Our People

What is your career background? I am a Learning and Development professional with a bit of a unique background, I started off with the aim to become a teacher! I can teach grades 4-12 and can teach history and computer science. I’ve worked in a variety of sectors with a focus on Learning and Development (Education, Healthcare, Retail, Infrastructure). Definitely a jack of all trades!

What drew you to join IO? Initially it was the opportunity to grow within my career as well as our total compensation. Then as I got to meet the team and other employees, the culture and focus on Employee Resource Groups (ERG) and diversity was a big draw.

Tell us what your role as a Learning and Development Manager entails and what it’s like to work on the Learning and Development team? At IO my role is fairly fluid, which is something that I appreciate. Some of the key functions include digital and in person curriculum, course, and content creation, leadership assessments, facilitating classes, LMS administration, and special projects.
No two days are the same, and it is a revolving door of new projects! Being certified to run our leadership assessments has been a wonderful opportunity to meet and support our leadership teams on a one-on-one basis. When we are creating course content as eLearning or instructor led courses, working with our Subject Matter Experts has been interesting, and has shed light on the processes and operations of the organization. Working in Learning and Development is unique in that you get to see different parts of the organization from a more holistic perspective.

Can you share your biggest accomplishment at IO? I would say the biggest accomplishment thus far has been the implementation of the Learning Management System. It was an opportunity to shape the digital learning experience for staff, allowing employees access to our content library and the ability to take control of their own learning. It also gave us the opportunity to partner with teams across the organization to ensure our platform was able to provide the best learner experience.

How has your career grown since joining IO? Becoming certified in the delivery of our leadership assessments has been a new skill that I have picked up. It has also provided me the opportunity to develop a tool that supports our assessors in being more efficient and effective in the delivery of these assessments.

What’s one thing IO does to make you feel empowered/supported? That IO values transparency. IO makes me feel empowered and supported by the transparency and honesty that I’ve seen as part of our processes, the conversations I have had with leaders, and being able to feel like I can contribute and ask questions.

What’s the most unique part of working at IO? The most unique part of working at IO has been the earnest push towards developing an inclusive culture. There is a wealth of Employee Resource Groups that push to drive connection.

What does your role entail? As an Indigenous Relations Specialist for the southwest, my role includes being the main point of contact for Indigenous communities and organizations within the region, carrying out the procedural aspects of the Duty to Consult on behalf of the Ministry of Infrastructure, and identifying opportunities for Indigenous engagement and inclusion.

What is your career background? I have a diploma in Business Management from Humber College which led to a placement as an Administrative Assistant for a biomedical company. However, once I welcomed my daughter to the world, I set out on my journey to reclaim our Indigenous teachings, protocols, ceremonies, traditions, culture, and art for our family. This led me to the Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres (OFIFC) where I took on Administrative Assistant, Executive Assistant, and Interim Senior Executive Assistant roles. I am grateful for my time there as it allowed me to support various workgroups and directors from training, research, policy, and program areas, and the board of directors. This allowed me to develop an in-depth understanding of the needs and diversity of urban Indigenous communities across the province, insight into government and academic nuances, and an awareness of other Indigenous non-profits. After six years with the OFIFC, my spirit felt compelled to continue my learning journey and saw IO as an opportunity to connect with First Nations and Indigenous communities in a more impactful way.

Can you share your biggest accomplishment at IO? The Indigenous Initiatives team was formed in the fall of 2021 and I was hired on as the second team member at the end of summer 2022. Understandably, there were a lot of foundational systems, tools, and resources that needed to be developed and I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to participate in those developments. However, my heart will always feel the fullest when engaging with Indigenous communities.

What would your advice be to a new employee? When I think of giving advice, I think of my Elders and teachers and so what I share is what I’ve learned from them. When I share this, I think specifically of the next generation of Indigenous employees that will come after me. The work of Indigenous initiatives, relations, rights, economic inclusion, truth and reconciliation… it is hard work, but it is good work, it is important work. To be resilient means we must pause from time to time and ensure that our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects are balanced. Sometimes we must pause to tend to ourselves as individuals, before we can take on the obligations to the family, clan, or nation; or team, business line, or organization. Build that relationship with your spirit to know how to recognize this and give yourself the grace to take space. We come to IO with our Indigenous identities and when we honour that then great things can happen. Above all else, we are not alone. We have our ancestors, our communities, and our relations supporting us on this journey.

