Energy Storage Alberta Summit & CanREA Connects(Networking Reception)

Scott Alanen is the Senior Vice President, Investments for the Alberta Indigenous Opportunities Corporation (AIOC).

Scott brings experience, expertise and leadership capabilities around structuring, financing, and negotiating Indigenous partnerships in Alberta, including several deals directly involving AIOC.

Scott has directly supported a large number of Indigenous Communities across Western Canada in the equity ownership of major assets including renewable and non-renewable power generation, energy storage, hydrogen and critical minerals, oil and gas infrastructure, carbon capture utilization and storage and agriculture, in addition to key land acquisitions directly for Alberta Indigenous Communities. Scott’s previous experience spans Alberta economic sectors including energy, oilfield services, real estate, manufacturing, and international trade.

Scott holds a CPA (CA) designation and is accredited as a Chartered Business Valuator and Chartered Financial Modeller. He is a graduate of the Institute of Corporate Directors education program.

Wish Bakshi is an AI systems engineer who has spent his career building analytics and AI systems at the intersection of energy operations and commodity markets in North America. He founded AQ Energy, where he designs AI systems for power and natural gas traders, load profiles for AI Data Centers and generation facilities across North America. He teaches A.I. at the University of Calgary. His work has taken him deep into the mechanics of how ERCOT and PJM each handle reliability differently, and why market design choices ripple through everything from thermal fleet optimization, storage dispatch in energy only markets to capacity procurement for AI Data Centers. He has built trading and operations systems that live inside these market structures daily, giving him a practitioner's read on what actually works versus what looks good in policy documents. With Alberta now facing its own reliability pressures amid rising load growth and generation transition, Wish brings a cross-jurisdictional lens shaped by field knowledge. He publishes a widely-read weekly journal on LinkedIn covering power markets, grid reliability and AI in energy.

As the President and CEO of CanREA, Vittoria Bellissimo leads a member association focused on ensuring that wind energy, solar energy and energy storage play a central role in transforming Canada’s energy mix.

Vittoria was previously the Executive Director of the Industrial Power Consumers Association of Alberta and worked in renewable energy procurement at both the Ontario Ministry of Energy and the Ontario Power Authority (now the IESO). Vittoria served on the Board of Emissions Reduction Alberta, as Vice Chair of Energy Efficiency Alberta, and was a founding Board member of Women+Power. She holds a M.Sc. in Environmental Sustainability from the University of Edinburgh and is a licensed professional engineer (B.Sc. Queen’s University). Vittoria is based in Calgary.

Victor Chung is a Director of London Economics International, a financial and economic consultancy specialized in electricity markets. Victor has advised governments, regulators, utilities and investors in North America and Asia on how to design electricity markets through the energy transition, with a focus on market designs, revenue models, renewable and storage integration, and decarbonization policy. In recently years, Victor assisted multiple clients in evaluating battery storage projects in markets including Alberta, Texas, and New England.

Rob Davidson is the Vice President, Grid Reliability at the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO). With more than 30 years in the power industry, he leads the AESO’s engineering and operations teams responsible for transmission planning, real time system operations, system modeling, and overall grid reliability performance. Since joining the AESO in 2004, Rob has held senior roles across operations and planning, including Director of Customer Grid Access, where he oversaw technical assessments and the integration of new generation and load into the Alberta Interconnected Electric System.

Rob also worked for Enmax Power and spent several years working in the United States, where his work spanned transmission & distribution planning, system operations engineering, and interconnection processes. He holds a B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering, a B.A. in Mathematics, and is a Professional Engineer in Alberta.

