Board of Directors & Staff

Peter McArthur

Chair

Peter McArthur is a seasoned cleantech expert based in Ottawa, Ontario.    He is Founding Chair of the Ontario Clean Technology Industry Association (OCTIA) and Chair of the Canada Cleantech Alliance.  He is a keen supporter of the cleantech sector in Canada, a subject matter expert and a thought leader in the space. Peter is a speaker, a social media writer and an advocate for the sector broadly. 

OCTIA represents the very broad spectrum of cleantech companies in Canada’s largest province, home to 38% of Canada’s cleantech sector. OCTIA advocates for the sector’s unique needs and facilitates connectivity between various ecosystem participants.  Canada Cleantech Alliance is a national alliance of cleantech associations, research groups and incubators advocating for the cleantech sector nationally.   

Peter joined Royal Bank in 2013 and was VP, National Cleantech Lead with RBCx, until retiring in June 2024. RBC is ranked as the fifth largest bank in North America, the largest bank in Canada and the most valuable brand in Canada.   Peter worked with a wide variety of cleantech companies ranging from early-stage commercializing businesses to public companies.  Peter has worked at three leading financial institutions having held a variety of roles, from leading teams in an executive capacity, to customer relationship management roles, with a consistent focus on providing excellence in customer service and growing the business.   He supported a wide variety of cleantech companies and cleantech focused venture capital firms coast to coast in Canada. 

 Peter is a graduate of the University of Toronto, has completed an Executive Program at Queens University and holds a Certificate in Carbon Finance.  Peter was recognized as a cleantech leader by the Clean 50 in Canada, for 2019.  He has also been recognized by RBC in both 2017 and 2020 as a Conference Award winner for the top 1% of performers at the Bank and in 2021 was recognized as a Leo Award winner for the top .1% of performers. 

Denis Leclerc

Past Chair

As an Executive Advisor, I collaborate with companies and organizations to enhance their sustainability practices. My focus is on increasing their resilience to climate and environmental challenges, while also boosting social responsibility, team engagement, and market competitiveness.

Throughout my career, I have held several executive positions at global companies, including serving as Vice President of Sustainable Development and Environment for a multinational corporation in the natural resources sector. I have had the privilege of participating in numerous strategic projects across Canada, the United States, Europe, and Asia. These experiences have allowed me to develop solid expertise in issue management, government and media relations, financial communications, and mergers & acquisitions.

Most recently, from 2009 to 2023, I served as President-Founder and CEO of Écotech Québec, a cluster dedicated to the development and growth of Quebec’s clean technology ecosystem. Additionally, I co-founded the Canada Cleantech Alliance, the International Cleantech Network, and the World Alliance for Efficient Solutions.

Very active in the community, I have had the opportunity to serve on several committees and boards of directors. My roles have included Chair of the Innovation and Natural Resources Committee of the National Research Council Canada, Vice-Chair of the Board of Coop Carbone, and Director of the Cycle Momentum accelerator. I have also been a member of the Canadian Advisory Group on Environment under the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between Canada and the European Union (EU), the International Climate Cooperation Program Committee of Quebec, and the Quebec government’s Advisory Committee on Climate Change. Additionally, I have served on the Green Municipal Fund Council of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and am a founding member of both the G15+ and SWITCH, the Alliance for a Green Economy.

I currently serve as the Ambassador of the International Cleantech Network, based in Copenhagen, Denmark. I also chair Community Advisory Committee of Aéroports de Montréal. Additionally, I am the Vice-Chair of the Zone Agtech, an agricultural innovation hub in Quebec, and a member of the Board of the Canada Cleantech Alliance and of the Executive Committee of the World Alliance for Efficient Solutions of the Solar Impulse Foundation, based in Lausanne, Switzerland.

In addition to being a certified board director (ASC), I hold an MBA from the Université Sherbrooke, among other qualifications.

Isabelle Dubé-Côté

Vice-Chair

Isabelle has 20 years of experience in the business world, with a specialization in defining and building purposeful brands. Her international career combining corporate and agency experience has allowed her to develop a unique perspective that enables her to apply a strategic vision for impactful results.

