Public Procurement

With extensive experience spanning over two decades in circular economy, sustainability, and environmental management, Marcos has led numerous initiatives across diverse sectors from chemistry to energy in Latin America, Europe, and Canada. Holding significant expertise in life cycle assessment, ESG, project management, design thinking, and systems thinking, Marcos has driven cross-cultural dialogue and stakeholder engagement towards sustainability and human development. As a lean six sigma expert, he has implemented EHS programs in manufacturing industries and local governments. Currently serving as the Program Manager, Circular Economy at the City of Richmond and an Associate Professor at Institución Badra, Marcos continually strives to promote innovative circular economy practices.

Maike Althaus is the Executive Director of Canada Cleantech Alliance as well as of the Ontario Clean Technology Industry Association (OCTIA). In this double role, she advocates for Canada’s cleantech companies to address the sector’s key challenges: access to capital, markets and customers. Maike has a background in global brand building and growth communications and extensive experience leading and managing integrated communications initiatives in North America and Europe. Through her work, Maike mitigates risk for all parties whether it is reputational, financial or political. Maike has been working in the global cleantech sector for over 15 years. In 2011, she joined a global wind energy company that had just set up their North American operations in Montreal. As their Communications Director, she built the company’s brand across North America and supported its growth. Maike is fluent in French, English and German. She has been communicating in Germany, Canada and the U.S. for global companies such as Senvion, Veolia Water, Viessmann, E.ON and BNP Paribas Cardif as well as for governments, politicians and not-for-profits.

Mike is a Certified Electrical Technologist (CET) and holds a diploma in Electrical Engineering Technology from the Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC). He has been working in the clean technology sector for over 5 years, with a focus in smart city sensing and data collection, smart grid technology, renewable energy and storage systems. Mike joined Liveable Cities and LED Roadway Lighting Ltd. in 2019 and is responsible for leading and providing technical sales support on smart cities and connected lighting projects.

Myrna Bittner is the CEO and Co-Founder of RUNWITHIT Synthetics, an advanced synthetic modelling, data and 3D visualization company working in decarbonization, sustainability, equity and resilience growth initiatives globally. Myrna is passionate about connecting technology, policy and infrastructure design to human impacts and outcomes through modelling imaginable and unimaginable “what ifs” and producing the data from the future required for decision support today. RUNWITHIT’s Synthetic Twin Futures platform continues to win international awards for technology and its applications including the United Nations Global Call, Taiwan’s Top Technology Gold Medal, Toyota Mobility Foundation’s City Architecture of Tomorrow and SET100 EU Certification for Top 100 in Energy Transition. RUNWITHIT is a Certified Indigenous Business, women-led and committed to representing in building futures that are better for all.

At the City of Toronto, we drive sustainability with a triple bottom line motive to create economic activity, environmental & energy resilience, and social equality through strategic partnerships and innovative business models for sustainable urbanization.

Remi Desa is a technology entrepreneur. Born in Canada and raised in Kenya, he returned to Canada to study electrical engineering and management science at University of Waterloo. Remi’s focus on improving public transit stems from his own life experience which has showed him how integral quality transportation is to leading a productive and satisfying life. He has a passion for finding efficiencies and has over 20 years of experience working in operations and logistics.

John Downey, Senior Director of Procurement at BGIS Global Integrated Solutions, boasts 35+ years of global procurement expertise. Having overseen procurement teams across Asia, Europe, and the Americas, he has managed contracted spend exceeding $10 billion. With a strong Six Sigma background, John has held significant procurement roles at Bell-Northern Research, Nortel Networks, and the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA).

Donald Grant was born and raised in Calgary, and came to Ottawa to study at Carleton University and fell in love with the region. His career of over thirty years includes time in the private sector and the not-for-profit world before joining PSPC. Donald is also a part time professor at the University of Ottawa.

Jodi Houston has worked with the Circular Innovation Council (previously the Recycling Council of Ontario) since 2010. As the Program Manager for the organization, her focus has centred on educating and influencing the public sector to use buying power to shift markets towards circularity. Through her work, she has developed various learning and engagement tools on circular procurement, created CircularProcurement.ca, a national hub of tools, resources, and case studies for governments, and has authored multiple resources, including the recently developed Circular Procurement: Strategies for Circular Criteria resource for municipalities.