Patrick is the Founder, President and CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors of GFL Environmental Inc, a Canadian multi‐sector environmental services company headquartered in Vaughan, Ontario.
In 2007, Patrick had a vision to create a company that is a “one-stop shop” provider of environmental solutions. Since then, drawing on the discipline he learned in his earlier hockey career, Patrick has driven GFL to become the fourth largest environmental services company in North America. Patrick has instilled an entrepreneurial culture in GFL’s leadership team with a focus on operational excellence, sustainability and safety as core values.
In 2017, Patrick was recognized by Waste360 with a Top 40 Under 40 Award, and in the EY Entrepreneur of the Year TM Ontario Awards, as Entrepreneur of the Year in the Power & Utilities Sector.
Patrick is also driven by a passion to give back to charities in our host communities. In addition to being a regular supporter of charities supporting local family and health initiatives, in 2019 he contributed $5 million to help create the Dovigi Family Sports Medicine Clinic, a first of its kind sports medicine research and care facility providing support to individuals with sports-related injuries.
Patrick is a devoted father of 5 children and currently serves on the board of directors of the Toronto General & Western Hospital Foundation.

Jonathan Ménard has been a leading figure in the waste and recycling management industry since 2008. With extensive expertise in optimizing MRF design and a deep understanding of cutting-edge technologies, he is a recognized authority both in North America and internationally. Jonathan is also a respected public speaker, having presented across various industries on market trends and innovations.

Jonathan joined Machinex in 2008 as Project Director in the Sales Department, where he designed advanced technical solutions using Machinex’s state-of-the-art separation technologies. His work primarily focused on the European and international markets, with particular expertise in residential, commercial MRFs, waste-to-energy, and mixed waste treatment.

In 2016, Jonathan was appointed Executive Vice-President of Sales and Strategic Positioning. In this role, he has driven Machinex’s expansion across international markets and led strategic diversification efforts in emerging sectors such as e-commerce warehouses and deposit return schemes. He also supports the Sales Engineering Team with his deep expertise when needed, continuing to ensure Machinex delivers turnkey solutions to its clients.

Joe is a Partner with Deloitte based in Toronto and is the National Consumer Leader for Sustainability and Climate. He has over 28 years of related experience and has served several consumer sub-sectors such as: automotive manufacturing and dealerships, retail, consumer and industrial products, transportation, tourism and hospitality. Joe has also held sustainability leadership roles within industries such as retail and automotive.

Joe specializes in the climate and sustainability areas of purpose and brand, strategy, supply chain, sustainable products, management systems design and implementation, assurance, risk management, governance and corporate reporting and disclosure. Joe has dedicated his professional career in sustainability and is also part of the global Consumer team at Deloitte where he works across the Americas, Europe and the Middle East helping our largest clients create value from their sustainability and climate investments.

In her current role as a Sr Director Leigh is responsible for Sustainability, Facilities/Engineering, Sourcing and Procurement for Supply Chain, Retail and Corporate locations across Canada. Leigh is responsible for setting the sustainability agenda and identifying key focus areas for the company inclusive of numerous customer facing recycling programs, internal waste diversion, community-based recycling initiatives and energy management inclusive of Staples commitment to renewables and staples decarbonization plan

For her efforts, Leigh was named to Canada’s 2014 and 2016 Clean50, which offers recognition to Canada’s leaders in sustainability for their contributions over the prior two years. The only retailer to have received two clean 50 awards. Leigh has also been honored by Retail Council of Canada twice in the area of Sustainability.

Leigh has fiscal responsibility for the capital and expense budgets for all Facility related initiatives for all Staples locations inclusive of Supply Chain, Retail and Corporate in Canada and oversees procurement inclusive of non-trade supplies and Corporate Travel.

Leigh started with Staples in 1997 as a Management Trainee and has held several store management roles.  In 2002 Leigh assumed responsibility for centralizing facility management for the retail locations. A team of one that over 22 years as grown is size, scope and sophistication of process.    .