Is there someone at IO who inspires you, motivates you, or mentors you? Every day I give thanks to the growing community of Indigenous employees at IO. I believe you can learn from everyone, and I’ve been fortunate to welcome eight new employees from across Turtle Island into the circle since I started. I’m also grateful to our allies in our Indigenous Employee Resource Group and my Environmental, Social, and Governance teammates.

Who has inspired you professionally? I’m especially grateful for the Aunties and Uncles that I’ve met in Indigenous communities across Ontario through this work. I carry their advice, stories, skills, and compassion with care.

What is your career background? I started my career as a research and development engineer at an aerospace manufacturing organization, focused on data analysis and programming. After several years, I decided to make a career pivot and moved to a software-as-a-service tech company, working for their Business Operations team. This role helped me make the shift from an engineering / technical environment to a business environment. After some time there, I decided to make the jump to IO.

What drew you to join IO? A colleague of mine knew several people at IO, which led to some initial conversations with the Commercial Projects team. I’d always had a strong interest in large-scale infrastructure projects, and I was hoping to transition to a role where I could make use of my technical background. Additionally, the ability to make an impact on the lives of Ontarians through the work I was doing, was attractive to me.

Can you share your biggest accomplishment at IO? Working with a team to take the Accelerated High-Speed Internet Program (AHSIP) from an idea to commercial close was one of the most rewarding projects I’ve been a part of at IO. It gave me the opportunity to work with a lot of great folks across IO, as well as use some creativity to tackle the challenge of connecting underserved and unserved homes across Ontario, at an accelerated pace.

What would your advice be to a new employee? Look to build connections across the organization, and with other public and private sector partners we work with. Be open-minded when taking on projects as they may prove rewarding in ways you don’t expect, and help you grow professionally.

What does your role entail? My role at IO entails being part of the leadership team on the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension and providing commercial direction for the project’s implementation phase contracts.

What is your career background? My career started with few years in the aerospace manufacturing sector where I had a chance to fly around Canada and the US to ensure the quality of aerostructures and performance of major aerospace suppliers. This afforded me the chance to work on the F-35 fighter jet program right out of school, an exciting prospect for a fresh engineering graduate.

From there, I translated my previous experience into a role working in the rail and transit industry. Here, I specialized in project management, systems design and systems engineering. This enabled me to work on transit construction projects in British Columbia and Ontario like Canada Line, Evergreen Line, Eglinton Line, Confederation Line and Broadway Subway Project. Additionally, it also allowed me to work on station upgrade projects of existing transit lines like the Expo and Millennium Lines.

What drew you to join IO? The opportunity to work on large scale transportation infrastructure projects that make a meaningful impact to people’s lives and to be working in public service.

What’s one thing IO does to make you feel empowered/supported? As a relatively new employee to IO, the company’s focus on a systematic approach to onboarding, use of a buddy program to pair new employees with long standing employees, and willingness to go above and beyond to ensure folks are welcomed to the organization are industry leading.

What would your advice be to a new employee? Take the time to leverage the unique expertise that IO employees bring and get to know as many colleagues in as many different sectors as possible.

What drew you to join IO? I saw a job posting for Infrastructure Ontario on a bulletin board in the Faculty of Environmental Studies Building at York University in 2016. In my masters’ studies at the time I was focused on planning for climate change, and I had landed on infrastructure, particularly green infrastructure, as a key leverage point in enacting climate resilience in society. I saw the word infrastructure, and I applied.

What does your role entail? Integrating energy efficiency, sustainability and climate resilience thinking into IO’s asset and project management work.

What is your career background? I worked in the art world in Toronto coordinating and curating art exhibitions. I lived in Paris for a couple of years and worked in advertising. After a decade in the arts, I wanted to do more to help the environment and humanity by addressing climate change, so I went back to school for a masters in environmental studies and planning at York University. As I believe the way we live our lives and build our communities is key to responding to climate change.

In 2023, I finished my multi-year certification process to become a Registered Professional Planner. IO planning colleagues were extremely generous with me on my RPP journey, they gave of their time and knowledge freely, and let me in to do some of the planning work, when I was working in energy, which allowed me to earn my RPP work hours. I also earned a Certificate in ESG, Climate Risk & The Law from Osgoode Hall Law School, supported by IO, along with other IO colleagues.

