A board with extensive professional experience serving private, public and non-profit organizations. Effective and efficient governance is an essential foundation for our success. Along with the President & Chief Executive Officer and the Executive Leadership Team, the Board of Directors provides integrated and high functioning leadership that enables EfficiencyOne to excel in achieving our strategic and operational objectives.
William (Bill) Lahey is President, Vice-Chancellor and Professor of Law at the University of King’s College. A Rhodes Scholar, Bill’s diverse career started with clerking for Justice Gerard La Forest of the Supreme Court of Canada and included 20 years as a law professor at Dalhousie University. He has worked in private and government legal practice and served as Nova Scotia’s Assistant Deputy Minister of Health and Deputy Minister of Environment and Labour. In addition to being founding Chair of EfficiencyOne, he has served as Chair of the Council of Nova Scotia University Presidents, chair for other non-profit boards and is currently a board member with Autism Nova Scotia. Bill was a major influence behind Nova Scotia’s Environmental Goals and Sustainable Prosperity Act and then co-authored a major report on the regulation of aquaculture and authored the “Lahey Report” on forestry practices in Nova Scotia. In 2019, he received the Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration.
Charles has extensive experience in corporate finance and development of high growth companies, and has successfully lead mergers and acquisitions, divestitures and private and public capital formation, in excess of $300MM. He has served in a number of finance and corporate leadership roles developing and executing growth strategies with private and public companies and family offices across Canada. During his time in public accounting practice, Charles articled with a small firm providing a wide range of accounting and advisory services to mid and large owner-operated businesses. He also was with a national firm in their corporate finance practice, providing mid-market valuation, corporate finance, and transaction advisory services.
Charles is passionate about advising, investing in and growing Atlantic Canadian businesses and entrepreneurs. Currently he is a partner in a number of operating companies in Atlantic Canada and manages a portfolio of alternative investments for Atlantic Canadian families and investors. He has served on the Boards of Directors or Advisors of: Maple Leaf Homes Ltd., Metro Community Housing Association Non-profit (Treasurer), Radial Research Corp. (CSE: RAD), Legion Metals Corp. (CSE: LEGN), Nextleaf Solutions Ltd. (CSE: OILS), Prime Lift Limited, Dial Developments Limited (Penney Group of Companies) and 1660 Hollis Developments Ltd. Charles proudly resides in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and enjoys spending as much time as possible on the ocean; sailing, surfing and exploring Nova Scotia’s beautiful beaches.
Faten is the Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer of WeUsThem, a full-service ad agency with a client roster that includes Telus, the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union, the Canadian Space Agency, Government of Canada, the Kempinski Group, Nestle, Xerox, Cambridge University, Groupe Média TFO, Province of Nova Scotia, and the Sinai Health System to name a few.
She is also the Chief Executive Officer of HealthEMe Inc. Faten has been named one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women numerous times and was recently inducted into the Hall of Fame. She has also been named Executive of the Year and Entrepreneur of the Year in Canada and internationally; as well as being named one of five Women of Inspiration, a Woman of Influence, a Woman of Excellence, and an International Diva of Colour. She is a fellow with the International Women’s Forum and has been celebrated for her community work by Women Get on Board. Faten’s leadership has brought home numerous global nods from the Cannes Lions, CLIO’s, Webbys, Daveys, MarCom, W3’s, Hermes, and Advertising Age for WeUsThem; all firsts for the East Coast.
As part of her work in the community, Faten is on the Board of CEED, the Past Chair of the Halifax Chamber of Commerce, is a founding member of the Women’s Leadership Circle, the founder of the Leaders Breakfast and is a former director of the Canadian Cancer Society and a Governor in Council at NSCAD University.
Corinne is a global carbon market pioneer and has played a vital role in developing much of the foundation upon which the global carbon markets of today operate. She brings 30 years of experience in the business of sustainability and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) and has worked extensively in the mining and metals, energy, and financial services sectors. She is an Accredited Director and also holds the Global Competent Boards (GCB) designation. Corinne is Chair of the Canada Growth Fund (CGF) – a wholly-owned subsidiary of Canada Development Investment Corp. (CDEV), an Independent Director at EfficiencyOne (E1) and a Non-Executive Director and ESG Committee Chair at Los Andes Copper (TSXV:LA). In addition, Corinne is IRC Chair for Waratah Core Fund. Corinne formerly served as the Chair of the Canadian Energy Research Institute (CERI) and as a member of the Board of Directors for the Halifax Climate Investment, Innovation and Impact (HCi3) Fund.
Kristi is the Chief Administrative Officer for the Township of Uxbridge, a leading northern municipality in the Greater Toronto Area. She has over 25 years of executive leadership in both the private and public sectors, including starting a global consultancy that grew to a multi-million dollar enterprise, recognized by Microsoft as a top 5% global partner. Kristi is the former Head of IT & Cyber Security (Chief Information Security Officer) for Ontario Power Generation and holds a post graduate certificate in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Robotics & Machine Learning from MIT. Kristi is a graduate of Durham College and was recognized as an Alumnus of Distinction. She also holds a B. Mgmt. from Athabasca University and a M.B.A degree from University Canada West, in addition to the Institute of Corporate Directors, ICD.D, and Global Competent Boards – Environment, Social & Governance, GCB.D, governance designations. Kristi is a globally recognized cyber security expert, in addition to governance and enterprise risk management. Kristi is known for bringing an entrepreneurial spirit to the public sector, and is a champion for human rights, the environment, and the economic empowerment of communities.
