Jim Durrell, C.M., ICD.D, Chair, has served on the Board of Directors of Hydro Ottawa Holding Inc. since July 2012. In July 2013 he was also appointed to the Board of Directors of Hydro Ottawa Limited and subsequently elected Chair of both Boards. He is best-known for the significant contribution that he made as Ottawa’s mayor from 1985 until retiring from public life in 1991. After leaving public office, he was active in the private sector as a successful business executive until his retirement in December 2018. He is the former owner and President of Capital Dodge Chrysler Jeep. He has had a long time involvement with Ottawa sports franchises including the Ottawa Senators NHL organization and the CFL’s Ottawa Rough Riders. He has served as a governor of Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame, as President of the Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame, and on the board of the Canada Centre of Ethics in Sport.

Mr. Durrell brings extensive governance experience having served on the Board of Directors of the Business Development Bank of Canada and as the Chair of the Ottawa International Airport’s Board of Directors. He continues to volunteer his time and enthusiasm to numerous charities and organizations in the Ottawa community, such as the Board of Governors of Carleton University, the Ottawa Hospital, the United Way/Centraide Ottawa Campaign Cabinet, the Salvation Army and the Kiwanis Club of Ottawa for over 30 years. In October 2006, he was appointed Chairman of the Ottawa Convention Centre and in July 2011 was appointed by the Provincial Government to serve as Vice-Chair of the Police Services Board.

In December 2012, Mr. Durrell was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada for his decades-long contributions to the City of Ottawa, as a businessman, mayor and committed volunteer. Also in 2012, Mr. Durrell was awarded the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce’s inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award, the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, and the Order of Ottawa. In 2015 Mr. Durrell was the recipient of the Governor General’s Caring Canadian Award (Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers), and in 2016 was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award with Volunteer Ottawa.

Bryce Conrad has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Hydro Ottawa since 2011. Under his leadership, Hydro Ottawa has become one of the most profitable, innovative and customer-oriented utilities in Canada, regularly winning awards and accolades for customer service and innovation. Since 2012, Hydro Ottawa has tripled its renewable generation, making it the largest municipally owned generator of clean, green energy in Ontario.

Prior to joining Hydro Ottawa, Bryce served as Assistant Deputy Minister – Program Operations at Infrastructure Canada, where he managed the implementation of the $4 billion Infrastructure Stimulus Fund, overseeing the selection and management of 4,000 projects that created more than $10 billion in economic activity. He was also responsible for the oversight and administration of the Building Canada Fund, the Green Infrastructure Fund and the Gas Tax agreements with provinces and municipalities.

An active community champion, Bryce sits on the Board of Directors for The Ottawa Hospital Foundation, and has served on the Board of Directors for United Way/Centraide Ottawa.

Bryce has extensive governance experience, serving on the Board of Directors for industry associations including Electricity Canada, the Ontario Energy Association, and the Institute on Governance. In 2022, Bryce became Board Chair of the Electricity Distributors Association and Vice-Chair of The MEARIE Group.

Bryce is fluently bilingual, and holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from Queen’s University, a Master of Public Administration from Carleton University, and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Ottawa.

Bernie Ashe, was appointed to the Hydro Ottawa Holding Inc. Board effective July 1, 2022. He has enjoyed a successful career as a key community builder, contributing to Ottawa’s economic growth and making the city a better place to live and work. In 2015, Bernie was named the CEO of the Year by the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce, and in 2018, he received the Order of Ottawa. Bernie is currently Executive Chairman and shareholder of Deslaurier Custom Cabinets, one of Ottawa’s leading suppliers of custom kitchens.

In his role as Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer of the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club (1990-97) Bernie helped establish the business of hockey and build the Canadian Tire Centre. As the first CEO of the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group (OSEG), (2013 -18), he was instrumental in the development of Lansdowne Park as a destination, and launching major sports franchises.

Bernie helped launch the OSEG Foundation and raise over two-million dollars to enable youth from all backgrounds to participate in team sports. He launched the Bernie Ashe Sports Fund, which provides children in care with the Children’s Aid Society a chance to participate in organized sport. He remains a member of the OSEG Foundation Community Cabinet.

A long-serving trustee (1993-2004) and former Chairman of the Board of CHEO (2000-02), Bernie also served on the Board of the Shaw Centre and the Board of Celebrations Ottawa, the organization planning the Ottawa events for Canada’s 150th anniversary. He was a member of the Mayor’s Leadership Table on Homelessness and acted as a mentor to future leaders as CEO in Residence of the University of Ottawa’s Telfer School of Business. He also served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Ottawa Film Office (2018-2022), which advocates for film and animation production in Ottawa.

