The Shareholder Declaration for Hydro Ottawa Holding Inc. (Hydro Ottawa) approved by City Council requires that members of the Board of Directors for Hydro Ottawa Holding Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries (including Hydro Ottawa Limited) be appointed by the City of Ottawa.
On June 27, 2006, upon the restructuring of the Hydro Ottawa Board of Directors to comply with the Affiliate Relationships Code for Electricity Distributors and Transmitters issued by the Ontario Energy Board that mandated a separate board be created for the local distribution company, City Council appointed a number of directors to both boards (Hydro Ottawa Holding Inc. and Hydro Ottawa Limited) for terms ranging from two to four years. As director terms have expired since that time, City Council has approved subsequent appointments ranging from one to three years.
Profiles of the members of the Hydro Ottawa Limited Board of Directors are provided below.
Bernie Ashe, Chair, was appointed to the Hydro Ottawa Holding Inc. Board effective July 1, 2022. In October 2023 he was also appointed to the Board of Directors of Hydro Ottawa Limited and subsequently elected Chair of both Boards. 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. | |
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. | |
Brent Fletcher was appointed to the Hydro Ottawa Limited Board effective April 24, 2024. He is responsible for the construction and maintenance of our electrical power distribution system including both internal and external resources. In his role, Brent leads a team directly accountable for ensuring the safe, efficient and reliable delivery of electricity to Hydro Ottawa customers. Brent has over 25 years of industry experience in progressively senior leadership roles ranging from financial analysis, continuous improvement, contractor management and construction and maintenance. Brent is a Chartered Professional Accountant and holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree with a concentration in Accounting from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. |