Leigh was elected to the Connex (formerly Professional Retail Store Maintenance Association) Board of directors in 2014 and was elected as the 2016-17 Chair of Board.  The second female in 25 years to hold the role and the first Canadian in the position. 

Leigh currently sits on the board of Directors for the Ontario Volleyball Association and Lighthouse Learning and Development centre a non-profit educational facility for those K-12 with autism, neurodivergent and intellectual disabilities in Aurora Ontario.

Daniel Reshef is a dedicated sustainability professional with a proven track record in developing and implementing sustainability strategies. With experience in various industries, including waste management, recycling, transportation, and retail, Daniel has a comprehensive understanding of environmental challenges and solutions. He is passionate about driving positive change and advocating for sustainable practices.

As the Director of Sustainability at Nestlé Canada, Daniel is responsible for developing and executing the company’s sustainability strategy, coordinating efforts across the Canadian market, and leading initiatives that contribute to Nestlé’s environmental commitments. With his expertise in sustainability, project management, and stakeholder engagement, Daniel is committed to making a meaningful impact on Nestlé’s Net Zero journey.

Stuart has managed the successful investment and delivery of over $15 billion of infrastructure assets delivered through alternative project finance structures. Grown three national advisory practices in Canada, all within the infrastructure and energy sector, including offerings around energy sustainability and carbon reduction. He has developed and implemented new and innovative financing structures across Canada, to develop new infrastructure delivery models. Through effective decision making with execution abilities, he consistently produces exceptional positive results for businesses.

July 2022, Stuart transitioned from his role as the CEO for Energy Services Association of Canada to Executive Vice President of SOFIAC, prior to that he was the National lead for a Big 4 Capital and Infrastructure Project Solutions practice providing expertise for strategic capital planning, deal structuring and procurement advice derived from over 25 years in infrastructure and project finance. Stuart’s advisory roles include expertise of the UK, European and Canadian infrastructure markets, across both the public and private sectors.

Stuart is the Treasurer and Board member for the Clean Air Partnership and the Chair of the Audit Committee and Board Member for the Toronto Atmospheric Fund. Stuart has developed a number of white papers and presented at many conferences on subjects such as alternative financing, infrastructure investment and energy efficiency. He’s led annual strategic planning and budgeting exercises, including ongoing mentoring to business leaders across various business enterprises/

As the President and CEO of Burnbrae Farms, Margaret is a 4^th generation member of the Hudson family working in the business, which has been in the family since it was founded in 1891.  Burnbrae Farms is recognized as a food industry leader with egg grading, processing, and farming operations in five provinces across Canada.  In her role Margaret is responsible for leading strategy development and implementation, operations, innovation and brand portfolio growth and succession for the business and family ownership. 

Margaret has overseen a number of initiatives contributing to environmental and community stewardship including diverting more than 90% of their waste from landfill in their grading and processing operations, the commissioning of both a solar powered layer hen farm and solar field on two of their layer hen farms,   as well as supporting a wide array of charitable initiatives including breakfast programs, food banks, disaster relief charities, environmental causes, and student education around agriculture.

One of Margaret’s passions has been to educate non-farming Canadians about farming.  She served on the Royal Winter Fair Board for 6 years and has been a leader in promoting transparency as a means of building trust.  Margaret represents Burnbrae Farms on the GS1, FHCP and Grocery Foundation boards and has been honoured with a number of industry awards and recognition including the Golden Pencil (2020), Grocery Business Hall of Fame inductee (2021) and Canadian Grand Prix Lifetime Achievement (2022). Margaret holds a B.Sc. and an MBA from the University of Toronto and lives in Toronto with her two children, Evelyn and James Rogan, and enjoys travelling, her farm and cottage, and spending time with her family. 

Olivier Lemire is President of Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP) Canada, overseeing the Company’s strategic initiatives, brand portfolio growth, and operational excellence within the Canadian market. With a tenure that spans back to 2011, Olivier has held various leadership roles within KDP, including Vice President of Commercial Strategy and Vice President of Human Resources, in addition to leading teams across sales, supply chain, and partner brands.