Can you share your biggest accomplishment at IO? My single biggest accomplishment at IO has been creating the climate resilience program. I feel the key to its success and rapid growth has been collaborations with other IO groups and colleagues. It started with my managers clearing some runway for me to innovate within. To start I did my due diligence to analyse what was the success or failure factor of other sustainability programs in the past. What I came to was I had to make it easy for people to uptake, and a big report full of subject matter specific language, was not easy for people, who worked in other areas of expertise, to tangibly apply. So I learned as much as I could about how other IO workstreams functioned, I learned some of their languages. Then I suggested small amendments that could be made to their existing business processes to capture climate resilient data to inform decision-making, and ultimately enact climate resilient design and management measures. We’ve now successfully built climate resilience measures into the business processes of energy management, project delivery, asset renewal and realty operations at IO. I love getting there with other knowledgeable people and innovating together. That way I think we all come away enriched by the experience, and the change potential is exponential.

How has your career grown since joining IO? I am trusted within IO and in the sector for my climate resilience expertise. I’ve gained so much practical knowledge on the job here. I immersed myself in building energy and carbon profiles, site visits, energy efficiency projects, and now climate risk assessments. I love using what I learn in the portfolio and applying it to projects, and vice versa.

What’s the most unique part of working at IO? The throughput. The sheer volume of assets and projects that IO manages. Also IO employees are super sharp at their work, and capable of humility and humour, which I really enjoy. Work environment, work culture are as important to me as any other aspect of the job, they are so fundamental to quality of life, I feel.

I was amazed when I first came to IO and was placed on the 22^nd floor by the window. I couldn’t believe a student associate like me would be given a desk with a view! I still enjoy it to this day.

What’s one thing IO does to make you feel empowered/supported? I feel I am heard at IO. In that people will listen to my perspective and advice, and if they feel its sound and feasible, make changes to their project or process to integrate my recommendations.

What would your advice be to a new employee? Learn as much as you can and reach as far as you can.

Is there someone at IO who inspires you, motivates you, or mentors you? I feel lucky, there are many colleagues who inspire, motivate, and mentor me at IO. However, Jane Jacobs is someone who has inspired me professionally. Jane (1916-2006) was an urbanist and activist whose writings championed a fresh, community-based approach to city building.

“Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.”
— Jane Jacobs, The Death and Life of Great American Cities.

What does your role entail? As the Director for the Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) Program Innovation team, I am part of a team that creates strategies for the integration of ESG activities into the work we do at IO to create lasting, and resilient assets that will maximize benefits to local communities. IO has been doing ESG for years, just not under one centralized department. I am working to identify all of the ESG activities we are already doing, amplify the successes, and create consistency in all of IOs projects and programs.

What is your career background? I have always worked in the environmental management field, and my studies have been focused on environmental sciences and business. I have been working with IO for approximately 9 years, and I have had the opportunity to work in three different teams! I began my IO career in the environmental management team, and then I transitioned into heath, safety, security and environment, and most recently my career naturally progressed towards ESG.

What drew you to join IO? I was drawn to IO because of the scale, breadth and depth of initiatives that are being achieved! I also wanted to be part of an organization where my work would meaningful and contribute to the community and the environment. I also wanted to work at an organization that values work life balance, and IO has supported every aspect of my life through flexibility in how and when I work.

What’s the most unique part of working at IO? What I really value about my time at IO is the ability to grow my career and to follow my interests. I have worked in three unique roles and departments within IO, and it is nice to be able to grow my career without needing the leave the organization. I have felt supported by my colleagues to pursue my interests and grow as a professional.

IO’s vision is to create a modern, connected and competitive Ontario – how do you connect with this vision? This vision resonates with the work we are doing in the ESG team. We are working with the government and our industry partners to modernize Ontario’s assets and projects to create long-term and sustainable buildings and infrastructure to meet the needs of the province.

What does your role entail? As a Capital Projects Risk Management Specialist, my role consists of implementing IO Risk Management Framework to a portfolio of IO projects. Through engaging with different stakeholders, managing the risk data base, and performing detailed risk analysis, I evaluate the project cost and schedule confidence while supporting the enhancement of project performance.

What’s the most unique part of working at IO? The great company culture and positive work environment is the major highlight of working at IO. Not to mention the quality of professionals working here and the impactful work we do across our province and community.

What’s one thing IO does to make you feel empowered/supported? I believe IO provides you with the tools to expand your skillsets and the opportunities to excel as a professional while maintaining a balance with your personal life. I could say that is the most valuable thing IO does to make you feel empowered and supported.

