersen (Chair) 

Mike Pedersen is a Corporate Director who serves on the boards of CGI Group, AtkinsRéalis, and Nature Conservancy of Canada. He is also Chair of the Advisory Committee of the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation at the University of Waterloo, and a member of the Global Risk Institute’s Sustainable Finance Advisory Committee. 

Mike was Chair of the Board of the Business Development Bank of Canada from 2018 to 2023.  Prior to that he was President and CEO of TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank, a top ten bank in the United States.  He held senior leadership roles in financial services around the world for over three decades, and is a former Chair of the Canadian Bankers Association.

Mike has a long and ongoing involvement with charitable organizations focused on nature, the environment and social services. Mike graduated from University of British Columbia with a Bachelor of Commerce degree and from University of Toronto with a Master of Industrial Relations degree. Mike lives in Toronto with his wife Martha.  They have three grown children.

Dr. Bruce Frayne – Dean, Faculty of Environment, University of Waterloo

Dr. Bruce Frayne is a Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Environment. Bruce is an urban planner, geographer, and senior member of the university administration. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Natal (now University of KwaZulu-Natal), a Master of City and Regional Planning from the University of Cape Town, and a PhD in Geography from Queen’s University. His research interests fall within the broad ambit of sustainable cities, and encompass the three related areas of human migration, urbanization and food security. In addition to leading the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Canadian Cities Index project, Bruce works in Sub-Saharan Africa and cities of the Global South.

The Honourable Rosa Galvez

Rosa Galvez, originally from Peru, is one of Canada’s leading experts in pollution control and its effect on human health. She has a Ph.D in Environmental Engineering from McGill University and was a full professor at Université Laval à Québec from 1994 to 2021, heading the Civil and Water Engineering Department from 2010 to 2016, and remains an associate professor to this day. She specializes in sustainable development, water and soil decontamination, waste management and residues, and environmental impact and risk assessment.

Throughout her career, she has been requested by private, governmental and community organizations to offer expert advice. She has also advised international organizations including on Canada-US and Quebec-Vermont agreements regarding the protection of the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River. She also conducted an important study on the catastrophic oil spill at Lac-Mégantic.

Rosa Galvez is a member of the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec and the Pan American Federation of Engineering Societies and a fellow of Engineers Canada and the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering. Her research has led her around the world to countries such as France, Italy, Belgium, Japan and China.

Dr. Maryam Golnaraghi

With over 25 years as founder and entrepreneur, executive, senior advisor and board director in public and private sectors and the United Nations, Dr. Golnaraghi has launched, led and managed transformative climate change initiatives and multi-stakeholder partnerships with systemic impacts, to enable transitioning to a resilient low-carbon economy. In 2020, Maryam was included on the list of 20 ‘Most Influential on Climate Change’ by InsuranceERM and among the top 100 influencers in the world on “Resilience” by The Leaders’ Magazine.

Since 2015, as the Director of Climate Change and Environment at The Geneva Association, she leads strategic initiatives to innovate and scale up insurance industry’s contributions to the transitioning to a resilient low-carbon economy. Currently, her work is focused on, ¬(i) Innovating methodologies for forward-looking climate risk assessment and related regulatory and disclosure standards; ¬ (ii) Sources of climate litigation and implications for insurers and investors; ¬ (iv) De-risking new clean technologies for decarbonization of carbon-intensive sectors and new infrastructure systems; ¬ (v) Innovating risk transfer solutions and PPPs for managing physical climate risks (acute and chronic) and applications of nature-based systems.

Prior to joining The Geneva Association, for 10 years Dr. Golnaraghi was the Chief of the international program on Disaster Risk Reduction at the World Meteorological Organization, and between 1997-2004 she was CEO and President of Climate Risk Solutions, the first of its kind climate risk analytics and advisory company. Dr. Golnaraghi holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Cornell University, an M.Sc. in Applied Physics and a Ph.D in Physical Oceanography from Harvard University. She is a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and serves in a number of international, national and industry advisory committees and corporate boards.

Steve Mennill

Steve Mennill was most recently Senior Vice-President and Chief Climate Officer at Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). His career has focused on all aspects of the housing system, in strategic and operational roles, including housing policy, housing finance, mortgage insurance, business process and technology, social and affordable housing, risk management, land development and urban planning.

Steve’s current work involves promoting change in our financial and housing supply systems to improve climate compatibility and affordability.

Steve holds an MBA from the University of Toronto (Rotman), a Bachelor of Environmental Studies in Urban Planning from the University of Waterloo, as well as a Diploma in Urban Land Economics from the University of British Columbia. He is a member of the Canadian Institute of Planners (MCIP, RPP), and holds the ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors.