With over two decades of experience in global sales, strategy, and operations within the retail industry, Olivier is renowned for his transformative leadership and collaborative approach to fostering corporate culture. Prior to joining KDP, Olivier held pivotal roles in business operations and sales management with industry titans like Procter & Gamble and Nike, where he significantly contributed to their market dominance.

During his tenure at KDP, Olivier played a critical role in shaping the Company’s trajectory. Most notably by spearheading the strategic merger of Keurig Canada Inc. and Canada Dry Mott’s Inc., which resulted in a seamless transition and strengthened the Company’s market position.

Olivier holds an MBA from Laval University and the Grenoble School of Management. Before transitioning to sales and management, he pursued his passion for professional sports and studied kinesiology.

Mylène Champagne is the Director of Environment and Risks at METRO Inc. since March 2022. In her current role, she concentrates on reducing carbon emissions, addressing food waste, and enhancing material diversion rates. With 13 years of experience in sustainability and dual master’s degrees in sustainable development and management, coupled with a law certificate, she has a broad background in environmental management across consulting, education, telecommunications, and retail sectors.

Katie Decker is the Managing Director for Kenvue Canada Inc., where she drives market best practices to unlock value and deliver strategic growth, while advancing Kenvue’s mission through innovative leadership and a commitment to employee engagement. 

Previously, she served as Kenvue’s Global Head of Essential Health, transforming the business model and fostering a culture of innovation and entrepreneurial leadership for global brands in Baby Care, Oral Care, Feminine Care, and Wound Care. Katie also served as Executive Sponsor for the company’s Healthy Lives Mission sustainability framework, leading this work with a core team responsible for the design and implementation of a portfolio-wide strategy to advance human and planetary health.  Kenvue’s sustainability framework focuses on advancing both human and planetary health through addressing preventable diseases and reducing the negative impact on the environment. 

Throughout her 20+ year career, Katie has worked to scale innovation and drive transformational change to enable future forward growth for the organization, position Kenvue as a partner of choice with global retailers, while facilitating a delightful and consistent consumer experience.  

Katie began her career in sales with IBM as a client representative.  She received her BBA in marketing from University of Georgia and obtained an MBA from NYU Stern School of Business.  

As Vice-President, Recycling – North America, Stephen’s leadership guides the success of GFL in advancing resource recovery across North America. He plays a leading role in developing strategic partnerships and driving key initiatives across the business. His expertise in these areas combines an understanding of operating successful facilities under different regulatory frameworks and creating solutions that address the needs of GFL’s customers.

Leveraging his decades of experience, Stephen is part of a leadership team that successfully navigated the implementation of EPR programs across Canada. He uses his in-depth knowledge of market dynamics, commodity sales, contract strategy and innovative MRF design and operations to drive performance in the recovery and recycling industry. Under his direction and oversight, the company was awarded new contracts, expanded recyclables processing and sales operations to new territories, designed and built award-winning MRFs that embraced the increased demands of end markets, and advanced recovery rates through cutting-edge technology and training.

As Senior Manager of Schneider Electric’s Sustainability Business, Jackie serves as a consultant to organizations looking to decarbonize & reduce costs by using less of Earth’s natural resources. Through her 15 years with the business, she’s developed an expertise in designing sustainability and utilities management programs for companies across the retail, hospitality, and food & beverage sectors.

Jackie excels at putting herself in a client’s position and working alongside them to build custom solutions related to decarbonization, data management, emissions reduction strategies, and cost reduction opportunities. As a senior and tenured member of the Schneider Electric team, clients value and trust her expertise, while her colleagues appreciate her role as a coach and mentor.

Jackie has amassed significant expertise in the sustainability industry during her 15 years of experience at Schneider Electric. She is an active member of her community in Louisville, KY, serving on the board of several non-profits in the environmental sustainability space. She graduated as the top student in her class from The University of Louisville with a BA in International Business and a BA in Spanish.

Anthony is currently the VP- Product Development & Innovation in the Consumer Brands Division.  There he fuses his engineering background with the worlds of consumer research, strategic marketing and product/service design. 

