ONC’s Board of Directors comprises 15 national leaders drawn nationally from academia, government, and the private sector.
The major duties of the Board include determining policies, approving strategic and management plans, operations oversight, budget approval, and performance monitoring. The Board has three standing Committees responsible for Governance & Human Resources, Finance & Audit, and Strategy & Partnerships.
Jim Ghadbane is an accomplished executive with a career spanning over four decades in progressively senior roles that culminated in a ten-year tenure as President and CEO of CANARIE, operator of the federal backbone of Canada’s National Research and Education Network. He has also led product management, business strategy, and executive teams in Canada’s technology sector. Throughout his career, Jim has spearheaded transformative initiatives and steered organizations towards strategic growth. Most recently at CANARIE, Jim’s leadership, technical expertise, and focus on stakeholder needs increased the impact and relevance of CANARIE programs and services in Canada’s public and private sectors. With a profound commitment to corporate values, Jim was instrumental in fostering a culture of service, accountability, and kindness within the organization. Nationally, Jim worked to strengthen the governance, collaborative operation, and evolution of Canada’s National Research and Education Network, and contributed extensively to the ongoing evolution of the Global Research and Education Network. Prior to joining CANARIE, Jim held a variety of executive positions at leading Canadian technology companies, including Bridgewater Systems, Ceyba, Alcatel, and Newbridge Networks. Now retired, Jim continues to serve people and organizations that advance Canada’s well-being and prosperity, sharing his expertise and experience through advisory roles and mentorship, including serving as Chair of the Board of Directors of Ocean Networks Canada.
Visit WebsiteGeoff Munro, having worked for 40 years in the area of natural resources, in the private sector, two provinces and the federal government, retired as the Chief Scientist of NRCan and Assistant Deputy Minister of Innovation and Energy Technology. Mr. Munro’s responsibilities included positioning NRCan’s science and technology within the Canadian innovation eco-system and in broader international arenas. He led the development and implementation of the department’s science and technology strategy and working with the department’s S&T Board, keeping it current. Since retirement, he has continued to remain active running his own consulting company, Trestle Networks Inc. with a focus on building bridges in Canada’s Innovation Ecosystem. Two projects, by way of example, have included developing a reinvestment strategy for scientific infrastructure including real property, IM/IT, equipment and overcoming policy barriers to collaboration inside the public service. Similarly, developing a strategic plan for a not-for-profit research organization transitioning from the canceled Network Centers of Excellence program.
Visit WebsiteMark Abrahams received his Ph.D. at Simon Fraser University researching the ecology of fear and began his academic career at the University of Manitoba. While at the University of Manitoba, he assisted in the development of the Lake Winnipeg Research Consortium that converted a Coast Guard vessel to a research vessel dedicated to whole lake surveys of Lake Winnipeg. He also served as a scientific advisor to the Experimental Lakes Area. He was recruited to Memorial University as Dean of Science where he established the Department of Ocean Sciences as the newest academic unit in the Faculty of Science, worked to facilitate funding, construction and operation of the Cold Ocean Deep Sea Research Facility, was Memorial University’s lead in developing the Ocean Frontier Institute with Dalhousie University and the University of Prince Edward Island, and lead the development of the Core Science Facility, a new 500,000 ft2 building that is home to 5 academic departments, Core Research and Equipment Training Facilities, aquatic research laboratory, central Science Stores, and the Memorial University base for the Ocean Frontier Institute. During his time at Memorial University, he has served as Vice President Research and Vice President Academic and Provost. He was on the board of the Canadian Healthy Oceans Network, the Cold Ocean and Arctic Science, Technology and Society (COASTS) Advisory Committee, and the Center for Fisheries Ecology Research Advisory Board. He has also served on the Excellence, Impact and Engagement committee, and the Executive Council of the Ocean Frontier Institute. He currently serves on the boards of the Canadian Centre for Fisheries Innovation and the Canadian Scientific Submersible Facility.
Visit WebsiteRandy Bundus is the principal of R. J. Bundus Consulting, where he provides business advice primarily for those in the property and casualty insurance industry. For the 33 years prior to his retirement from Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC), he had been employed in IBC’s Legal Division, where he progressed to the position of Senior Vice President Legal and General Counsel, a position he held for 21 years. He also served for 6 years on the board of directors of the ADR Institute of Canada and was President of the board for 3 years. While he was with IBC, he served as Corporate Secretary for Facility Association and for the Property and Casualty Insurance Compensation Association and for 2 years headed IBC’s Information Services Division. Randy also served as IBC’s Acting President for 10 months. Randy’s expertise lies in insurance law and corporate governance. He is a retired member of the Law Society of Saskatchewan and has a Bachelor of Commerce degree (University of Saskatchewan 1979) and a Bachelor of Laws degree (University of Western Ontario 1982).
