A multi-faceted cross-Canada team serving entrepreneurs
Sustainable Development Technology Canada is the single biggest investor in Canadian sustainability entrepreneurs. SDTC is a foundation created by the Government of Canada in 2001 to invest in technologies that will create economic and environmental prosperity for all Canadians.
The individuals at SDTC are experts on how sustainable technology is being advanced in Canada through hundreds of projects and companies we’ve worked with, as well as our leading private sector experts who sit on our board of directors.
Meet our Executive Team
From coast to coast, we have built a highly skilled team who are driven by our mission.
Ziyad Rahme
Chief Operating Officer
As the Vice President of Investments, Ziyad provides leadership for SDTC’s strategy and approach to the investment process, ensuring that SDTC is sourcing and nurturing innovative companies that have the potential to deliver strong environmental and economic benefits to Canada. Ziyad oversees the day-to-day operation of SDTC’s start-up and scale-up investment streams, including intake, due diligence, recommendation of investments to SDTC’s Project Review Committee and Board, and post-approval monitoring and support. He is also responsible for overall portfolio management, monitoring and outcomes assessment.
Previously the Vice President of Partnerships, Ziyad provided leadership for engaging SDTC’s key stakeholders, with a focus on finding ways to effectively support SDTC’s portfolio companies, ensuring they grew and contributed to Canada’s competitive advantage in the global sustainability technology market.
Prior to joining SDTC, Ziyad spent 18 years at Iogen Corporation, a leading developer of advanced low-carbon biofuels, where he contributed in various roles involving progressive and expanding leadership responsibility.
Ziyad holds an M.B.A., an M.Sc. in Environmental Engineering and a B.A.Sc. in Chemical Engineering.
Sheryl Urie
Vice President Finance
Sheryl joined SDTC in 2019 as the Director, Finance & Administration and was promoted to Vice President, Finance in 2023. Building on 25 years of experience in financial diligence, contracting, financial management and performance management, Sheryl provides leadership to ensure appropriate financial health monitoring, risk assessments and contracting of the projects within SDTC’s portfolio.
Prior to joining SDTC, Sheryl grew her experience in the public and private sectors, with senior leadership roles at Lockheed Martin, PPP Canada and Mitel, overseeing the finance, risk management and contracting functions to ensure a high level of accountability for the management of public funds. Sheryl also spent a number of years at Deloitte in the Financial Advisory Service group providing advice on mergers, acquisitions, business plans and equity valuations across many business sectors.
Sheryl serves as the Treasurer and Finance Committee Chair for Meals on Wheels (Ottawa). She is a past member of the Board of Directors of the Ottawa Girls Hockey Association and the Glebe Cooperative Nursery School, serving as Treasurer and Registrar, respectively.
Sheryl has her Bachelor of Commerce from Queen’s University. She also holds a Chartered Professional Accountant, Chartered Accountant designation, Chartered Business Valuator designation in addition to being Chartered Financial Analyst charter holder.
Zoë Kolbuc
Vice President Ecosystems
Driven by her love of innovation and collaboration, Zoë leads SDTC’s efforts to seek out ambitious entrepreneurs developing sustainable solutions in every region of Canada. She also leads the development of communications and business growth strategies to tell the stories of these innovators throughout their journey to commercialization.
As Vice-President Ecosystems, Zoë focuses on SDTC’s early-stage investments including our Seed Funding and conveying SDTC’s internal and external messaging. Zoë recognizes that companies, especially early-stage companies, need a network of support and funding to grow their emerging businesses. Since joining SDTC she has developed new approaches to build partnerships and entrepreneurial capacity across Canada, was pivotal in establishing SDTC’s first equity, diversity and inclusion strategy and maintains a diverse network of relationships with key stakeholders in Canada’s leading economic sectors.
Zoë is an expert problem-solver and a curious leader with a diverse background in government, energy and sustainability. Prior to joining SDTC, Zoë held leadership roles in global energy companies. Based in Calgary, Alberta, Zoë and her partner are the proud parents to three future SheEOs.
Steven Engel
Vice President People & Technology
As Vice President of People & Technology, Steven brings his leadership of integrated business, technology and data teams and projects to SDTC. A seasoned executive with extensive experience in a variety of innovative business and government sectors, Steven has directed transformation and growth initiatives, leveraging people, processes, data and information technology for the purposes of value aggregation.
Prior to joining SDTC, Steven was the Senior Vice President of Information Technology at Greystone Managed Investments Inc. When Greystone was acquired by TD Bank’s Asset Management division in 2018, Steven served as a leader in the transformational integration of the two entities. Holding leadership positions with international consulting and technology firms progressing from western Canadian to Canadian to global responsibilities over a 20-year period, Steven has gained hands-on experience in education, healthcare, energy, utility, transportation, finance, asset management and government sectors.
Steven is the incoming Chair of the Board of Directors for Group Medical Services——a Canadian purpose-driven provider of health and wellness insurance–related services. An active community member, Steven is a Coach and Board Member on the Regina Alpine Race Team and now is the Past President of Alpine Saskatchewan.
Steven holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Queen’s University and a Bachelor of Administration degree from the University of Regina.
Brian Scott
Acting Vice-President, Investments
Brian Scott is the Acting Vice President, Investments at SDTC. He is an experienced leader, with a proven track record of building high performing, multi-disciplinary teams in small and large organizations in Canada and the US. Brian joined SDTC as a Director in 2018 and has helped lead the transformation and operations of the Investments team, growing new approvals by 65%.
Prior to joining SDTC, Brian was a senior leader with Novozymes, a world leading industrial biotechnology company, where he held roles in product development, IP and business strategy. Brian began his career with Iogen Corporation, a Canadian bioenergy and biocatalyst company where he held various leadership roles in technology and product development.