After receiving his B.A.Sc. from the University of Toronto in Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Anthony continued his studies completing a Masters in Engineering Design.   Anthony then spent almost a decade in the automotive industry at Ford, Magna, and Martinrea in various positions involving project management, product design and testing, R&D and engineering management.  In 2007 he joined Canadian Tire’s Innovation Management Group building new competency in the organization around product development and innovation for Canadian Tire’s Private Label Brand portfolio.  Anthony has spent the last few years building out the Owned Brands strategy and org structure to support Canadian Tire’s purpose of Making life in Canada better. Anthony is strong supporter of academic/industry collaboration and has run initiatives with UofT engineering, Schulich School of Business, and the Rotman School of Business – Design Works Studio.   

Anthony has a passion for user-centered design and is an advocate of both design thinking and doing.  He has built Canada’s largest consumer product design and development team; focused on the innovation that results when business strategy, user-understanding, and design methods merge. 

Tim Faveri is Vice President, Sustainability & Stakeholder Relations at Nutrien Inc. In this capacity, Tim provides strategic leadership and oversight for Nutrien’s global sustainability strategy and governance, sustainability disclosure and performance, stakeholder engagement, community relations and investment, and Indigenous relations.

Tim joined Nutrien from Maple Leaf Foods Inc., where he was VP Sustainability & Shared Value, leading the organization to become the first major food company in the world to become carbon neutral, and the first food company in Canada to set science-based targets. Prior to Maple Leaf Foods, Tim led Sustainability & Responsibility at Tim Hortons Inc., one of North America’s largest publicly-traded restaurant chains and iconic Canadian companies.

Tim currently represents Nutrien on the Board of Directors of US Farmers & Ranchers in Action. He holds a Bachelor’s degree (Biology) from Queen’s University and a Master’s of Health Science from University of Toronto.

Nutrien is a leading provider of crop inputs and services, helping to safely and sustainably feed a growing world. We operate a world-class network of production, distribution and agriculture retail facilities that positions us to efficiently serve the needs of growers. We focus on creating long-term value by prioritizing investments that strengthen the advantages of our integrated business and by maintaining access to the resources and the relationships with stakeholders needed to achieve our goals.

Cedric Dever is the director of the Consumer Goods Forum plastic waste coalition. This coalition is composed of 43 industry leaders from the consumer goods sector, including retailers, manufacturers, and packaging producers, united in their commitment to make circularity the new standard for plastic packaging.

Cedric is a strategic leader in sustainability, specializing in circular economy initiatives and innovative sustainable plastic solutions. He has 20 years of experience in circular & sustainable plastic packaging through various roles of Global Packaging expert at Consumer Goods companies such as L’Oréal, Ikea and Danone and lastly at the Boston Consulting Group. Cedric’s extensive academic background, including a PhD in Polymer Chemistry, coupled with 18 patented technologies and 4 startups issued from his work, underscores his commitment to innovation and sustainability. Cedric is living in France.

Brookes Shean is FLO’s Director of Site Acquisition across Canada and the United States, leading a team to secure site host partners for FLO’s owned DC Fast Charging network. He has more than 20 years of experience in sales and product management in the fields of new technologies and digital environments for startup organizations. Brookes has always been on the lookout for cutting-edge innovation, having worked with cloud-based products and services as well as fibre optics and now all things EV Charging. As an avid driver, Brookes converted to electric mobility 6 years ago and has contributed to support the deployments of the over 90,000 FLO EV charging stations deployed throughout Canada and the United States for FLO.

Jeff Bezzo was appointed Executive Director – Plastics Sustainability Project Management Office in September 2023, reporting to Fisk.

In this role, Jeff helps build SCJ’s Strategy 2030 plastic goals and objectives that will drive strategic focus across activities including new product development to encourage refilling and reuse, packaging design to increase recyclability and recycled content, legislative advocacy, and building consumer awareness and behavior change through communications and partnerships. He works across the BUs and numerous functions including RD&E, Procurement, Global Marketing, regional Marketing Commercialization, Government Relations, and Global Corporate Affairs, Communications and Sustainability.

