Management

Ivette Vera-Perez, President & CEO, has over 15 years of experience in the cleantech and environmental technologies sector. Her expertise spans from business development to site engineering, operations, and financing. She holds a Master of Applied Science from the University of British Columbia, and an MBA from McGill University.

Before joining the CHFCA, Ms. Vera-Perez was the National Team Lead for Mitacs’s Account Management group and directed a multidisciplinary group of account managers across Canada with the mandate of helping industry secure top talent to advance innovation. She also previously served as the Manager for the Greenhouse Gas Reduction programs at the Ontario Centres of Innovation, where she managed over $275 million in program funding. Ivette also serves on the board of the Ontario Clean Technologies Industry Association (OCTIA).

Mark Kirby is a seasoned chemicals and cleantech executive with a decade of experience in the hydrogen and fuel cell industry. Mr. Kirby has held senior positions at Ballard Power Systems, where he managed the $100 million divestiture of the company’s automotive fuel cell business to Daimler and Ford, as well as Questair Technologies.

Former President and CEO of Fortress Advanced Bioproducts, the biotechnology division of Fortress Global Enterprises, Mr. Kirby laid the groundwork for a Canadian biorefinery demonstration project with over $30 million in government support. He also co-founded S2G Biochemicals, where he was responsible for leveraging millions of dollars in government and private funding while developing strategic partnerships to position the company’s technology for commercialization. Additionally, Mr. Kirby was responsible for integrating acquisitions and growing new global businesses for a $100 million division of Praxair.

Mr. Kirby is currently a member of the HTEC Board of Directors. He holds a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of British Columbia.

With more than 30 years of experience, Marie Lapointe holds an engineering degree and has successfully held various positions in plant management, strategy and marketing at Niobec, Rio Tinto Alcan and Rio Tinto Fer et Titanium. She previously held the position of CEO of Aluquébec, the aluminum processing cluster in Quebec.

Passionate about business development, stewardship and collaboration, Ms. Lapointe brings her dedication to the growth of the Canadian hydrogen sector in collaboration with private and public partners.

Ms. Lapointe leads Hydrogène Québec and oversees advocacy, communications, and government relations for the sector in Quebec and eastern Canada with the objective of helping the sector grow, increase sales, attract investment and develop exportable technologies.

Matthew Klippenstein is a fluently-bilingual chemical engineer who has worked in British Columbia’s clean energy economy for the past 20 years. In addition to his extensive hydrogen and fuel cell sector experience, he worked as a consultant in Wood’s renewable energy group performing energy yield assessments for wind and solar projects. A plug-in electric vehicle early adopter, he led outreach and co-administered the Government of British Columbia’s pioneering EV infrastructure rebates for multi-unit buildings through the Plug In BC initiative of the non-profit Fraser Basin Council.

A co-author of the British Columbia Hydrogen Study, Mr. Klippenstein co-authored the industry reference Fuel Cell Industry Review in 2017 and 2018. He chronicled the early years of the Canadian plug-in electric vehicle market at GreenCarReports.com, and his writing has appeared in Wood MacKenzie’s GreenTechMedia.com and Canada’s National Observer.

As Executive Director of Hydrogen BC and regional manager for western Canada, Mr. Klippenstein oversees advocacy, marketing, communications, and government relations for the sector in British Columbia and western Canada.

Robert Stasko is the Executive Director at the Hydrogen Business Council (HBC). A seasoned business development professional providing management consulting services focused on developing and implementing clean-tech energy solutions, Mr. Stasko is an energy technology specialist who has held management positions in R&D, product development, market analysis and collaborative pilot projects. He has also worked on major policy initiatives for governments and corporate clients in Ontario & Canada. Mr. Stasko holds a master’s degree in Biomedical and Electrical Engineering from the University of Toronto.

Nicolas Hilario joined the CHFCA in 2015 and currently oversees the daily activities of the association as Director of Operations. This includes managing relationships with government stakeholders, media and members, executing the association’s public affairs and communications strategy through its digital media channels, and coordinating the CHFCA’s participation in events and outbound trade missions to major global markets.

Before joining the CHFCA, Mr. Hilario held marketing and communications positions in the civil construction, software, and professional sports industries.

Mary Jean Rodriguez directs CHFCA’s administrative and finance departments, overseeing general financial operations and human resources administration. Holder of the Chartered Professional Accountant and Certified Management Accountant designations, Ms. Rodriguez has extensive combined experience in finance and accounting in private, public and not-for-profit organizations in Canada and abroad.