Board of Directors, Officers & Executives
ESA’s Board of Directors handles corporate governance and regulatory oversight, and guides the organization’s strategy. The Board and management focus on using leading practices to do so. Among its key responsibilities, the Board:
- approves ESA’s strategic plan, business plan and budget. It also oversees the integrity of ESA's reported financial performance;
- oversees the appointment, development and monitoring of senior management and their succession planning;
- monitors the strategic environment and ensures appropriate enterprise risk management;
- monitors external communications and stakeholder relationships; and
- monitors the integrity of the organization’s internal control and management information systems.
Twelve members make up the ESA Board of Directors, based on a set of established qualifications. Board members reflect the public; electricity distributors; electrical contractors; and engineering, manufacturing and other industries. Board members may serve up to three consecutive terms.
Each Board member has signed and agreed to abide by a Directors Code of Conduct and also takes part in a program to stay abreast of best practices. This covers corporate due diligence reporting, Director responsibilities, governance, and investment and pension management.
On this page:
Board of Directors
ESA Officers
Committees
FY2021 Committee Meetings
ESA Executive Management Team
ESA Board of Directors

Annette Bergeron, MBA, P.Eng., FEC
Chair, Electrical Safety Authority
Principal, Bergeron Consulting; President, Engineers Canada.
Previously: Chair, ESA’s People and Culture & Governance Committee; President, Professional Engineers Ontario; Director, Engineers Canada; Director, Kingston General Hospital.

Arjan Arenja, P.Eng., MBA
President, Spectrum Business Development Inc; Director and Chair, Governance and Nomination Committee, Professional Engineers Ontario; Director; Chair of Finance, Risk and Audit Committee, Engineers Canada; and Board Member, Palette Skills.
Previously: Senior Manager, Bruce Power. Sr. Manager, Royal Group Technologies Inc. Manager, Trow Consulting Engineers (renamed EXP in 2011). Director and Co-Chair of the Board of Telecare Direct.

Rhonda Barnet, BSc, C.Dir.
President and COO, AVIT Manufacturing (formerly Steelworks Design); Director, Canada's Industry Strategy Council; Director, Next Generation Manufacturing Canada (NGen); Chair of the Board, Advanced Manufacturing Economic Strategy Table; Co-founder and Director, FemSTEAMPtbo; Director, Palette; Strategic Advisor, Health Canada – “Covid-19 workplace testing, screening and data.”
Previously: Past Chair, Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME); VP Finance, AVIT Manufacturing (formerly Steelworks Design)

Indrani Butany-DeSouza, MBA, BSc(HONS)
Currently: President and CEO, Elexicon Energy Inc.
Previously: Vice President, Regulatory Affairs and Privacy Officer, Alectra Utilities Corporation; Vice-President, Regulatory & Government Affairs, Horizon Utilities Corporation

Frank D’Andrea, CPA, CA, AOP
Vice President, Reliability Standards and Chief Regulatory Officer, Hydro One; Member, Canadian Electricity Association’s (CEA) National Emerging Issues Committee; Electricity Distributors Association (EDA) Regulatory Council.

Christopher Hopper, B.A., MBA
President and CEO, Complete Electrical Services Inc. and KLQ Mechanical Ltd. Director, VentureLink Fund. Vice Chair, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital Foundation. Trustee, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital.
Previously: President and CEO, Northern Home Services Ltd. Governor, CI Investments Inc.

Dale MacDonald, ME
General Manager, Honey Electric Ltd. Chairman, Ontario Electrical League.
Previously: Board Member, Ontario College of Trades, interprovincial Red Seal program. President, Chatham-Kent Health Alliance, Canadian Mental Health Association.

Adèle Malo, BA, LL.B., LL.M, ICD.D
Consultant.
Previously: EVP Regulatory and Government Affairs and General Counsel, Direct Energy. General Counsel and VP Sustainable Development, Ontario Power Generation.

Gary Oosterhof, ME
Owner and President, Oosterhof Electrical Services Ltd. President, Kingston Electrical Association. City Councillor for the Countryside District in the City of Kingston.
Previously: Electrical Contractor Registration Agency (ECRA) Advisory Council. Board of Directors, Ontario Electrical League and LE Contractor Committee.