Jeff is a strategic leader with 25 years of SCJ finance experience and a track record of building teams and working cross-functionally to deliver strong results. He has served as Executive Director – SC Johnson and CFO – Lifestyle Brands since October 2020. He also represents SCJ as a Board Member of the Circular Action Alliance, a U.S.-based non-profit Producer Responsibility Organization established to support the successful implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility laws for paper and packaging.

Educated at McMaster University in Canada with a Bachelor of Commerce degree, Jeff subsequently earned a CPA, CMA also in Canada. He is a daily runner, has completed three ultra-distance races to date, and is an avid lover of the outdoors. Jeff spends his free time outside his home adjacent to the Kettle Moraine State Forest and Ice Age National Scenic Trail in Wisconsin. He holds dual citizenship in the United States and Canada.

In his current role, Sam is responsible for driving Walmart Canada’s food, general merchandise, health and wellness and apparel businesses, helping customers meet their everyday needs at everyday low prices. 

Prior to his current role, Sam served as Chief Operations Officer responsible for the performance of more than 400 stores from coast-to-coast serving more than 1.5 million customers daily. 

Sam has been with Walmart for more than 20 years and started his career through the Asda Graduate Program in the UK. He joined the Canadian business in 2008 and then took on an expatriate assignment with Walmart International in 2011 where he led Strategy for the EMEA region. Upon his return to Walmart Canada, Sam assumed leadership of the General Merchandise team before moving into Operations in 2016 to lead the Western division. In 2019, Sam assumed the role of Senior Vice President of Central Operations. 

He currently sits on the board of advisors to LIMA Canada, an organization focused on growing the licensing industry in Canada. 

Sam holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business and Quality Management from the Nottingham Business School. 

Wes Johnsen is the Director, Net Zero at Bruce Power, a role primarily focused on exploring commercial business opportunities that leverage the carbon free advantages of nuclear to enable complementary technologies to help Ontario transition to decarbonized energy systems across all sectors of the economy. Key areas of interest include Bruce Power’s own Clean Energy Credits, energy storage, low-carbon hydrogen, and clean synthetic fuels. Previous to this, he led Bruce Power’s Power Trading organization, which included all commodity trading activities and the dispatch of the nuclear fleet to the grid. He has proudly worked in the nuclear industry for over a decade and is extremely passionate about the environment. He recognizes the importance of successfully navigating the Energy Transition to decarbonize the world, while maintaining an affordable, reliable and secure energy system.

Wes has been active and participated in the majority of the North American deregulated power markets across the course of his 20-year career, bringing a unique skillset specializing in commercial roles guiding companies through complex commodity markets. Along with Bruce Power, he has worked across the sector, gaining diverse experiences with Capital Power, TransAlta, Suncor and Tidal Energy Marketing (Enbridge).

Wes holds a Master of Business Administration from Queen’s University, a Bachelor of Commerce Degree in Finance from the University of Calgary and is also a CFA charterholder.

Michael Graydon is Chief Executive Officer of Food, Health & Consumer Products of Canada (FHCP) the national association voice of Canada’s food, health and consumer products sector. A seasoned business executive, Michael has more than 20 years of visionary CEO leadership across multiple industries, driving proactive and collaborative stakeholder engagement and consistent corporate results. Since joining FCPC in 2016, his leadership has dramatically repositioned the organization into a driving force on industry issues as diverse as Canada’s Healthy Eating Strategy, free trade and tariff issues, environmental sustainability, product labelling and the changing dynamics of the supplier/retailer relationship. Michael’s unique perspectives on the economic and political factors influencing the sector are regularly featured in media throughout North America. He is a strong supporter of industry/government partnership advocating industry voice and inclusion in consultations at all levels and he is a sought-after speaker at high level industry events and roundtables.