Bernie’s wife is Nancy and his children are Lauren, Christine, Anthony and Scout. They have 3 grandchildren.

Yaprak Baltacioglu MA, LL.B, ICD.D. was appointed to the Hydro Ottawa Holding Inc. Board effective July 1, 2018. Her distinguished public service career spans more than 25 years in roles of increasing responsibility within the federal government, and she has shaped policy, overseen programs and operations, led transformation, contributed on many senior committees, and had an impact on the direction of government affairs at the highest levels of decision making.

Retiring from public service in April 2018, Yaprak was one of Ottawa’s most seasoned deputy ministers and served as a trusted advisor to four Prime Ministers and numerous ministers, Cabinets and departmental officials on programs, issues, legislation and matters of policy focused on the economy, treasury, transportation, infrastructure, security, agriculture, healthcare, and the environment.

Leveraging an extensive network of government officials and leaders of business, industry, and advocacy groups, Yaprak is a trusted advisor with expert knowledge of the workings of government, including its principles for sound governance and government-wide policy direction in areas including human resources, financial management, and IT. She is the current Chancellor at Carleton University, serves as a Director on a number of Boards, and she is a Distinguished Fellow at the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy.

Yaprak holds a Bachelor of Laws from Istanbul University, Master of Arts from Carleton University, and an ICD.D Designation (Institute of Corporate Directors). Yaprak is a Member of the Order of Canada.

Kim Butler, CPA, CMA, ICD.D. was appointed to the Hydro Ottawa Holding Inc. Board of Directors effective July 1, 2018. With more than 30 years of executive financial and operational experience with Canadian and multinational organizations, Kim has demonstrated extensive accomplishments in areas of financial and risk management, corporate financing, strategic planning, operational effectiveness, M&A, and investor relations. She has held position as Head of Finance and Integration at Ericsson Service Assurance (through acquisition of CENX), she has served as CFO and interim CEO at both CENX and Benbria, an enterprise software company. In her role as SVP Finance and CFO at Bridgewater Systems, a global leader in mobile policy solutions, Kim led the company’s initial public offering in 2007, and delivered shareholder value with the successful sale of Bridgewater to Amdocs in 2011. Prior to Bridgewater, Kim held senior finance roles at Asea Brown Boveri, and Mitel Corporation.

Kim is a member of the Board, Human Resources Committee and Chair of the Finance and Audit Committee for Canada Health Infoway, a member of the Executive Committee of the Ottawa Chapter of the Institute of Corporate Directors, and Regional Ambassador for Women Get on Board. She has previously served as Board member and Chair of the Finance Committee for the Queensway Carleton Hospital Foundation, and is a past member of the Industry Advisory Committee for Entrepreneurship at Algonquin College in Ottawa.

Catherine Clark was appointed to the Hydro Ottawa Holding Inc. Board effective July 1, 2022. She is a nationally respected broadcaster, emcee, the President of Catherine Clark Communications and Special Advisor to Syntax Strategic, providing communications counsel to individuals and corporations.

Catherine is also the co-founder of The Honest Talk, a popular podcast which features frank discussions with notable women, sponsored by RBC, and the host of The Company We Keep, a podcast which looks at Canadian history through the eyes of the spouses, partners, children, and advisors of the political leaders who shaped our country.

Deeply committed to community service, Catherine writes the Giving Back column for Ottawa at Home Magazine and serves on the Board of Governors of The Ottawa Hospital.

Cathy Curry was appointed to Ottawa City Council, to represent Ward 4 (Kanata North) on November 10, 2021.

Cathy was raised in Scarborough, Ontario and summered with her family in Carmanville, Newfoundland. Moving to Kanata in 1992, as a high school teacher, Cathy taught English Literature at Sir Guy Carleton SS, Sir Robert Borden SS, A.Y. Jackson SS and West Carleton SS.

While raising her four children, Cathy represented the Kanata community as a school council chair, Kanata Inter-School Council Chair, School Board Trustee and Chair of the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board.

Since 2016, Cathy has been a member of the Ottawa Children’s Treatment Centre Board, the CHEO Board, the Ronald McDonald House Board, and Chair of the Ontario Centre of Excellence for Children and Youth Mental Health Strategic Advisory Committee. Cathy also served on the Ottawa Community Foundation’s Grants Committee, the Caldwell Family Centre Board, and the Ottawa Fusion Volleyball Board. At home, Cathy plays the piano and the guitar, and plays French horn in the Concert Band of Kanata.