What would your advice be to a new employee? Bring out your curiosity! Do not feel afraid of asking questions and seek for opportunities to explore. IO is a place full of brilliant and welcoming professionals, do not hold back from connecting with your colleagues.

What does your role entail? I am a Senior Advisor with the Landmark Projects Team, which helps the government leverage existing real estate assets to deliver both policy and fiscal objectives. My role is to support all aspects of the development process, from inception through delivery. I work collaboratively as part of a larger multi-disciplinary, inter-departmental team to provide support to the Ontario Place Redevelopment Programme as well as other new mandates.

What is your career background? I am a trained Architect with a master’s in real estate & Infrastructure from Schulich School of Business. I have over 10 years of experience in large multi phased Infrastructure projects including Exhibition centers, stadiums, commercial & residential projects etc. I specialize in stakeholder management, real estate development, and project management.

What drew you to join IO? IO is a unique agency that has a mandate to deliver projects and programmes that provide opportunities to make a purposeful contribution to the community. My previous experience in project management with government-led large-scale projects and IO’s mandate were a natural fit. The Ontario Place Redevelopment project with the Landmarks Projects team specifically drew my attention because of its iconic stature, scale, and socio-civic importance.

What’s the most unique part of working at IO? Working with cross-sectional teams that are experts in their own fields is amazing. Everyday is an exchange of knowledge with subject matter experts, meaningful conversations, and growth. The work environment is very supportive, discussions are encouraged. One can only intellectually thrive in an ecosystem such as this.

What does your role entail? As an Advisor on the Workplace Solutions team, my role consists of working with client ministries and agencies to gather functional program data, reporting and analysis. Through conducting research and analyzing the client’s requirements, I provide recommendations for workplace solutions to ensure the government’s real estate assets are being optimized.

What drew you to join IO? The four ingredients that define IO’s Employee Value Proposition. I want to grow within a collaborative organization that provides employees with resources to expand their skillset and that takes pride in delivering purposeful projects.

Tell us what it’s like to work on the Workplace Solutions Team? It’s a very dynamic and supportive team that I feel grateful to work with every day.

What’s the most unique part of working at IO? The great culture and the impactful work we do across the province. 

What’s one thing IO does to make you feel empowered/supported? IO consists of a diverse group of talented and approachable individuals that inspire and motivate me to pursue my professional and personal goals.

What would your advice be to a new employee? There are many opportunities to get involved and grow within IO – don’t hold back from engaging and connecting with others. 

What does your role entail? As a communications advisor, I am responsible for delivering communications support for various infrastructure projects across a variety of sectors, including health care, justice, education, provincial parks. Work includes collaborating with project delivery teams and clients, identifying and supporting communications requirements for each project and building strong relationships, internally and externally, to support successful communications programs.

What is your career background? TMy career background is in marketing and communications. I started my career working in the communications department for the town of Newmarket, and after five years working there, I moved on to work for Toronto community housing. I am so grateful for all the experiences and skills I have developed over the years that helped me grow and led me to where I am today.

What’s it like to work on the Communications team? It’s amazing! Everyone is so friendly and super creative. We are a team full of high performers, always striving to give more than 100% all the time while earning trust and respect of internal and external stakeholders, and achieving excellence.

What’s one thing IO does to make you feel empowered/supported? One thing IO does to make me feel empowered and supported is encouraging and enabling me and the rest of IO staff to be our authentic, true selves.

Is there someone at IO who inspires you, motivates you, or mentors you? I would have to say all the different people and departments I have worked with so far across the organization inspire me each and every single day, as they are so knowledgeable, wise, and passionate. Without all the amazing people I work with, I am not able to do my job.

IO’s vision is to create a modern, connected and competitive Ontario – how do you connect with this vision? I align with IO’s vision to create a modern, connected, and competitive Ontario because I myself am modern, connected, and competitive!

What is your career background? After completing my Bachelor of Law (LLB) and Master of Laws (LLM) degrees, I spent the initial two years of my career in court everyday, in trials and bail applications as a criminal defence lawyer in South Africa. My first in-house legal counsel role was at the offices of Lawyers for Human Rights – Refugee Rights Project. But it was in corporate and banking law that I found my niche. I spent approximately ten years as legal counsel and thereafter senior legal counsel at international banks including First National Bank and Barclays. After being called to the Ontario Bar, I practiced real estate law before joining IO.

