Our Faculty

Globally Respected Faculty

NuEnergy.ai has a diverse team of globally respected faculty members and thought leaders. The faculty consists of leading AI and governance experts, experienced entrepreneurs, business professionals, technical specialists and partners. The team consists of veterans and power houses to provide client organizations with trusted AI Governance education programs.

Anne Graham

Vice President, Boards, People & Education

Anne brings over 25 years’ experience in the areas of Human Resources and Organizational Development in pharmaceutical, high tech, financial, and manufacturing organizations to our team. Anne is a high energy, results-oriented leader with a career focused on developing and actioning people solutions to implement business strategies and priorities. She has strategic and hands-on experience in all major areas of Human Resources and Organizational Development. Experienced in diverse industries and organizational settings (start-up, hyper-growth, mature, downsizing, re-organizing, re-engineering), her major contributions have been in the areas of board, leadership, and management effectiveness, organizational change and transformation, and team effectiveness.

Anne also appreciates the importance of Board Governance, having been on the Board for The Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre for many years and currently Chair of the Board.

Dr. Anwar Fallatah

AI Governance Specialist

Christian Siregar

COO & Al Governance Faculty

Christian has over 20 years of experience in product management and holds a Masters in Technological Systems Managements. Christian has taken on a series of mandates in technology transfers, international business development, and knowledge governance. In the past decade he has worked as the marketing and customer development lead with several start-ups, from renewable energy management software to AI-based voice recognition. Christian is experienced in change management and has a deep understanding of international markets, technology trends, and people.

Christine Ing

Partner, McCarthy Tétrault

Christine is a Partner and serves as the National Lead for the Technology Law Group and Co-Lead for the FinTech Group at McCarthy Tetrault. She has over twenty years of experience in complex technology transactions such as outsourcing, cloud computing, SaaS and other strategic procurement arrangements, software development & systems implementation, licensing, data sharing, and joint ventures. She has particular expertise in the area of information security and third party vendor risk management. Christine has assisted clients across a broad spectrum of industry sectors, with a focus on banking and other regulated industries. She is nationally recognized as an expert in commercial transactions involving information technology, data security, and intellectual property. She has recently been involved in a number of "open data" and alternative data projects, and has advised on a number of strategic collaborations between incumbents and disruptors.

Connie Carras

Governance Specialist

Connie E. Carras, CPA, CA, GCB.D, CCB.D, is an Independent Board Chair and Director, Retired PwC Partner, Entrepreneur, and Innovator. She is a trusted, purpose driven Leader who focuses on shaping and leading “Innovation for Good”.

Connie chairs the EnerQuality Corporation Board, serves as Director and Risk Committee Chair on the Canlan Sports Inc. (TSX:ICE) Board, serves as finance expert on the ZenniHome Holdings Inc. (US) Board. She is the Founder & CEO of CEC Enterprises Consulting, providing strategic innovation and start up advisory in Real Estate and Housing in Canada and the US, building on successes as the partner and Canadian national leader for PwC and IBM’s Institutional Investor consulting practices.

Experienced working across Canada, the US, and the UK in Real Estate, Banking, Insurance, and Institutional Investment and leading strategic change using the levers of technology and ESG, Connie is known for bringing together ideas, partnerships, and capital that strategically accelerate industry innovation and its impact.

Passionate about leading next generation governance to tackle climate and sustainability in the built environment, the future of housing, and DE&I at the governance level, she speaks regularly and consults on how governance agendas and strategy can embrace ethical AI and transformative technologies as an accelerant of sustainability and ESG impact—especially to see beyond compliance and risk management and to target opportunity.