Before joining FHCP, Michael was the President of Parq Holdings (PHLP). He joined PHLP in 2014 after six years at the British Columbia Lottery Corporation where he led the company to become a recognized leader in the worldwide gambling and entertainment industry. Previously, Michael held several senior roles in large corporations including CEO of Mega Group, Canada’s largest retail buying company, food manufacturer J.D. Sweid, food retailer Sobeys, The Keg Restaurants and Carling O’Keefe Breweries.

Michael is currently a member of the Board of Directors for the Global Self Care Federation and the Canadian Center for Food Integrity as well as a member of the Ontario Food Panel Advisory Committee.

Krista is a senior communications and public affairs executive with extensive expertise in pharmaceuticals, consumer packaged goods and financial services with more than 12 years of operating committee experience in progressively senior roles at leading Fortune 500 companies. With over 8 years with government and not-for-profit organizations and international experience in leadership roles in Canada, USA and Latin America, Krista’s industry expertise upholds CBA’s mission and vision.
In 2020 Krista was named one of Canada’s Top 100 Women of Influence by the Women’s Executive Network. She is also on the board of the Markham Stouffville Hospital Foundation and Trent University.

Alain is a corporate affairs professional currently serving as Vice President – Sustainability, Social Impact and Government Relations for Loblaw Companies Limited.
In his role Alain oversees the sustainability and community investment efforts for Loblaw and the communities it serves from coast to coast,
Prior to joining Loblaw, Alain held senior political roles at the provincial and federal levels in both government and opposition.
Alain is currently the Vice Chair of Circular Materials and has served on many boards and councils including Multi-Material B.C. (Recycle BC), National Farmed Animal Health and Wellness Council, and the Loblaw Scholarship Fund.
Alain is a Western University alum where he studied Political Science and History. He is a proud native of North Bay, ON. He and his wife live in Toronto with their three children.

Diane J. Brisebois, CAE, is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Retail Council of Canada (RCC). She oversees the largest retail association in Canada serving over 45,000 retail establishments including independent merchants, chain stores, mass merchants, big box and online retailers. RCC’s membership covers all segments of the retail market including general merchandise, grocery and pharmacy.

Diane joined RCC as its President and CEO in January 1995. Diane has held CEO positions in the not-for-profit sector representing various industries for the past 35 years.

Diane has and continues to serve on a variety of Boards across North America.

Ms. Brisebois is Immediate Past Chair of the Fair Factory Clearinghouse (FFC), an organization established to enable collaboration between vendors and retailers in assessing and improving workplace conditions globally.

Ms. Brisebois is also the Immediate Past Chair and a member of the Executive Committee of the Forum of International Retail Association Executives (FIRAE) which represents retail associations from more than 30 countries brought together to collaborate on issues affecting the retail sector globally.

Ms. Brisebois also served for many years on the Board of Covenant House Toronto, on the Board and as Chairman of the Traffic Injury Research Foundation and on the Board and as Chairman of the Canadian Society of Association Executives.

She currently serves on:

• The Ted Rogers School of Retail Management Advisory Council
• The Advisory Board of the University of Alberta’s School of Retailing
• The Board of the Toronto Region Board of Trade, and
• The Board of Stewardship Ontario (Ontario Blue Box Program)

Ms. Brisebois is a native of Montreal, Quebec and now resides in Toronto, Ontario.

Michael is a leading sustainable business expert, with over 20 years’ experience across North America, Europe and Asia. His work has most recently been focused on public and private sector ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance), climate action and circular economy projects, cross-sectoral initiatives and government relations advocacy as Vice President of Sustainability at Retail Council of Canada, Director of Sustainability at GFL, Director of Climate Change & Sustainability Services at Ernst & Young and as Vice President of Business Development & Strategy at Bee’ah, a leading UAE based integrated waste and recycling management company. 

In Michael’s current role at Retail Council of Canada, he leads the sustainability practice, supporting retailers and quick service restaurants nationally with government relations, the development of knowledge sharing platforms and pre-competitive initiatives on key issues such as ESG and climate action, extended producer responsibility (EPR) and plastic waste reduction.