Visit WebsiteChristina Clarke is Executive Director of the Indigenous Prosperity Centre, a not-for-profit division of the South Island Prosperity Partnership, contributing to economic reconciliation and committed to the self-directed economic vision of First Nations and Indigenous Peoples throughout Southern Vancouver Island. Before joining the IPC, Christina spent 27 years with the Songhees Nation, serving as Senior Finance Manager, Director of Operations, Executive Director and finally as inaugural CEO of the Songhees Development Corporation, overseeing three companies and four limited partnerships and joint ventures in Tourism & Hospitality, Property Holdings, Cannabis Retail and Marine Industry. A graduate of the University of Victoria (UVic), Christina honours her NunatuKavut (Inuit-European) ancestry through her Mother and is proud of her first generation Irish Canadian Father. She looks forward to facilitating the economic goals of First Nations and Indigenous people as co-creators of an inclusive economy. Christina is a board member of the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce and a former board member of the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority and South Island Prosperity Partnership. In 2022, she was appointed to UVic’s Board of Governors.
Becky’s experience from the local community to high levels of government provides valuable expertise in emergency planning and response. Becky currently serves on the Board of Directors of Oceans Networks Canada. She is also a visiting fellow at the Western Academy for Advanced Research at the University of Western Ontario. Becky served as Deputy Minister, Assistant Deputy Minister and Fire Commissioner for B.C. She was a member of the Senior Officials Responsible for Emergency Management, the Canadian Council of Emergency Management Organizations, the Canadian Council of Fire Marshals and Fire Commissioners and was active in numerous international, national, provincial and regional emergency management and fire service committees. Prior to joining the B.C. Public Service, Becky was Fire Chief of the Cobb County Fire and Emergency Services department in the metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia area. She served on numerous committees, boards, and councils during her tenure as chief, including the Georgia Homeland Security Task Force and the National Infrastructure Advisory Council to which she was appointed by President G.W. Bush. Becky holds degrees from Thomas Edison State University, has completed the Harvard Senior Executives in State and Local Government Fellowship Program, completed the Chief Fire Officer Designation from the Center for Public Safety Excellence, is a past Member of the Institute of Fire Engineers, and active member of the National Fire Protection Association, the International Association of Fire Chiefs, and its Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Section.
Visit WebsiteAlana Gallagher is an experienced financial executive who retired in 2020 from her position as Vice President Finance and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at British Columbia Ferry Services Inc (BC Ferries). Prior to that, Alana has held responsibilities for Treasury, Investor Relations, Tariff Management, Traffic & Revenue, and Financial Planning and Analysis. Over her 25 years at BC Ferries, she was involved in several strategic business initiatives including the transformation of the company from a crown corporation to a private commercial company, capital markets activity, the Fare Flexibility Initiative, and economic regulatory submissions. Alana is certified by the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD.D). She has a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics (with distinction) from the University of Victoria. Alana currently serves on the United Way of Southern Vancouver Island. Previously she served as a Trustee on the Public Service Pension Plan of British Columbia for 12 years. She also served as a director of the BCF Captive Insurance Company Ltd for 15 years.
