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Speakers & Moderators

Koji Arita

Deputy Mayor, City of Toyota

Mr. Koji Arita is the Deputy Mayor of Toyota City, Japan. He obtained his Master's degree at the School of Engineering in the University of Tokyo. He has worked at the Ministry of Construction (current Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism) since 1987.

He drafted the policies on using Information and Communication Technology to provide information to pedestrians for barrier free mobility, on charging system for toll highway and on improving the bidding contract system for public works. He is currently working on Smart Transportation City Planning by aiming to create public and low-carbon transportation systems, urban restructure and Intelligent Transportation System (ITS). Toyota City is currently demonstrating the Smart City concepts including smart house, hydrogen station and bus, small EV sharing system and ITS.

Jim Burpee, P. Eng

President and CEO, Canadian Electricity Association

As President of the Canadian Electricity Association, Jim Burpee acts as spokesperson on issues of national concern to the electric utility industry. He is committed to expanding the role of the energy industry in Canada and Canadian electricity in the North American market.

Before taking on this role, Jim worked for Ontario Hydro and its successor company, Ontario Power Generation (OPG) for over 31 years. During this time, his roles included having responsibility for all of OPG's non-nuclear generation fleet, Energy Markets, and Corporate Development. He also has three years of senior executive experience in Ontario Hydro/OPG's nuclear generation business. Most recently, Jim served as Chief Executive Officer at Bridge Renewable Energy Technologies Inc.

Jim currently sits on the board of the Energy Council of Canada, and has served as a Director and Chairman on the Canadian Electricity Association board. Jim graduated from the University of Toronto with a BASc in Mechanical Engineering, and is a member of Professional Engineers Ontario and the Institute for Corporate Directors.

Bruce Campbell

President and CEO, IESO

Bruce Campbell is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Independent Electricity System Operator. Under Mr. Campbell's leadership, the IESO oversees the safe and reliable operation of Ontario's bulk electrical system - one of the most diversified, reliable and efficient markets in the world. The organization also oversees the operation of Ontario's wholesale electricity market.

Mr. Campbell has over 30 years of regulatory and executive experience in the energy sector. In his most recent position as Vice President - Resource Integration, Mr. Campbell oversaw preparations in power system operations for the integration of an anticipated 10,700 MW of wind and solar generation in the province by 2018. Recruited from a successful legal career, where he regularly appeared before the Ontario Energy Board and other tribunals, Mr. Campbell joined the IESO as Vice President, Regulatory and Legal Affairs in 2000. Since that time Mr. Campbell has taken on an increasingly wide range of executive responsibilities.

In addition, Mr. Campbell serves as a member of NERC's Member Representative Committee and of the ISO/RTO Council which works to develop effective processes, tools, and standard methods for improving competitive electricity markets across North America. A member of the Law Society of Upper Canada, Mr. Campbell also holds the Institute of Corporate Directors' ICD.D (Certified Director) designation.

Dr.-Ing. Joachim U. Knebel

Chief Science Officer, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)

Dr.-Ing. Joachim Knebel, born 1962, is Chief Science Officer at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Germany, being responsible among others for the Programs 'Storage and Linked Infrastructures', 'Fusion Research' and 'Nuclear Safety Research'. He has a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering.

Within the German Helmholtz Association of national research centres, Joachim Knebel is Spokesperson of the 'Nuclear Safety Research Program' and the Cross-Program Activity 'Electromobility'. He is author or co-author of more than 100 scientific publications and some 80 invited lectures at scientific conferences, public hearings, press events, and specialist meetings world-wide. In 2011, he was awarded the European Science-Culture-Award of the European Foundation for Culture PRO EUROPA for merits in 'Partitioning & Transmutation Research'. 

Dr. Peter Lund

Professor in Advanced Energy Systems, Aalto University

Dr. Peter D. Lund is a Professor in Advanced Energy Systems at Aalto University (formerly Helsinki University of Technology) in Finland and also chairs the Science Council of the National Cluster in Energy and Environment (Cleen). He has worked on new energy systems and technologies, and on energy and innovations for more than 30 years. Current topics of his research in smart grids include integration of large-scale renewable energy schemes, system flexibility, multi-carrier systems, and urban sustainable energy systems.

He received his PhD in Engineering Physics from Helsinki Univ. of Technology in 1984 and he studied at London Business School in 1989. Dr. Lund is also quite active in senior roles with EU initiatives in energy systems and innovations and is currently a member of the steering committee of Energy Panel of the European Academies Science Advisory Council and the European Platform of Universities in Energy Research. He is also a board member of the Swedish Engineering Academy in Finland. Dr. Lund has published close to 500 research papers, supervised 30 PhDs and has given numerous talks internationally. 

Malcolm Metcalfe LVO, P. Eng

Founder, Chief Technology Officer, ENBALA Power Networks

Malcolm Metcalfe LVO, P. Eng. is a veteran of the high growth technology industry and an expert on the evolution of the power system, with over 40 years of experience in energy and related systems. At ENBALA, Mr. Metcalfe is responsible for staying current on the energy market and developing innovative solutions to maximize its efficiency and reliability.