Before joining Écotech Québec, Isabelle launched her consulting agency, which provides strategic support to executive teams. Prior to this, Isabelle worked in various industries such as corporate finance at Financière Banque Nationale, business development at NYSE (New York) and Euronext (Paris). She also launched the strategic communication and corporate citizenship offer at Publicis by creating the Montreal office of MSLGROUP.

Throughout her various professional experiences, Isabelle has successfully mobilized stakeholders around common goals on diverse and complex projects. She has also built long-term relationships with business leaders, employees, and opinion leaders in North American and European markets.

In addition to her work, Isabelle is very involved in the community. She has served on the boards of organizations focused on healthcare prevention, performing arts and culture, as well as committees focused on climate emergency and empowering women.

Isabelle holds a bachelor’s degree from Concordia University and an MBA degree from NYU Stern (New York University) and ESCP Paris.

Claire Durocher

Board Member

Stewart Elgie

Board Member

Stewart Elgie is professor of law and economics at the University of Ottawa, and director of the University’s interdisciplinary Environment Institute. He received his Masters of Law from Harvard, and his doctorate (J.S.D.) from Yale. He is also the founder and chair of Smart Prosperity Institute (formerly Sustainable Prosperity), Canada’s premiere green economy think tank and policy-research network. His research involves environmental and economic sustainability, with a particular focus in recent years on market-based approaches. 

Elgie started his career as an environmental lawyer in Alaska, litigating over the Valdez oil spill. He returned to Canada and founded Ecojustice, now Canada’s largest non-profit environmental law organization; he was counsel on many precedent setting cases, including four wins in Supreme Court of Canada on constitution and environment issues. He was later hired by Pew Trusts as founding executive director of the multi-stakeholder Canadian Boreal Initiative. Prior to his faculty position at University of Ottawa (2004), Elgie held appointments at several Canadian universities (U.B.C., Alberta, York). He has served on or chaired many advisory bodies in the environment/sustainability area. In 2001, Elgie was awarded the Law Society of Upper Canada medal for exceptional lifetime contributions to law – the youngest man ever to receive the profession’s highest honour.

Erin Madro

Board Member

Erin Madro is a champion for sustainable energy solutions, driving transformation in the energy industry through early investments in groundbreaking companies. As a Principal at Evok Innovations, a venture capital firm with $500 M AUM dedicated to industrial decarbonization, Erin leverages over a decade of business strategy and operations expertise in large-cap energy companies to support investments in alignment with Evok’s mission to create a cleaner, more sustainable future. In addition to her role at Evok, Erin is a director on the Board of SensorUp and contributes her strategic insight as an advisory board member of the UCeed Energy Fund. She is also a mentor with the Creative Destruction Lab’s Energy Stream (CDL-Rockies), helping founders of early-stage clean-tech companies to accelerate progress towards commercialization. Her academic background includes a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical & Biological Engineering from the University of British Columbia and an MBA from the Haskayne School of Business at the University of Calgary. Her contributions to the industry have earned her recognition as one of Canada’s top 50 “Changemakers” in business by the Globe & Mail.

Roberto Chavez

Board Member

Roberto has established himself as an expert on federal policy issues at the nexus of industry and climate. At Sussex, Roberto has built a craft on electricity, clean energy, climate regulation, innovation, and industrial policy matters—providing subject-matter expertise, advice, and strategic direction to industry leaders and associations.  

With over eight years of experience in government and corporate affairs in Ottawa, Roberto has first-hand experience in the development of policy, legislation, and regulation development—and has developed an acute understanding on how to influence them.