Daniel Péloquin, B.ENG.
CEO, Daniel Péloquin Consultant. Director, Spark Power. Director, Vizimax. Director, Systemex Energies.
Previously: President, Schneider Electric Canada. CEO, Global Coil Business Segment, Trench Canada / Siemens. Director, ElectroFederation Canada (EFC).

Ysni Semsedini, P.ENG., MBA
President & CEO, Newmarket – Tay Power Distribution Ltd.; Past Chair, Electricity Distributors Association; Director, The MEARIE Group; Director, Ontario One Call; Director, Saturn Power
Previously: CEO Festival Hydro Inc, President & CEO Rhyzome Networks

Vivi White, BA (HONS)
Regional Vice President with the Royal Bank of Canada; Markham’s Centre Campus External Advisory Committee
Previously: Chair of the Board of Directors for Mississauga Board of Trade; Public Member of the College of Nurses
ESA Officers

Josie Erzetic, BJ (HONS). LL.B, ICD.D
President and Chief Executive Officer

Emily Larose, BA (HONS), JD
Vice President, Regulatory and General Counsel, Electrical Safety Authority

Sandra Montague, B.A., CPA, CA
Chief Financial Officer, Electrical Safety Authority.

David Rinaldo, BASc (Mech Eng), LLB
Assistant General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, Electrical Safety Authority
ESA Charter - Board of Directors
Committees
Audit and Investment Committee
The Audit and Investment Committee supports oversight responsibilities regarding audit, finance, investment, information technology, and financial risk management. The committee manages on behalf of ESA the relationship with external auditors and also reviews discussion and analysis of ESA’s annual corporate and pension audited financial statements. This committee also oversees ESA’s internal financial structure, reporting, financial risk management systems. The committee is responsible for oversight of assets, establishing and overseeing a prudent investment management approach, review of investment policies, Pension Plan liabilities and ensures compliance with the Pension Benefits Act and the Income Tax Act.
Chair: Christopher Hopper
Members: Annette Bergeron, Arjan Arenja, Daniel Péloquin, Rhonda Barnet, Ysni Semsedini and Vivi White
People and Culture & Governance Committee
People and Culture & Governance Committee provides oversight responsibilities and risk management regarding human resources, compensation, pension strategy and corporate governance. This committee oversees human resources strategy on behalf of ESA, and the Members review succession planning (corporate and Board), performance assessment, development requirements and compensation philosophy and structure. The Committee also is responsible for monitoring and making recommendations regarding corporate governance, board practices, succession planning and board evaluations. Its role is to ensure the adequacy and effectiveness of systems implemented to ensure compliance with established corporate governance, and human resources legislation, policies, and procedures.
Chair: Robert Mace
Members: Annette Bergeron, Arjan Arenja, Dale MacDonald, Adéle Malo, Gary Oosterhof, Rhonda Barnet and Ysni Semsedini
Regulatory Affairs Committee
Regulatory Affairs Committee supports oversight responsibilities and risk management regarding public safety, and external relations. This committee ensures ESA is effectively meeting its regulatory obligations, responsibilities and public safety mandate. This includes ensuring alignment with ESA’s administration of designated legislation and associated regulations, harm reduction objectives, monitoring development and use of policies, procedures and guidance documents and external relations and stakeholder relationship management.
Chair: Adéle Malo
Members: Annette Bergeron, Christopher Hopper, Robert Mace, Dale MacDonald, Gary Oosterhof, Daniel Péloquin and Vivi White
FY2023 Committee Meetings
April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023 |
|
Audit & Investment Committee |
5 meetings |
Regulatory Affairs Committee |
4 meetings |
People and Culture & Governance Committee |
4 meetings |
ESA Executive Management Team

Josie Erzetic
President and Chief Executive Officer

Carol Calvert
Vice President, People and Culture

Kalyan Chakravarthy
Chief Information Officer
Eric Kingston
Vice-President, Operations

Emily Larose
Vice President, Regulatory and General Counsel

Sandra Montague
Chief Financial Officer

Karen Ras
Vice President, Communications, Strategy and Innovation