Carol has vast experience as a non-profit executive and director. She previously served as Board Chair of the Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency. Her expertise has helped several start-up organizations, and her leadership has energized a series of quasi governmental organizations, advisory committees, and non-profit boards. In 2009, Carol received an honourary diploma from the Nova Scotia Community College. Carol also serves as the Chair of the Board of Directors for the Halifax Climate Investment, Innovation and Impact (HCi3 Fund) and is a director of EfficiencyOne Services.
Matthew is a highly accomplished business professional with a diverse background in strategic planning, project management, human resources, and executive recruitment. With a Master’s Degree in Technology, Entrepreneurship & Innovation from Saint Mary’s University and a Bachelor of Management in Entrepreneurship & Innovation from Dalhousie University, he brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to any organization he serves. Currently, Matthew serves as the Chief Executive Officer for the Black Business Initiative in Halifax, where he is responsible for designing and implementing business strategies, establishing policies that promote company culture and vision, and overseeing daily operations. He also leads employees to encourage maximum performance and dedication and evaluates performance by analyzing and interpreting data and metrics.
Matthew holds the ICD.D designation and Project Management Professional (PMP) certification. He has relevant board experience serving on the Halifax International Airport Authority and Dalhousie University Faculty of Management. In these roles, he had a strong focus on board compliance, board assessments, board member orientation, and worked to strengthen policy. Overall, Matthew is a skilled and experienced leader who excels in strategic planning, recruitment, and project management, making him an asset to any organization.
Dr. Joan McArthur-Blair, Co-President of Cockell McArthur-Blair Consulting is an inspirational writer, speaker, and facilitator. She believes positive leadership matters in the world and all her work is around enabling and fostering that generative possibility. Joan specializes in the use of appreciative inquiry and appreciative resilience to foster leadership development, strategic planning, and innovative strategies for organizational and team development. She is highly committed to the work of climate change and climate adaptation. She has co-authored Appreciative Inquiry in Higher Education: A Transformative Force, 2nd edition (2020) and Building Resilience with Appreciative Inquiry: A Leadership Journey through Hope, Despair, and Forgiveness (2018).
Karen is an expert in values-based business, with an emphasis on co-operatives, credit unions, and social enterprises. For much of Karen’s career, she worked coast to coast across North America as a management consultant with large consulting organizations through to small boutique firms, always with a focus on business and sustainability. During this time, she developed a deep understanding of the complex and evolving nature of environmental, social, and economic systems. Currently, Karen is the Managing Director of the International Centre for Co-operative Management at Saint Mary’s University. She works locally to globally developing relationships and networks, combined with sharing and exchanging knowledge on how to build people-centred economies and societies. Since the early 2000s, Karen has served on business, non-profit, and charity Boards in organizations as varied as outdoor retail, financial services, environmental advocacy, and fair-trade certification.
Sean is a businessman with interests in several small and medium-sized businesses in Atlantic Canada. An accountant by training, he has held senior positions in both the private and public sectors. Sean sits on the Boards of several private and non-profit organizations and is currently the Chair of the Atlantic Lottery Corporation. Sean also serves as the Chair of the Board of Directors for EfficiencyOne Services.
Cathie is an experienced business leader with executive experience in utilities, public sector and government business enterprises. Cathie is the Chief Administrative Officer of Halifax Regional Municipality and has served on many boards and committees in the community including the Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation, the Property Valuation Services Corporation, the Audit Committee of the former Halifax Regional Schoolboard, and volunteer positions with CPA Nova Scotia. She was formerly General Manager of Halifax Water and previously worked for the Halifax Regional Municipality in a variety of roles including Director of Finance/CFO and Director of Infrastructure and Asset Management. A consistent element throughout her career has been involvement in energy, environment and utility issues including policy and program development, financial and operational performance management, development of by-laws and regulations, operating cost structures and rates.
Denise’s background is in chemical engineering, and she has more than 30 years of experience in the energy and resource sector, working in regulatory compliance, quality assurance and management systems, process engineering, and risk assessment. She is currently Chief Operating Officer of the Canadian Council for Indigenous Business. Prior to joining CCIB, she was the vice president of Practice Services and first-ever vice president of Indigenous Relations at Stantec. Born and raised in Nova Scotia, with French Acadian and Mi’kmaq heritage, Denise is a firm believer that a diverse and representative employee base—led by a diverse and representative leadership team—enhances and strengthens the cultures of quality, innovation, and health and safety within an organization.
Denise sits on several boards and national Indigenous advisory councils and is the Past President for Engineers Nova Scotia. She was named one of Canada’s most powerful women by the Women’s Executive Network, and the top 150 Canadian Women in STEM by hErVOLUTION. Denise was also named one of the 50 most inspirational women in technology in Canada by Inspiring Fifty. A believer in life-long learning, Denise recently completed an MBA from Athabasca University, and she attends a multitude of educational conferences and events annually. She also spends quality time with her family and friends at her family ocean-side cottage.
Vicky has served on Boards for over 20 years, mainly in the energy and financial arenas. She has 35 years of diverse experience in the power, energy, and natural resource sectors, has extensive investment networks, international exposure, and is a seasoned Director (ICD.D 2005). She is a pioneer and innovator in the cleantech commercialization and venture capital space and is the recipient of awards that recognize this commitment. As the founding President and CEO of Sustainable Development Technology Canada, she and her amazing team mobilized public funds and private capital of over $5 billion for project work and commercialization for Canadian cleantech companies. Vicky has advised North American and global public and private investment funds directed at sustainability in energy infrastructure, mobility, biodiversity and building sectors. She is committed to clean capitalism, integrating ESG practices into businesses while improving competitiveness and profitability. Vicky also sits on the Board of the Halifax Climate Innovation, Investment and Impact (HCi3) Fund.