 Roberto has played a key role in shaping federal policy instruments, such as the emerging clean technology and clean hydrogen Investment Tax Credits, and the clean electricity regulations at Sussex. Beyond policy design, Roberto has helped clients secure hundreds of millions of dollars in federal investments on projects ranging from decarbonization, clean energy generation, innovation, and manufacturing. Roberto also helps clients understand government policies related to their investment and project decisions—having most recently helped an Independent Power Producer leverage ITCs to successfully win major clean energy RFPs.  Prior to Sussex, Roberto held a diverse range of positions, including as a policy analyst in the public service, an advisor to an Ambassador and later to a Member of Parliament, all of which have allowed him to develop an acute understanding of the workings of the federal government. One of his biggest achievements features overseeing the passage of a Private Member’s Bill.  

 Roberto holds an Honours degree in Public Affairs and Policy Management from Carleton University and has established himself as a knowledgeable speaker on various conference platforms. He has shared insights on topics such as decarbonization and the federal government’s role in clean hydrogen investment.  From an early age, Roberto has been passionate about climate, having founded a Student Energy chapter, where he held sustainability hackathons and organized energy-related events featuring senior government officials. He also served as Youth Ambassador to the United Nation’s World Environment Day in 2017. Roberto serves as President of the Arthur Kroeger College Chapter for the Carleton University Alumni Association. 

 Roberto is a dual-citizen and has served on the Advisory Council to the Ambassador of Costa Rica to Canada, helping strengthen linkages between both countries.   Outside of work, Roberto is passionate about all things football (also known as Soccer). He is an avid cyclist and skier, who also enjoys cooking. He resides in Ottawa with his wife.  

Farzin Mou

Board Member

Farzin is a Manager, Cleantech at MaRS Discovery District where she leads the ecosystem strategy including establishing industry focus areas, pursuing key partnerships, and supporting cleantech founders in their commercialization journey. Farzin also leads the RBC Women in Cleantech Accelerator working hands-on with a cohort of women-led ventures on securing capital, refining go-to-market strategies and scaling their businesses.  Farzin previously led MaRS’ Capital Program – a comprehensive platform offering white glove service to Seed and Series A founders seeking investment. Prior to MaRS, Farzin was an early member of energy analytics scale-up, RS Energy Group, which was acquired for $1 billion in 2020. Farzin held roles in investment research, customer success, and product management, delivering data-driven solutions for capital allocators and energy producers. Earlier in her career, she worked in operations at Suncor Energy and Imperial Oil after graduating as a Mechanical Engineer from the University of Calgary.

Jason Switzer

Board Advisor

Jason Switzer joined Equitable Origin in September 2023 to grow the market signal for ESG leadership and innovation in the Energy Transition, while empowering indigenous communities to establish accountability for resource developers through leading digital tools.   Previously, Jason led carbonNEXT, an accelerator of next generation Canadian CCUS innovations, a partnership between Foresight and Carbon Management Canada. He helped establish the Foresight 50 program to recognize Canada’s most investable cleantech startups as well as the Alberta Cleantech Investment Summit, and to grow the Alberta Clean Technology Industry Alliance to 130 organizational members before merging it with Foresight in 2021. Previously, Jason led the Pembina Institute’s national consulting team for 5 years, and delivered pioneering initiatives in GHG roles at Cenovus Energy (2009-11) and Shell Canada (2006-9).  Today, Jason is vice chair of the Clean Resources Innovation Network, a founding director of the Canada Cleantech Alliance, and member of the CSA Committee on Transition and Sustainable Finance.  Jason holds master’s degrees in environmental engineering and in public policy from MIT and is a Harvard-trained environmental mediator, a Clean 50 recipient, an alumnus of Leadership Calgary, and a fellow of the World Commission on Dams.

Lynn Côté

Lynn Côté had an extensive 30 + career at Export Development Canada (EDC) in various roles including 12 years as part of EDC’s Cleantech Team as the National Lead Cleantech and Market Intelligence. She currently runs Côté Cleantech Consulting, a cleantech consulting company. She has deep knowledge of finance, investments and international trade specializing in the cleantech ecosystems and companies. She has been a member of the board at L’Arche Ottawa and CCC 165. She is a volunteer with Ten Yad Ottawa and participates yearly in The Shoebox Project for Women. She completed her BSc at Concordia University in Montréal and her MBA, Energy & Sustainability at the University of Cumbria in the UK.