Gitane is a respected public policy leader with executive experience at the provincial, national and international levels. She previously served as the CEO of the Canada Energy Regulator and as Alberta’s Deputy Minister for International and Intergovernmental Relations. Gitane is also a seasoned diplomat and a specialist in Canada-U.S. relations, having represented Canada in the U.S. three times, including as Alberta’s Senior Representative in Washington, DC during the first Trump Administration, and as Canada’s Consul General in Chicago. She was involved in the negotiation of several trade and environmental agreements, including the Canada U.S. Mexico Agreement and the Canada Free Trade Agreement. Gitane is now the Founder & President of the consulting firm, GDStrategic Inc., where she shares her expertise as a sought after speaker and strategist who is known for her ability to explain complex issues in an accessible way.


Jackie actively monitors emerging strategic trends related to energy. She is an author and sought-after public speaker with over 25 years of experience in the energy industry. She is the co-host of the ARC Energy Ideas podcast, a weekly show that explains the latest trends and news in Canadian energy and beyond.

As a Managing Director of ARC Financial Corp., Jackie is a member of the Board of Directors, Investment Committee, and Executive Committee. She is a member of the Board of Directors for the Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA) and on the Board of Directors for STEP Energy Services, a leading North American energy services company. She is a former board member of Longshore Resources Ltd. and the Explorers and Producers Association of Canada (EPAC).

Prior to joining ARC, she was the leader of North American crude oil research for IHS CERA (now S&P Global). Jackie has published 20 public papers on energy issues. She has co-hosted over 250 podcasts and written numerous columns in national publications, spanning all energy systems from oil and gas to clean energy, including electric vehicles, renewable power, and biofuels.

Jackie was the recipient of the 2022 Schulich School of Engineering Canadian Engineering Leadership Award. The award recognizes pioneers of progress in engineering for their achievements, leadership, generosity in sharing their experiences & role model qualities. She is currently a member of the Schulich Industry Advisory Council (SIAC), the group provides input to the engineering school to help to ensure that programs and initiatives align with industry needs. She is also a Special Advisor to the Business Council of Alberta.

Jackie attended the University of Calgary where she received an undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering. She is a Professional Engineer, and also has an MBA from Queen’s University.

Brady Gordon is a Partner in Blakes' disputes and international trade group. His focus is on cross-border disputes, cross-border regulatory controversy, trade remedies, contractual disputes, public and administrative law, and complex international trade and sanctions issues. Brady has represented clients at the Canadian International Trade Tribunal, the Federal Court of Canada, the ICC International Court of Arbitration and other arbitral tribunals, and all levels of court in British Columbia.

Brady has a PhD in law (European economic integration) and is a former adjunct professor at the University of British Columbia. He currently sits on the Executive of the Canadian Bar Association International Law Section, and the Export Committee of the Canadian Association of Importers and Exporters.

Emma Graney has covered energy from The Globe and Mail’s Calgary Bureau since 2019, including oil and gas, alternate fuels, renewables, liabilities, nuclear and green technology. She keeps her eye on the energy sector across the country, from the oil sands in Alberta to geothermal potential in Saskatchewan, the explosive liabilities of old gas wells in Ontario, renewable hydrogen in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Emma was one of The Globe's team of correspondents deployed to Europe in the days following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. In 2023, she was part of the Oxford Climate Journalism Network cohort in 2023 and, in 2020, was a Columbia University Energy Journalism fellow.

She has reported in Saskatchewan, Newfoundland and Labrador, the U.K., Indonesia and her native Australia, and has investigated artificial intelligence in China as an Asia Pacific Foundation media fellow. She holds a Bachelor of Journalism and a Bachelor of Business from the Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane.

Firman is an Indigenous project developer who is a proud First Nations’ member from Serpent River First Nation. He has devoted his professional career to supporting First Nation community’s economic and business development. In his senior management and executive roles, he has built and managed governance structures that grew to overseeing 100-plus employees in a variety of business operations generating combined free cash flows exceeding $40 million annually.

He has experience in business start-ups, First Nation-led industry negotiations, strategic business planning, business venture structuring, and project management, and has been actively involved in successfully raising capital for several renewable energy projects. Firman holds a Master of Business Administration from the Ivey School of Business and a Bachelor of Commerce from Toronto Metropolitan University.