Denise Carpenter, ICD.D

Board Director and Governance expert; Chair of the Board, EnerFORGE

Denise is an experienced C-suite executive, board director, and professional executive coach. She is a transformation leader who has led complex governance and organizational change while positioning organizations for growth. Denise has diverse industry experience with deep understanding of issues in health - including digital health, security, natural resources, energy, utilities, and First Nations economic development. She has served as a guest lecturer and executive in residence at the University of Alberta’s MBA program and as a guest lecturer at the Fellows Program, Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard. She has written and lectured widely on diversity of thought, governance as a business enabler, and stakeholder relations.

Dr. Edson Prestes

Global Al Standards, Public Policy Expert. Professor, UFRGS.

Edson brings over 6 years of experience in areas of Standardisation, Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, and Ethics. He is a Professor at the Institute of Informatics, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. He leads the Phi Robotics Research Group and is a CNPq Research Fellow. Edson is also a Member of the UNESCO Ad Hoc Expert Group on Ethics and AI; and South America Ambassador at IEEE TechEthics.

Dr. Elaheh Shabani

Al Governance Specialist

Dr. Elaheh Shabani is an AI Governance Specialist at NuEnergy.ai, melding a Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics and over a decade of research and teaching experience with a deep commitment to the ethical implementation of artificial intelligence. In her role at NuEnergy.ai, Elaheh steers research focused on developing and deploying responsible AI. Her work seeks to ensure AI doesn’t simply advance, but progresses in a manner that is socially and ethically informed, carving a path toward a future where technology and ethical practices are seamlessly integrated. Some of Dr.Shabani’s work includes testing and applying technical guardrails to transparent and opaque AI use cases for Law Enforcement and Government departments.

Dr. Gaston Gonnet

Chief Scientist, PolyML

Gaston brings over three decades of experience to the team. He co-founded two significant software companies, including OpenText which today is one of the largest software companies in Canada. He also co-founded Maplesoft, which produces advanced mathematics software used by scientists & researchers around the world. Gaston is Emeritus Professor in Computer Science at ETH Zurich and Chief Scientist at PolyML.

Dr. Hala Own

Al Governance Expert. Data Scientist; Professor at Algonquin College.

Hala is a Computer Science Ph.D. and a highly skilled researcher and lecturer with over 20 years of experience. With international presence in print, on-line, and at conferences, Hala’s specialty focuses include image processing, data processing, data mining, machine learning, data security, soft sets and wavelets and their applications, and mathematics. Hala has published more than 35 research papers.

Harry Major

Vice President, Software

Harry is a software development executive with 25 years’ experience building world class and high-performance software development teams. A named inventor on 62 granted patents, Harry has a thorough understanding of all stages of product development from innovation, prototype, new product development, to iterative maintenance, with a keen eye for productivity, performance, and quality. Experienced with balancing the needs of development and quality with the schedules and needs of the business and marketplace, Harry is skilled at creating an innovative and productive culture and environment that enables talented individuals to thrive and achieve their best.

Mai Mavinkurve

Faculty Member

Mai is an industry expert and advisor in Data, Applied AI, Emerging Technologies and Innovation. As a member of the ISED Economic Strategy - Digital Industries Table, she led the sub group that developed national data strategy and IP recommendations. She has also represented Canada at the G7 ministerial meetings on AI and the future of work. Mai has advised on the Ontario Digital and Data Task Force as well as co-chaired a Data Governance initiative with the Standards Council of Canada. Mai is a licensed professional engineer, an executive leader and a serial entrepreneur with a focus on the practical enterprise applications and governance of Data and AI. Mai is a graduate of the University of Toronto and a Senior Fellow at the think tank - Centre for International Governance and Innovation (CIGI). She is also a professional speaker on technology and innovation.

Mardi Witzel

Vice President, Al Governance Programs

Currently serving two Ontario provincial public appointments, Mardi sits as Chair, Muskoka Watershed Advisory Group and Public Representative, Council of Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario (CPAO). She is a previous Chair of the KidsAbility Foundation board and board member of the KidsAbility Centre for Child Development, where she continues to sit on the Joint Board Advisory Task Force. Mardi held a number of senior management positions during a career with AT&T Payment Processing Solutions, serving as Director, Product Management & Marketing and Team Leader, Global Remittance Processing Solutions. She has lectured at the WLU School of Business and studied in the WLU PhD in Management program, completing all doctoral coursework and exams.