What does your role entail? As Senior Legal Counsel in the Corporate Legal team, my role includes providing legal support and advice to the lending program clients who provide secured loans to eligible organisations. This includes conducting due diligence on potential loans, reviewing proposed real property and personal property security, providing legal support in the drafting and reviewing of term sheets and financing agreements, and managing transaction closings.

What drew you to join IO? I found the role I was applying for interesting. Based on the qualifications and experience required, I knew I would be able to add value to the role in IO, whilst also affording me the opportunity to learn and grow within my career.

What’s the most unique part of working at IO? To be able to see the impact that my work has on communities across the province of Ontario.

What does your role entail? My role involves providing advisory and transaction execution services to the Government of Ontario. I’m currently working on two separate mandates: 1) The Accelerated High Speed Internet Program (AHSIP), which will connect over 200,000 homes and businesses to high-speed internet by 2025; and 2) Developing a digital twin strategy for the province with the aim of getting priority infrastructure projects built faster and more efficiently.

What’s the most unique part of working at Infrastructure Ontario? Infrastructure Ontario sits at the intersection of the private and public sectors and leverages private sector expertise to solve governmental policy challenges. This results in interactions with government officials and policymakers, corporate executives, and a wide range of other stakeholders. Bringing together these stakeholders to solve important issues makes for very rewarding work.

How has your career grown since joining Infrastructure Ontario? Prior to joining Infrastructure Ontario, I’d never even heard of GIS (Geographic Information Systems – technology to work with, analyze, and display data visually to improve decision making). Through my role, I’ve become well-versed in it and am now my team’s go-to for all things GIS. This is just one example of the new skillsets I’ve picked up since joining Infrastructure Ontario.

Can you share your biggest accomplishment at Infrastructure Ontario? Signing contracts with 8 ISPs (Internet Service Provider) totaling ~$1.25B in spring 2022 for the Accelerated High Speed Internet Program (AHSIP). This was the culmination of years of work from many bright and dedicated minds at Infrastructure Ontario and marked a successful conclusion to a unique competitive procurement process we ran to help connect underserved Ontario communities to high-speed internet by the end of 2025. A close second would be a targeted negotiations process I led with ISPs to secure coverage for an additional ~25k homes and businesses.

What would your advice be to a new employee? Hunger and curiosity are your best friends!

What does your role entail? As Senior Legal Counsel in the Transaction Legal team, I work closely with the Project Delivery team, advising on legal and commercial matters on public-private partnership (P3) projects throughout the planning, procurement and implementation phases of projects. Since starting at IO in August 2021, I’ve been engaged primarily on the development of IO’s new progressive P3 and progressive design build project models.

What is your career background? Prior to joining IO I worked at a leading national law firm, advising on P3 and infrastructure projects, as well as mergers and acquisitions and a broad range of corporate and commercial matters.

What drew you to join IO? I was drawn to join IO because of what I saw to be the building blocks of a rewarding career. The work is both interesting and impactful: every day I work on large, complex infrastructure projects that directly impact the daily lives of millions of Ontarians. IO is an agency that values being sharp, skillful and solutions-oriented: to me, this has translated in working as part of a team that seeks to adapt to changing market realities and landscapes, and is continuously problem solving. Finally, IO is also a champion of equity, diversity and inclusion, providing a safe space to learn and grow.

What is it like to work on the Transaction Legal team? The Transaction Legal team is made up of so many intelligent and talented people. It’s a fairly large team, with over 20 lawyers and non-lawyers. This means that there are a lot of people to bounce ideas off of and to collaborate and problem-solve with when faced with novel and complex issues. The team has a great culture of sharing knowledge and encouraging professional and personal growth.

Can you share your biggest accomplishment at IO? I’m very proud to have played a part in the two first progressive P3 projects – the Weeneebayko Area Health Authority Redevelopment Project and the Trillium Health Partners Broader Redevelopment Project – The Peter Gilgan Mississauga Hospital – reaching the start of the development phase. These are important healthcare projects for Ontario which will impact so many people across the province. While advising on these projects, I was able to work with a cross-functional team within IO, our co-sponsors and external advisors in creating a model that could address the unique characteristics of each of the projects.

What’s one thing IO does to make you feel empowered/supported? IO provides a lot of resources and opportunities for continuous learning and personal development. I’ve particularly enjoyed the opportunity to take advantage of the training courses offered by “Learning@IO”, including courses on how to have difficult conversations and on mental health.