Mr. Metcalfe's vision is to modernize the grid by engaging the demand side; making demand as important as supply in creating a smart, optimized grid. With his well-respected perspective on the Smart Grid and, more specifically, the role that the demand side can play in the power system, Mr. Metcalfe has been invited by many industry leaders to share his vision at various events and conferences such as Building the Grid of the Future and SIGCOMM Workshop on Energy and IT.

Malcolm has worked in a variety of management positions for BC Hydro, Shell Canada and CP/Canadian Airlines. A graduate of the University of British Columbia, he holds a BASc and MASc in Electrical Engineering, with the latter specialized in Power Systems.

Paul Murphy, P. Eng

Past President and CEO, Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO)

Paul Murphy was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of the Independent Electricity System Operator in October 2006, a position from which he retired in 2013. Prior to his appointment as President, Mr. Murphy was the Chief Operating Officer for the IESO since 2000. Mr. Murphy is past chair of IESO's Technical Panel and has worked in the integrated operation of Ontario's electrical system for over 35 years and in the development and operation of competitive markets for the last 15. Mr. Murphy has been the Vice Chair of NPCC's Reliability Coordinating Committee, represented Independent System Operators on NERC's Member Representatives Committee and is a founding member and Chair of Ontario's Smart Grid Forum.

Mr. Murphy holds a Bachelor of Applied Science from Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario and is a registered Professional Engineer in Ontario.

Dr.Jatin Nathwani

Ontario Research Chair in Public Policy and Sustainable Energy Management

Professor, Faculty of Engineering and Faculty of Environment

Executive Director, Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy, University of Waterloo

Dr. Jatin Nathwani is at the forefront of the global green revolution, pushing for sustainable electricity development for billions worldwide. Working closely with the Ontario government in his role as Ontario Research Chair in Public Policy and Sustainable Energy Management, Dr. Nathwani is leading initiatives for energy conservation and demand management in the province. With a focus on developing tangible solutions for both industry and public policy, he is investigating micro-grid combinations of wind and hydrogen fuel cells for electricity in Ontario's rural northern communities. Dr. Nathwani developed 'The Life Quality Index,' an effective tool that enables national policy decisions by assessing the lives of people in the midst of scarce resources. He has extensive experience in the energy sector in long-term corporate and policy strategy, regulatory affairs, and the timely integration of R&D into business practice and success. He is a member of Ontario's Smart Grid Forum and a Board Member for the Ontario Centre of Excellence for Energy. Dr. Nathwani received his PhD in Engineering and Environment from the University of Toronto.

Bruce Orloff

Canadian Smart Grid Solution Leader, IBM Canada

Bruce Orloff is the Canadian Smart Grid Solution Leader in IBM's Energy & Utilities practice with over 24 years experience in the utilities and telecommunications industries.

He has extensive knowledge and experience managing, developing and implementing advanced solutions in competitive electricity and telecommunications de-regulated markets in North America, Sweden and Australia. Some of his main achievements include implementation of leading edge advanced metering and smart grid solutions in Ontario and overall project management and technical lead on the deployment of a multi-million dollar optical fiber network across North America. Bruce is also one of the founding members and past board member of SmartGrid Canada, a national organization dedicated to promoting a more modern and efficient electricity grid for the benefit of all Canadians through education, collaboration, promotion, and action.

Bruce has also published articles and presented at key industry conferences.

Dr. Catherine Rosenberg

Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Waterloo

Canada Research Chair in the Future Internet

Catherine Rosenberg is a Professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Waterloo. Since June 2010, she holds the Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in the Future Internet. From 1999 to 2004, Prof. Rosenberg was a Professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Purdue University where she co-founded in May 2002 the Center for Wireless Systems and Applications.

Prof. Rosenberg is on the Scientific Advisory Board of Orange.  She was elected an IEEE Fellow for contributions to resource management in wireless and satellite networks on 2011 and a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering in 2013. Her research interests are mainly in two areas: the Internet and Energy Systems. Her research on Energy Systems draws on analogies between the Smart Grids and the Internet.

Prof. Rosenberg  obtained her "Diplome d'Ingénieur'' from the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Télécommunications de Bretagne, her M.S. in Computer Sciences from the University of California at Los Angeles and her "Doctorat en Sciences" from Université de Paris XI.

Dr. Ian Rowlands

Professor, Environment and Resource Studies, University of Waterloo

Associate Director (Global Initiatives), Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy

Ian Rowlands is a Professor in the Department of Environment and Resource Studies (Faculty of Environment) at the University of Waterloo.  He is also the Associate Director (Global Initiatives) of the Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy at the University of Waterloo.

Prof. Rowlands has teaching and research interests in three main areas:  energy management strategies, international environmental relations and corporate environmentalism.  Most of his current research activities focus upon the implementation of the 'smart grid' at various scales:  from the household (understanding consumer behaviour and interactions with technologies) to the province (examining policies to encourage sustainable energy systems) to the international (international relations and cross-national comparative studies). 

