About ESA

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
Fiscal Year Committee Meetings
ESA Executive Management Team

ESA Board of Directors

Arjan Arenja, P.Eng., MBA, ICD.D

Chair, Electrical Safety Authority

President, Spectrum Business Development Inc; Board Member at Engineers Canada; 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 Chair, Governance and Nomination Committee, Professional Engineers Ontario; Director and Co-Chair of the Board of Telecare Direct

Mary Anne Aldred

Strategic Advisor; Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP

Previously: Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel, Ontario Energy Board; Assistant General Counsel and Regulatory Affairs Advisor, Hydro One

Cara Clairman, ICD, LLB

President and CEO, Plug’n Drive

Previously: Vice President, Sustainable Development and Interim General Council, Ontario Power Generation

Frank D’Andrea, CPA, CA, AOP

Vice President and Executive Lead, Enterprise Strategy and Energy Transition at Hydro One; Member, Ontario Energy Association Regulatory Committee; Member, Ontario Energy Board’s Energy [X] Change Committee; Member, Energy Storage Canada’s Grid Modernization Working Group; Member, C.D. Howe Institute’s Energy Policy Council; Board member, Plug ‘N Drive.

Previously: Member, Canadian Electricity Association’s (CEA) National Emerging Issues Committee; Member, Electricity Distributors Association’s Regulatory Council, and Electrification Council; Board member, the Centre for Outsourcing Research and Education (CORE).

Christopher Fluit

Senior Vice President and General Manager for Eaton Canada; Campaign Cabinet Member for United Way Hamilton and Halton

Previously: Vice President of Engineering Services, Eaton Canada; Vice President of Sales, Eaton Canada

Audrey Kroon Lowther

Chief Executive Sales Officer BCES Global; Director, Ottawa Electrical Contractors Association; IAPA (Incident Accident Prevention Association) Certified

Previously: Owner and Vice President, KROON Electric Corp., RW Electric and La corporation d'électricité KROON inc.; Member of the Ottawa Construction Safety Group Committee

Dale MacDonald

Retired General Manager of Honey Electric Ltd. (2024); 309D Electrician (Red Seal); Master Electrician; Board Member and Past Chairman Ontario Electrical League; Board Member and Past President OEL Kent Chapter; Board Member Support Ontario Youth,

Previously: Board Member and Past President Chatham-Kent Canadian Mental Health Association; Board Member Ontario College of Trades

Ysni Semsedini, P.ENG., MBA , ICD.D

CEO London Hydro Inc; RFA Chair Ontario One Call; Director, Saturn Power

Previously: CEO, NT Power; CEO Festival Hydro Inc; President & CEO Rhyzome Networks

Jeanette M. Southwood, FCAE, FEC, LL.D. (honoris causa), P.Eng.

Executive Vice President, Corporate Affairs & Strategic Partnerships, Engineers Canada; Board Member, TD Insurance Advisory Board on Climate Change; Board of Advisors, Department of Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto; National Representative for Canada, Women in Engineering Committee, World Federation of Engineering Organizations (WFEO)

Previously: Global Sustainable Cities Leader, Canadian Urban Development & Infrastructure Sector Leader, and Principal, Golder Associates (now WSP); Official Canadian Delegation, United Nations Commission on the Status of Women 2023

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

David Rinaldo, BASc (Mech Eng), LLB

Assistant General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, Electrical Safety Authority

Mary Meffe

Chief Financial Officer

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: Ysni Semsedini

Members: Arjan Arenja, Frank D’Andrea, Christopher Fluit, Audrey Kroon Lowther, and Vivi White

Regulatory, Governance and People & Culture Committee

The Regulatory, Governance and People & Culture Committee provides oversight responsibilities and risk management regarding human resources, corporate governance, external relations, stakeholder relationships management, public safety and regulatory obligations. This committee oversees human resources strategy on behalf of ESA, and the Members review succession planning (corporate and Board), performance assessment, compensation philosophy & structure and pension strategy. The Committee also is responsible for monitoring and making recommendations regarding corporate governance, board practices, succession planning and board evaluations. This Committee ensures that ESA is effectively meeting regulatory obligations, responsibilities and its public safety mandate. Its role is to ensure the adequacy and effectiveness of systems implemented to ensure compliance with established corporate governance, and human resources legislation, and administration of designated legislation and associated regulations, harm reduction objectives and monitoring development and use of policies, procedures and guidance documents.

Chair: Mary Anne Aldred

Members: Arjan Arenja, Cara Clairman, Dale MacDonald, and Jeanette Southwood

FY2025 Committee Meetings

April 1, 2024 to March 31, 2025

Audit & Investment Committee — 5 meetings
Regulatory, Governance and People & Culture Committee (from Sep. 2024) — 2 meetings
Regulatory Affairs Committee (until Oct. 2024) — 2 meetings
People & Culture and Governance Committee (Until Oct. 2024) — 2 meetings
Board Meetings — 6 meetings