He is passionate about mentoring and helping others perform at their best, as he is about sustainable development and helping Canada become a world leader. Brian has an MSc from the University of Ottawa.
Governance
Governance and oversight of SDTC’s activities are provided by an independent Board of Directors. Our Board of Directors is responsible for the strategic vision of the foundation and provides fiduciary oversight through four sub-committees: Audit, Governance and Nominating, People & Culture, and Project Review.
Collectively, the Board of Directors brings experience and expertise from multiple sectors and represents diversity in gender, language, ethnicity and region.
Both the Chair and the President and CEO serve on the Board Committees as ex-officio, non-voting members.
SDTC is accountable to Parliament through the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED).
Paul Boothe
Chairman
Dr. Paul Boothe is an economist with a long career of public service at the provincial and federal levels. Dr. Boothe’s public sector career includes serving as Deputy Minister of the Environment (2010 to 2012), Senior Associate Deputy Minister of Industry (2007 to 2010), Associate Deputy Minister of Finance and G7 Deputy for Canada (2004 to 2005), and Deputy Minister of Finance and Secretary to Treasury Board for Saskatchewan (1999 to 2001).
His work experience includes university research and teaching, and acting as an independent consultant to Canadian and international organizations. He is a retired professor at the Ivey Business School, past director of the Lawrence National Centre for Policy and Management and a former faculty member at the University of Alberta. He is the author, co-author or editor of more than 80 articles, monographs and books. In 2016, he was appointed a member of the Order of Canada.
Cassie J. Doyle
Cassie lives in Victoria, BC, and serves as a director for several Crown and non-profit organizations. She enjoyed a long and diverse career in public service with all three orders of government. She was the Deputy Minister of Natural Resources Canada and Associate DM of Environment Canada as well as DM of various ministries in the BC government. She represented Canadian interests in California as Consul General in San Francisco and the Silicon Valley and was the CEO of the Canadian International Resources and Development Institute at UBC.
Cassie has extensive governance experience. She recently completed a term as the founding Chair of the Canada Energy Regulator as well as the Chair of BC Housing. She is a director of the Institute for Research in Public Policy and the Fraser Basin Council. She chaired an expert panel for the Council of Canadian Academies on Integrated Natural Resource Management and was a member of several boards of charitable organizations including Oxfam Canada and the United Way in both Ottawa and San Francisco, and currently the Threshold Housing Society in Victoria.
Cassie holds a master’s degree in social policy and administration from Carleton University and a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Victoria.
Marta Morgan
Marta Morgan was the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2019 to 2022. Prior to that she held a number of senior positions in the Government of Canada including Deputy Minister of Immigration, Citizenship and Refugees, Associate Deputy Minister of Finance and Associate Deputy Minister of Industry Canada.
She played a key role in the Government of Canada’s response to significant foreign policy challenges including the international dimensions of COVID, an evolving approach to Canada-China relations and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
She has deep experience in the development of economic policy, including telecommunications, autos, and aerospace. She served 6 years as Vice President Competitiveness and International at the Forest Products Association of Canada, where she worked effectively with Canadian industry and government to advance the economic competitiveness of the sector. Marta is currently Senior Advisor to the President of the Public Policy Forum and the Co-chair of the International Economic Policy Council at the C.D. Howe Institute.
Carole Swan
Carole Swan retired from the federal public service in 2011 after serving 4 years as President of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
Born and educated in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Carole received a Bachelors (Honours) degree in Economics and a Masters degree in Economics from the University of Manitoba.
Coming out of university, Carole was actively involved in women’s issues and was the President of the Manitoba Action Committee on the Status of Women and Vice-President of the National Action Committee on the Status of Women.
Carole began her public service career in 1975 with the Government of Manitoba, working as a research economist in the areas of labour markets and advanced education.
In 1978 Carole moved to Ottawa and over the next three decades rose through the ranks of the federal public service. She worked in a number of departments including Privy Council Office, Treasury Board Secretariat, Status of Women Canada and Industry Canada.
In 1999 Carole was appointed Associate Secretary of the Treasury Board and subsequently in 2002 Associate Deputy Minister of Industry Canada.
Her passions include a love of music, regular week-long visits to Paris to continue improving her French language skills and being engaged in various sports.
Robert Dunlop
Robert retired from Industry Canada where he was the assistant deputy minister responsible for science and innovation. He held this position between 2009 and 2014, and before that he served at the assistant deputy minister level at Finance Canada where he co-managed the Economic Development and Corporate Finance Branch. Over his career, he has had responsibilities in a number of areas including program management, policy development and supporting ministers.
Kathy O'Hara
Kathy O’Hara has an extensive and distinguished career in public service, spanning several decades and key roles within the Canadian government. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto, an MBA and Commerce degree from the University of British Columbia, and a Master’s in Public Policy from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.
Kathy’s professional journey includes significant leadership positions. From October 2006 to August 2008, she served as Senior Associate Deputy Minister at Human Resources and Development Canada. Prior to this, she was the Deputy Secretary to the Cabinet (Machinery of Government) at the Privy Council Office from 2002 to 2006. Her earlier roles include Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet for Social Development Policy at the Privy Council Office, Assistant Deputy Minister of International Affairs at Human Resources Development Canada, and Director General of Policy Development at National Health and Welfare Canada. She has also held various senior positions in policy planning and strategic management across several government departments.
Kathy’s career reflects her deep commitment to public service and her expertise in policy development and strategic planning. Her educational background and extensive experience make her a valuable asset in any strategic and leadership capacity.
Board of Directors
Members
Operating independently from the board, Members are in place to represent the SDTC shareholders — the Canadian public at large. The Members annually review the Foundation’s performance, approve the Foundation’s auditors and approve independent directors to the board.