Prof. Rowlands earned a BASc in Engineering Science from the University of Toronto and a PhD in International Relations from the University of London (London School of Economics and Political Science).

William Smith

Senior Vice President - Energy Sector

Bill Smith has over 30 years of extensive project management and operational experience in the energy business. He has a deep knowledge in power generation systems including: nuclear and fossil-fired, hydro, wind and solar; power transmission and distribution solutions; and oil & gas applications.

Bill is the Senior Vice President, Energy Sector and Senior Vice President, Technology and Major Project Development for Siemens Canada Limited. Prior to this position he served as Vice President, Power and General Manager - Toronto Region. He also held a variety of senior positions at Ontario Power Generation and Ontario Hydro.

Dave Simpson, P. Eng

Vice President, In-franchise Sales and Marketing and Customer Care Union Gas Limited

Dave Simpson is the vice president of in-franchise sales and marketing and customer care for Union Gas Limited. Simpson leads all in-franchise residential, commercial/industrial and demand side management functions, and is a member of the Union Leadership Group.

Simpson joined Union Gas in 1987, and has held a variety of management positions during his career with the company, including roles in operations, corporate projects, gas supply purchasing, industrial sales and marketing, as well as natural gas vehicles.

Dr. Jeffrey Taft

 Connected Energy Networks Chief Architect, Cisco

As the Cisco Connected Energy Networks Chief Architect and a Cisco Distinguished Engineer, Jeff is responsible for the Cisco GridBlocks™ Reference Architecture for communications in electric power systems, a reference architecture that the Cisco Connected Energy Networks Business Unit uses as a framework for smart grid product offerings, ecosystem development, and market strategies. He also directs the Business Unit's research activities and provides technical and subject matter expertise to Product Management, Marketing and Sale and Advanced Services. He began working in the grid modernization area exclusively in 2001 and has held smart grid chief architect roles with Accenture and IBM. Jeff formerly worked for Westinghouse and has worked on several key smart grid projects since he first began to develop sensor architectures and analytics for distribution grids, and then became involved in the larger issues of end-to-end grid integration architecture.  He earned a PhD in Electrical Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh in 1986, with a dual specialization in digital signal processing and digital control systems. He is a member of the IEEE Power and Energy Society, GridWise Architecture Council, and CIGRE and is the holder of 17 patents in control systems, signal processing, and smart grid.

Dr. Olaf Weber

Associate Professor, SEED, University of Waterloo

Chair in Environmental Finance, Export Development Canada

Olaf Weber is an Associate Professor for the School of Environment, Enterprise and Development (SEED) at the University of Waterloo and holds the Export Development Canada Chair in Environmental Finance. His research and teaching interests are in the area of environmental and sustainable finance with a focus on sustainable credit risk management, socially responsible investment, social banking and the link between sustainability and financial performance of enterprises. Currently he is working on projects on integrating reputation risk indicators into credit risk assessment procedures, on the relation between the sustainability performance and the financial performance of banks, on sustainability reporting of Chinese companies and on measuring the impact of microfinance, social banking and impact investing.

Menelaos (Mel) Ydreos

Executive Director - EnergyVantage

Menelaos (Mel) Ydreos is the Executive Director of EnergyVantage, a recently formed consulting firm specializing in supporting transformational energy solutions. Areas of specialization include global energy policy and strategy, and organizational cultural, revenue and cost transformation. Through EnergyVantage he is currently the Interim President and CEO of the Ontario Energy Association.In his previous role with Union Gas Ltd-A Spectra Energy Company, Ydreos led the company's government, municipal and aboriginal affairs activities. Other roles with Union Gas included VP Marketing and Customer Care, VP Operations and VP Engineering and Gas Supply Operations. Mr. Ydreos also was Acting President and CEO of the Canadian Gas Association in 2009 (summer).

He is active in the natural gas industry through his participation with the International Gas Union. Ydreos supported the American Gas Association in securing the IGU's 2015-18 presidency, as well as the 2018 World Gas Conference, to be held in Washington. He also serves as Vice Chair, Co-ordination Committee, for the 2012-15 IGU's French Triennium. In the previous 2009-12 Malaysian Triennium, he served as chair of the Special Task Force on Geopolitics and Natural Gas. In the 2006-09 Argentinean Triennium, Ydreos served as the vice chair of the Special Task Force on Research and Development and led the IGU's Best Practices Initiative.

Ydreos is the Founding Chair of Energy Technology and Innovation Canada, a member of Pollution Probe's Board of Directors and a member of the Advisory Committee of the Mowat Centre's Energy Fellow. Ydreos is past chair of the Standing Committee on Operations for the Canadian Gas Association, and has served on the board of directors of Canadian Standards International and the Canadian Standards Association Group. He actively volunteers his services to organizations such as United Way and is a past member of a number of Rotary Clubs.