Cathy has a Bachelor of Arts in English Language and Literature and a Master of Science in Education. Cathy is currently working on her Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology.

Matt is the Chief Technology Officer for Shared Services Canada and is responsible for leading digital transformation efforts within SSC. Matt has also authored articles, delivered keynotes, and served as a panel member speaking on strategy and innovation, digital transformation, current and emerging technologies, sustainable technology and cybersecurity.

Matt received the CCISO Award at the 2020 CISO Forum Canada in recognition of his outstanding contribution to cybersecurity in Canada. Matt is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA), a Chartered Director (C.Dir.) and has obtained both the Certified Chief Information Security Officer (CCISO) and Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) designations. He is a graduate of the University of Ottawa and has completed Executive Education Programs at the Tuck School of Business and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He has also completed the NACD’s Cyber-Risk Oversight program earning the CERT Certificate in Cybersecurity Oversight issued by the Software Engineering Institute at Carnegie Mellon University.

Matt joined the Hydro Ottawa Holding Inc. Board on July 1, 2018, where he also serves on the Audit, Governance and Management Resources and Investment Review Committees. Matt also serves on the University of Ottawa Heart Institute Foundation Board and is the Chair of the Governance Committee, and serves on the Joint Finance and Audit Committee, and Information Technology Committees.

Councillor Laura Dudas was first elected to Ottawa City Council in 2018, serving as Councillor for Innes Ward. She was then re-elected in 2022 to the newly redistributed Ward of Orléans West – Innes. During her first term, Laura served as Ottawa’s Deputy Mayor under Mayor Jim Watson.

In her role as Councillor, Laura Dudas has sat on several committees including: Finance and Economic Development Committee, Transportation Committee, Community and Protective Services Committee, and Planning Committee.

As Councillor, Laura Dudas has also been involved with several of Ottawa’s Council-led sponsorship groups, including the Solid Waste Sponsors Group and the Climate Change Sponsors Group. She also serves as Ottawa City Council’s liaison to the United Way East Ontario Board of Directors.

Councillor Dudas has long been a vocal advocate for Ottawa’s east end, both during, and prior to, her tenure on City Council, supporting and campaigning for: significant investments in new and revitalized community parks; enhanced pedestrian, cycling, road and transit infrastructure, including the extension of light rail transit to the east; and the expansion of the Blackburn Hamlet Arena.

During her tenure on Ottawa City Council, the Councillor has focused on exploring and growing new economic opportunities for the City of Ottawa. Councillor Dudas served on the Mayor’s Economic Taskforce, which was formed to support Ottawa’s local business, festival, and tourism sector in response to the COVID-19 Pandemic. As well, her work to advance the East-End Economic Corridor Program to coincide with the arrival of light rail transit to Ottawa’s Orléans community.

Prior to her election, Councillor Dudas worked for the City of Ottawa, providing strategic communications to the City. Prior to that, she worked as a journalist for several daily newspapers, including the Ottawa Sun, the Stratford Beacon Herald and the Cambridge Reporter.

Councillor Dudas has been a long time volunteer in her local community, serving as President of the Blackburn Community Association for nearly a decade. She was a member of the former Orléans Chamber of Commerce, prior to its amalgamation into the Ottawa Board of Trade, and remains an active supporter of the Heart of Orléans Business Improvement Association.

Laura has lived with her husband and children in Blackburn Hamlet since 2006 and is proud to live in the Ward that she serves.

Jacqueline Gauthier, FCPA (FCA), ICD.D, was appointed to the Hydro Ottawa Holding Inc. Board effective July 1, 2020. Jacqueline is an accomplished C-level executive who can provide a unique combination of extensive finance expertise as well as business transformation, corporate governance and risk management experience. With more than 30 years of experience in industry, she has provided executive leadership resulting in revenue growth, organizational transformation, risk management and M&A. Jacqueline also received the 2019 Best Ottawa Business CFO of the year award.

Jacqueline is currently a financial consultant. Prior to this, Jacqueline held the position of CFO for over 17 years at Calian Group. Working with a publicly traded board for almost 2 decades, Jacqueline has been instrumental in the development of the Corporation’s strategic plans, governance structure, executive compensation and enterprise risk management frameworks.