Mike has spent over 25 years in the electricity industry. He holds a Masters of Mechanical Engineering and an MBA in Finance, both from the University of British Columbia. Prior to his current advisory work, where he advises clients in the electricity and financial industries, he had a 16 year career at the AESO in progressively more senior executive roles, serving as President and CEO for the last 5 1/2 years. Mike has worked broadly across the electricity industry with roles in the commercial trading, structuring, retail portfolio management, grid operations, market design and policy development.

Nicole LeBlanc is Vice President, Markets for the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO), where she oversees market and tariff design, forecasting and market analytics, and commercial procurements. With 20 years of experience in the energy sector, she has led work in market evaluation and design, transmission planning, policy development, strategic planning and numerous regulatory proceedings. Most recently, she led the AESO team responsible for developing the Restructured Energy Market. She holds a Master of Arts in Economics and a Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics from the University of Calgary.

Kevin McGeough is the CEO of Graph Energy Inc., a Calgary-based energy storage company commercializing supercapacitor energy storage systems for grid, industrial, and remote power applications. Graph Energy's technology delivers millisecond-level power response, 100,000+ cycle life, and zero thermal-runaway risk — operating across a -40°C to +65°C range without active thermal management, and purpose-built for Canada's climate and industrial conditions.

Graph Energy is in the last stages of completing its CSA certification and offers a next-generation alternative to lithium-ion BESS for primary frequency response, voltage stabilization, and power generation optimization. The company is advancing both 48V and high-voltage configurations to address a broad commercial roadmap spanning grid support, renewable integration, and power generation optimization across the evolving energy storage market.

Kevin brings over 30 years of experience in business development, strategic planning, and project management across energy and industrial sectors. He holds an MBA from the University of Guelph and is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP).

Dustin leads communications, external relations, and government policy for BHE Transmission, with businesses and customers in Canada and the United States. Prior to joining BHE Transmission, Dustin worked for Heartland Generation, an independent power producer operating in Alberta and B.C. Earlier in his career he held various policy roles at Alberta Energy, including Director of Markets. He has been a long-time director on the board of the Independent Power Producers Society of Alberta (IPPSA), serving as chair from 2022-2024.

Camilo Serna serves as senior vice president of Strategy and External Engagement. In this role, he leads and manages NERC’s external engagement activities, including outreach to and engagement with federal and provincial agencies and associations (United States and Canada), industry stakeholders, NERC’s Member Representatives Committee, and the broader stakeholder community. He also leads the development and implementation of NERC’s strategic engagement and outreach plan. Mr. Serna also leads the development of multi-year strategies—working with the NERC Board of Trustees, chief executive officer, and the Executive team—to ensure NERC meets its reliability and security vision and mission.

Prior to joining NERC in 2024, Mr. Serna served as vice president of Rates and Regulatory Affairs for FirstEnergy, leading the development and implementation of federal and state regulatory strategies across the company’s five-state footprint. Prior to that, Mr. Serna worked for DTE Energy, first as vice president of Corporate Strategy and then as vice president of Regulatory Affairs. Before DTE, he also worked at Eversource Energy as vice president of Strategy and Policy. In his prior roles, he led the development and implementation of strategic, corporate development, and energy policy initiatives.

Mr. Serna began his career in management consulting firms—primarily with Oliver Wyman—where he helped utilities and energy companies in Europe, Latin America, and North America with the development of strategic and operational initiatives. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from Los Andes University (Bogotá, Colombia) and a master’s degree in Business Administration from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

Blake Shaffer is an associate professor of economics at the University of Calgary and co-director of Canada’s Energy Modelling Hub. Prior to academia, Shaffer had a 15-year career in energy trading, specializing in electricity, natural gas and emissions markets. He holds a PhD in economics from the University of Calgary, Masters in economics from the University of Cambridge and a bachelor’s degree in environmental sciences from Queen’s University.