Michael (Mick) O'Connell

Senior law enforcement expert, (UNICRI)

Mick is an executive with wide international expertise based in the U.K.

As the founder of Critical Insights Consultancy Ltd (UK), he is active working across the globe with clients delivering insight, guidance, and leadership for their ethical use of AI. He has previously worked in a senior executive position in industry with NEC Corporation and has thirty years in policing as a senior officer for the UK including Director at Interpol, leading technical innovation to public safety and national security requirements.

He is recognised for his work in ethics and standards and is a Board member to several advisory and oversight committees, and recipient of many international awards for his service to policing.

He currently supports the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) as a senior law enforcement expert, assisting in their development with Interpol of an AI toolkit for responsible AI innovation in law enforcement. This initiative aspires to instil a deep knowledge and guiding principles to better enable police and related public safety agencies to adopt a responsible and ethical use framework to their AI policies and operational protocols.

Niraj Bhargava, P.Eng, MBA, ICD.D

CEO and Co-Founder

Niraj has over 30 years of experience in technology, business creation and leadership. He is a serial entrepreneur and has successively been the CEO, founder and leader of technology companies - focused on Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and deep neural networks for high-accuracy voice recognition and smart grid interactive energy management. He is currently the Chair of the Innovation Committee of the Board at the Royal Ottawa. In the past, he has served as a dean and a university professor as well. Niraj holds a degree in Systems Design Engineering from the University of Waterloo and an MBA from the Ivey School of Business. He also completed the Directors Education Program at Rotman leading to his ICD.D designation. With his ICD.D, he has significant board and governance experience. At NuEnergy.ai, Niraj leads a team of expert associates who work with clients in defining ethical and cutting-edge AI-enabled solutions, and with innovators in the creation, launch and scale up of AI trust measurement techniques.

Orchid Jahanshahi

Lead, Marketing Communications and Education Programs

Orchid is the Founder/CEO of ThinkrBelle, an advisory venture that bridges commercial solutions between BioPharma and Tech. She brings a unique cross-expertise between the Life Sciences and the Canadian Tech/Startup communities. With 30 years of operational experience in numerous Commercial roles at six Fortune 500 pharma companies, she helped bring numerous therapeutic solutions to healthcare professionals and patients across various therapeutic areas in Canada and Global markets. Since 2020, Orchid has been working, investing and advising in the AI/HealthTech space with various Startups in the life sciences sector. Orchid is a mentor for the Creative Destruction Lab’s Biomedical Engineering cohort, for Calgary Innovates and is on the Board of Directors of Kinark Child & Family Services. Orchid holds an MBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business and is bilingual in English and French.

Dr. Pridi Siregar

Al Specialist and Architect

Rob Davidson

Director, Data Analytics and Al ethics & privacy researcher, ICTC

Rob is a 25-year seasoned veteran of the software industry and has excelled in a diverse set of senior roles including Chief Technologist, Vice President of Product Management, and Director of Marketing & Communications. Rob is a past civil society co-chair for the Canadian Government's Open Government Multistakeholder Forum and has spoken at national and international events on data, AI, and emerging technologies. Rob is currently the Director of Data Analytics at the ICTC, a non-profit think tank researching the intersection of emerging technologies and the future of work.

Dr. Salman Mufti

Associate Professor, Digital Technology, Smith School of Business, Queen's University.

Salman has an experience of more than 23 years with expertise in Digital Transformation and Managerial Decision Making. He is a PhD holder and is currently serving as Associate Professor of Digital Technology at Smith School of Business, Queen’s University. In the past, Salman has also served as Associate Dean of Queen’s Executive Education.

Sean Simmons

Senior Machine Trust Platform Developer