Visit WebsiteOver the last 25 years, Dr. Golnaraghi has worked as an executive, senior advisor, head of research, connector, entrepreneur, and climate scientist in the private and public sectors. As a pioneer and a passionate thought-leader in the field of climate change adaptation and mitigation, Maryam’s career has focused on designing, leading, influencing and stewarding transformative initiatives, to develop sustainable solutions to expedite and scale up transitioning to a climate resilient and decarbonized economy. In 2020, Maryam was included on the list of 20 ‘Most Influential on Climate Change’ by InsuranceERM and among the top 100 influencers in the world on ‘Resilience’ by The Leaders’ Magazine. Since 2015, Maryam is the Director of Climate Change and Environment at The Geneva Association, the strategic international think tank of the insurance industry, working with CEOs of 80 largest re/insurance companies, globally, with over USD 23 Trillion in assets and nearly 2/3 of global insurance premiums (P&C and Life). She is leading strategic initiatives with cross-setoral partnerships to innovate and boost the insurance industry’s contributions as risk managers and second largest institutional investors. Her latest initiative is mobilizing the insurance industry, with the US Department of Energy, Breakthrough Energy and technology firms to introduce insurability readiness from pre-commercialization stages and develop innovative risk management solutions for new viable climate technologies for industrial decarbonization, to attract private capital, expedite market adoption and enable wide-scale deployment. Maryam is launching a major initiative to address challenges with long-term insurability of extreme events, for new infrastructure systems and industrial scale projects. She has led the development of new methodologies for forward-looking climate risk analytics, helped shape the latest financial regulatory requirements for climate risk reporting and is working with the industry and governments on managing the rising climate litigation risk. From 2004 to 2014 Maryam served as the Chief of Disaster Risk Reduction at the UN’s World Meteorological Organization, where she headed up and built an international program that supports governments with the development of national capacities in climate and disaster risk management. She launched and managed national development projects in 40+ countries and led the UN initiatives in multi-hazard early warning systems. Following the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, she served as an adviser to former U.S. President Clinton in his capacity as the UN Special Envoy on Tsunamis Recovery, negotiated international agreements and coordinated activities that enabled the development and dissemination of tsunami alerts to all countries, in less than five minutes. From 1997 to 2004, Maryam was the founder and CEO of Climate Risk Solutions, Inc., the first research and advisory firm to deliver advanced climate risk analytics and risk management solutions to companies in the energy, agriculture, insurance, and financial sectors and the US government. Maryam is a non-executive member of the Board of Directors of Emission Reduction Corp and Oceans Network Canada. She serves on the Government of Canada Expert Advisory Panel on Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements (DFAA) program, appointed by Hon. Minister Bill Blair; the Advisory Council of U.K. Centre for Greening Finance and Investment at University of Oxford; the Canadian Climate Law Initiative (CCLI), The Intact Centre for Climate Adaptation; World Economic Forum Financing the Transition to Net Zero Future Working Group, and an advisor to two venture capital firms. She is an investigator in the Climate Stream of the Creative Destruction Lab. She has authored numerous internationally referenced reports on climate change as well as a book. Her work is regularly featured by media and professional platforms such as the Economist, BBC Radio, Responsible Investor, Climate Action, Risk.net, Global Association of Risk Professionals, Actuary Magazine, and S&P Global. Maryam received a Ph.D. in Physical Oceanography and a M.Sc. in Applied Physics from Harvard University, and a B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering from Cornell University. She was also a Senior Research Fellow at Harvard Business School and a Principal Investigator at Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
Visit WebsiteDr. Lisa Kalynchuk joined the University of Victoria in 2017 as Associate Vice-President, Research and Innovation and was appointed Vice-President on July 1, 2019. In October 2021, she launched Aspiration 2030 – UVic’s bold new vision for transformative research and creative works that supports the university’s commitment to climate, reconciliation, and a better path forward for people and the planet. Under Dr. Kalynchuk’s leadership, UVic is investing in interdisciplinary collaboration, increasing support for the next generation of researchers, cultivating a vibrant ecosystem of innovators and entrepreneurs, and developing a global network of engaged partners. Dr. Kalynchuk holds a BSc from the University of Alberta, and an MA and PhD in Neuroscience from the University of British Columbia. She undertook postdoctoral training at McGill University and spent five years as an assistant professor at Dalhousie University before joining the University of Saskatchewan, where she completed two terms as a Canada Research Chair in Behavioral Neuroscience. She currently holds a joint appointment between the Division of Medical Sciences and the Faculty of Social Science (Psychology) at the University of Victoria. Dr. Kalynchuk is passionate about interdisciplinary health research that extends beyond the bench to the patient bedside. In 2019, she created the UVic Health Initiative (UHI), recognizing that many of society’s pressing challenges are directly or indirectly related to health or wellbeing. Her own research focuses on the effects of chronic stress, depression and other neurological diseases on the brain and behavior
Visit WebsiteKate Moran is the President & CEO of Ocean Networks Canada (ONC), a position she has held since 2012. She first joined the University of Victoria in September 2011 as a professor in the Faculty of Science and as Director of NEPTUNE Canada. Her previous appointment was Professor and Associate Dean at the University of Rhode Island. From 2009 to 2011, Moran was seconded to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy where she served as an Assistant Director and focused on Arctic, polar, ocean, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and climate policy issues. She is active in public outreach on topics related to the Arctic, ocean observing, and climate change. Professor Moran co-led the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program’s Arctic Coring Expedition which successfully recovered the first paleoclimate record from the Arctic Ocean. She also led one of the first offshore expeditions to investigate the seafloor following the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. Professor Moran is a registered professional engineer, an Officer of the Order of Canada, a fellow of the Canadian Society of Senior Engineers, and was selected as an American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow for the class of 2022.