Conrad Sauvé – President and CEO, Canadian Red Cross

Conrad Sauvé has been the President and CEO of the Canadian Red Cross since 2008. Under his leadership, the Canadian Red Cross has strengthened its capacity in emergency management and health programming and made significant contributions in the wake of multiple large-scale domestic and international emergencies. He has a proven track record of bringing together diverse partners in support of complex humanitarian challenges. He led the successful negotiation of a strategic partnership with the Government of Canada, and fostered innovative partnerships with health organizations, universities and other humanitarian actors. Conrad has overseen a strengthened Memorandum of Understanding with Public Safety Canada to ensure the Red Cross and all levels of government are prepared for future emergencies. For the past twenty years, Conrad has been involved in several health and social service committees, associations and executive boards. He holds a BSc from the Université du Québec à Montreal and is a graduate of McGill University’s International Masters in Health Leadership.

Veronica Scotti – Chairperson, Global Partnerships at Swiss Re

Veronica Scotti was appointed Chairperson Public Sector Solutions in July 2018. Public Sector Solutions is committed to helping national, provincial and municipal governments, public entities as well as international organizations develop innovative risk transfer solutions to strengthen societal resilience, both in advanced and developing economies. It promotes financial inclusion by improving access to insurance for risk-exposed low-income communities. Veronica joined Swiss Re in 1999 in London through the group acquisition of Fox-Pitt Kelton, a boutique investment bank. She gained her reinsurance experience following her move to Zurich in 2002, with roles in asset management, strategy, risk management and products. From 2007 she held client-facing positions in Zurich, as Head of Business Development EMEA and Key Account Manager Globals, before moving in 2013 to New York to become Client Executive, MD, with global responsibility for some of Swiss Re’s largest clients. In 2015 Veronica was appointed President and CEO of Canada and the English Caribbean based in Toronto. Prior to joining Swiss Re, Veronica worked in investment banking in the UK, Switzerland and Italy with Banque Paribas, Union Bank of Switzerland and Banco di Napoli. She holds an MBA from the SDA Bocconi School of Management in Milan, and a master’s degree in International Commerce from the Naval University Institute, Naples, Italy.

Carla Smith – Executive Vice President & Chief People, Strategy and Climate Officer, Intact

Carla Smith was appointed Executive Vice President in June 2021 to shape and drive Intact’s global strategies in three key areas.  As the global CHRO, she will advance Intact’s objective to be a best employer whose talents are future ready.  As the Chief Strategy Officer, she will develop and sustain Intact’s corporate strategy equipping the senior team to navigate important strategic decisions and trade-offs.

As the Head of Climate, she will ensure that climate change is prioritized as a lens through which Intact manages its business, and that Intact capitalizes on opportunities to help customers and society adapt.  Her career with Intact has spanned more than 20 years.  She has held senior leadership positions throughout the organization including Intact Insurance, Claims, belairdirect, and Specialty Solutions.  She also successfully guided the organization through several acquisitions & integrations during her time leading Corporate Development.  Ms. Smith is a Chartered Insurance Professional and holds a Global Professional Master of Laws from the University of Toronto, a Master of Business Administration from Queen’s University, and a Bachelor of Business Administration (Finance) from Simon Fraser University.

James (Jason) Stewart – Executive in Residence with the Global Risk Institute and Senior Fellow with the C.D. Howe Institute

Jason began his career as an economist on Bay Street.  His research, market and policy analysis experience includes working at the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC), the Canadian Centre for Economic Analysis, the Bank of Canada, Queen’s Park, RBC Dominion Securities and the C.D. Howe Institute. He is the primary author of the OSC’s report on behavioural finance and its insights, applications and use in regulation (2017).  He is the lead co-author of a major report using behavioural economics to boost recruitment in the skilled construction trades.

Jason is Executive in Residence with the Global Risk Institute, a Senior Fellow with the C.D. Howe Institute, and the president of a private philanthropic foundation. His volunteer work includes being a board member of an international conservation charity and a smart cities non-profit organization.  He also co-chairs the advisory council of a local land trust in Ontario.

Dr. Blair Feltmate (Ex. Officio Member) – Head, Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation (Intact Centre)

Blair is the Head of the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation, University of Waterloo. Previous positions he has held include Vice President, Sustainable Development, Bank of Montreal; Director, Sustainable Development, Ontario Power Generation; Partner, Sustainable Investment Group/YMG Capital Management.  Blair has written textbooks on Sustainable Banking and Aquatic Ecology.

He is on the Advisory Table, National Adaptation Strategy, Canada.  He is Sustainable Finance Council member, Global Risk Institute, and he is a member of Climate Proof Canada (Insurance Bureau of Canada).  Blair is Expert Member, International ISO Strategic Advisory Group, ESG, and he is on the Science, Innovation and Policy Board of Canada’s Forest Trust.  He is on the Climate Advisory Board, Minister of Environment (Ontario). Blair was Chair, Federal Government of Canada Expert Panel on Climate Adaptation.

Blair was a NSERC Postdoctoral Fellow (University of Waterloo). He holds a Ph.D. in Theoretical and Applied Ecology (University of Toronto), Master’s in Sustainable Development (Wilfrid Laurier University), Master’s in Zoology (University of Toronto), and Hon. Bachelor’s Biology (University of Toronto).  He is generally interviewed by the media 100 times per year on climate change/ESG related issues.