Jacqueline is a FCPA (FCA) and also holds an ICD.D designation. Jacqueline has held various board positions in the past and she is currently the Chair of the Board of Directors of Patinage Quebec, and a board member and Chair of the Audit Committee of the University of Ottawa Heart Institute.
Jacqueline also worked at KPMG followed by Domtar and E.B. Eddy Forest Products in senior financial roles.

Cyril M. Leeder, FCPA, FCA, ICD.D, was appointed to the Hydro Ottawa Holding Inc. Board on July 1, 2017. He is one of the original founders of the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club and was with the team for 27 years in various capacities including COO and President of the Club. Cyril now is the CEO of Myers Automotive Group, Ottawa’s largest automotive retailer.

Cyril graduated from McMaster University with a bachelor of commerce degree, and obtained his chartered professional accountant’s designation with Clarkson Gordon (now EY) in Ottawa. He was elected as a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario in July 2009, the highest designation within the Institute.

Cyril is a passionate community advocate and supporter and sits on the Board of the Ottawa Community Foundation and is co-chair of the Ottawa Board of Trade CEO Council.. He also served as co-chair of the Ottawa Hospital President’s Breakfast fundraiser for three years from 2018-2020. Cyril also played significant roles in the redevelopment of the Ottawa Convention Centre (Shaw Centre), the Ottawa Senators Foundation and the National Arts Centre Marketing Committee.

Cyril’s community service has been recognized through a number of awards including the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce 2008 Business Person of the Year Award, the Max Keeping Foundation and Sens Foundation 2008 Just One Person Award, the Celebrity Sports Dinner’s 2008 Brian Kilrea Award, 2011 United Way Community Builder Award, the Ottawa Tourism’s 2006 Tourism Leader of the Year and the 2015 EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Community Service. In 2017, Mayor Jim Watson bestowed The Order of Ottawa onto Cyril. Cyril has also been inducted into the Ottawa and Brockville Sports Hall of Fames.

Cyril resides in Ottawa with his wife, Lydia, and they have three children; Ciera, Dillon and Tyler.

Paul A.G. McCarney, P. Eng. was appointed to the Hydro Ottawa Holding Inc. Board effective July 1, 2020. Paul began his career with Ottawa developer, Campeau Corporation, in 1985 before transitioning to Graydex Ottawa Inc., a local Sewer/Waterman contractor in 1987. Over the course of 20 years, Paul grew from Construction Supervisor to VP Estimation, President and majority owner.

In 2012, Paul sold Graydex to Tomlinson Group of Companies. Tomlinson then purchased Ottawa Greenbelt Construction and appointed Paul as President of the combined entity. He was responsible for the amalgamation and overall operations of the new company until January 2015.

Paul moved to the Tomlinson Corporate Headquarters as Vice-President, Business Development leading Tomlinson’s growth mandate into major infrastructure projects and was promoted to Senior Vice-President of Tomlinson Group.

In March 2019, Paul joined Clean Water Works Inc. as President/CEO. Clean Water Works is an industry leader in Eastern Canada in Trenchless Pipe Rehabilitation and offers local services in the Environmental, Plumbing and Sewer Operations sectors.

Throughout his career, Paul has invested significant time, energy and financial resources into industry stewardship and community development. Paul served as President of the Board of Directors, National Capital Heavy Construction Association in 1998 and Chairman of the Board of Directors, Ottawa Construction Association in 2013 and 2014.

Paul has provided leadership and support to the Ottawa community organizations and foundations including Christie Lake Kids, The Royal Ottawa Hospital, the Queensway Carleton Mental Health and The Ottawa Hospital. In recognition of his stewardship and community development efforts, Paul received the Canadian Construction Association’s “Community Leader of the Year Award” in 2012, the Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers in 2018, and the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Ottawa chapter, “Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser” Award in 2019.

Cyrus Reporter was appointed to the Hydro Ottawa Holding Inc. Board on July 1, 2021. He is currently a Partner with the international law firm Gowling WLG where he is a trusted advisor to many of Canada’s leading private sector companies and non-governmental organizations. Recently, Cyrus served as Vice-President, Government and Regulatory Affairs at Canadian National Railway, overseeing engagement at all levels of government in both Canada and the United States and leading stakeholder and community relations.

Cyrus has served as a ministerial chief of staff and senior adviser to the Prime Minister of Canada.

Cyrus has been an active member of the Ottawa community. In recent years he has served as a director of the Indo Canada Ottawa Business Chamber, director of Ottawa Community Immigration Services, a member of the City of Ottawa Transit Commission, and a member of the Carleton University Board of Governors.
Cyrus holds a law degree from Dalhousie University.