Dr. Lyne Morissette is a marine ecologist, environmental mediator, science communicator and the CEO of M - Expertise Marine. She also serves as an associate professor at UQAR-ISMER. With a strong academic background, she holds a Ph.D. in zoology from the Fisheries Centre at the University of British Columbia, and completed postdoctoral training at Arizona State University and the University of Guelph. For over 25 years, Dr. Morissette has been dedicated to studying ecosystem ecology, conservation, and biodiversity. Her research focuses on megafauna and ecosystem functioning, utilizing an integrated approach and innovative tools to understand marine ecosystems and ensure the conservation and sustainability of marine resources. Passionate about conservation and sustainability of marine resources, Dr. Morissette has dedicated her career to understanding megafauna and ecosystem functioning. Her work utilizes cutting-edge tools and an interdisciplinary approach to study the structure and function of marine ecosystems. Dr. Morissette's expertise has led her to publish her work in respected journals, including Science and Nature. Throughout her career, she has led various science projects and consulting assignments, collaborating with stakeholders at different governance levels, from SMEs and NGOs to coastal communities, governmental bodies, and international projects within the EU. Her passion for marine conservation and interdisciplinary research has made her a respected figure in the field, and she continues to contribute to the advancement of marine sciences and environmental protection.
Visit WebsiteJade Owen is the manager of research design and policy development at the Nunavut Research Institute, the science division of Nunavut Arctic College. She has lived and worked in Iqaluit since 2015, holding senior advisor positions with the territorial government's fisheries and sealing division and Dalhousie University's marine affairs program. In 2020, Jade was one of six members appointed to the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board's fisheries advisory committee, providing strategic advice and quota recommendations on co-managed enterprise allocations in the offshore turbot and shrimp fisheries; her term ends in 2025. Jade currently serves on the Nunavut Environmental Contaminants Committee, providing advice and social-cultural evaluations of research applications to the Northern Contaminants Program. Co-chaired by the Government of Canada and Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated, the committee ensures Nunavummiut ethics and interests are being advanced by scientific research conducted in and about the territory. Jade has delivered social science research, coastal resource inventories and participatory mapping workshops with all 25 Nunavut communities in support of Inuit-led fisheries and conservation. As a second-year PhD student at the University of British Columbia, co-supervised by the Department of Political Science and the Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, she is an active member of the Fisheries Economics Research Unit, a research laboratory directed by Dr. Rashid Sumaila. Her research focuses on Inuit rights and commercial fisheries in the Arctic.
Kristi Simpson (she/her) is the vice-president finance and operations at the University of Victoria (UVic). She first joined UVic in 2003 and was the associate vice-president financial planning and operations from 2005 to 2022. In her various roles she has had a breadth of responsibilities including finance, human resources, information technology, facilities management, capital and space planning, sustainability, pension services, investments, risk management, insurance, and security services. She holds a CPA, CA designation and has extensive experience on Boards including Canadian University Reciprocal Insurance Exchange (chair), Victoria Foundation Investment Committee, Infrastructure BC, UVic Foundation, Heritage Reality, UVic Properties and various pension boards. When not at the office, Kristi enjoys spending time with her husband, daughter and great dane. She loves to travel, read, and the outdoors, including hiking, skiing, and golfing.
Visit WebsiteDr. Fabian Wolk is President & CEO of Rockland Scientific, a Victoria-based ocean technology company with a mission to empower scientist worldwide to understand the oceans’ role in climate change. Fabian believes that academic research and industry-based technology development form a symbiotic relationship that leads to sustained growth in both areas. In his 25-year career Fabian has worked in academia and industry in North America, Europe, and Japan. Besides running his company, Fabian supports local industry, academia, and his community by serving on the boards of Ocean Networks Canada, the Faculty of Science Advisory Board at the University of Victoria, the Association of BC Marine Industries.
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Lori was appointed Deputy Minister for the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship on February 25, 2022. Following an organizational effectiveness review which she lead and assisted government to determine whether land use objectives that support economic activity, environmental sustainability and reconciliation with Indigenous peoples can be more effectively achieved through ministry restructuring. As Deputy Minister of Emergency Management BC, she co-chaired the Deputy Ministers’ Committee on COVID-19 helping to facilitate an all of government approach to the response and recovery during the longest Provincial State of Emergency. She was also Deputy Minister of the BC Public Service Agency where she championed corporate succession management efforts, implemented changes to compensation and benefits and implemented effective changes to ethics management in the Public Service. She has been with the BC Public Service for over 30 years. Her career began in government as a coop student in Victoria in 1993 and held many progressively responsible positions within the Ministry of Health. Lori has also held several roles at the Assistant Deputy Minister level with both the Ministry of Environment and the BC Public Service Agency. Lori has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and History and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Victoria.
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