With more than 10 years of experience in the Alberta electricity market, Elias specializes in electricity policy analysis, power market fundamentals, and asset level financial modelling. His current focus includes Alberta Power Market forecasting and asset level revenue modelling.

Heather Stephens, Chief Operating Officer of ERA and the Fuel Innovation Fund, has played a pivotal role in the organization since its inception in 2009. Currently, Heather oversees strategic areas including marketing and communications, investment impact, partnerships, government and industry engagement, and finance. She continues to provide leadership across ERA’s operations, drawing on her deep expertise in governance, contract management, IT, and human resources.

A Chartered Professional Accountant, Heather brings over two decades of experience from PricewaterhouseCoopers, where she worked in both Edmonton and London, UK, and was instrumental in helping establish ERA (formerly Climate Change and Emissions Management Corporation). In recognition of her leadership and contributions, Heather was awarded a Fellowship with CPA Alberta in 2025 and was recognized by the Women in Energy Transformation Series—a collaboration between the Pembina Institute and Globe Series—for her role in advancing Canada’s clean energy transition. Heather holds Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Commerce degrees from the University of Alberta.

Nirushan Thambirajah is a Managing Director in CIBC’s Project Finance, Infrastructure, Power & Utilities team. Niru leads Corporate Banking industry coverage for CIBC’s Independent Power Producers and Regulated Utilities with a focus on executing Project and Corporate Finance transactions across power markets in Canada.

Prior to joining CIBC, Niru spent time at both RBC Capital Markets and MUFG where he focused on industry coverage across Power, Regulated Utilities and infrastructure sponsors across Canada. Over the past 15 years, Niru has originated and executed numerous financings across senior debt and holdco debt financings for greenfield, brownfield, and operational power, infrastructure and renewable assets in North America.

Niru received his Masters of Business Administration from the DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University and holds a Bachelors of Economics & Finance from Wilfrid Laurier University.

Kim Welby is the Director of Economic Development with the SouthGrow Regional Initiative (SGRI), a municipally led economic development organization serving Southern Alberta. SGRI works across communities to advance regional collaboration, investment readiness, and long-term economic resilience, with a focus on sectors such as energy, agri-food, and trade.

Kim has extensive experience supporting municipalities, Indigenous communities, and industry partners to navigate complex regulatory environments, build local capacity, and advancing projects aligned with regional priorities. Her work is grounded in an understanding of how place, people, and institutions shape project outcomes—particularly in rural and small-urban contexts where relationships, trust, and clarity are foundational to success.

In addition to her role with SGRI, Kim is a Fellow with the Energy Futures Lab, where she collaborates with leaders from across Alberta’s energy system to address structural barriers to the energy transition. Through this work, she brings a systems-level perspective to siting and permitting challenges, emphasizing collaboration, trust, and early engagement as critical success factors for energy storage and renewable energy development.

Over the past decade, Ann has focused on assisting the development of renewable energy and energy storage projects throughout North America. At CES, she leads an international team of consultants and analysts, spearheading the development of consulting services in emerging technologies. During her tenure, she performed power system, economic and financial analyses for developers of energy storage and renewable projects. She is a Subject Matter Expert on the economics of grid-scale energy storage projects in multiple wholesale markets across the US as well as Distributed Energy Resources deployed in deregulated markets and regulated utility territories. She specializes in market and project economic analyses as well as translating the policy implications. Prior to joining CES, Ann helped build use cases and market-entry strategies for fast-responding, short-duration flywheel technologies. She holds an M.S from Carnegie Mellon University and B.S. in physics from National Taiwan University.

Austin Zacharko is a Sr. Key Account Manager at Sungrow Power Supply, responsible for utility-scale battery energy storage projects across Western Canada. He works closely with utilities, IPPs, and EPCs on large-scale BESS deployments that support grid reliability and renewable integration. Austin is a member of the Métis Nation of Alberta and a Governor in Council appointee to the Sustainable Jobs Partnership Council with Natural Resources Canada.