Two Keynote Speakers Confirmed for ICRP 2021

2021-04-14

Pictured left: Rumina Velshi, President and CEO of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC), Pictured Right: Stephanie Smith, President and CEO of CANDU Owners Group (COG)

 

The ICRP 2021 Organising Committee is pleased to announce that Rumina Velshi and Stephanie Smith have accepted invitations to be keynote speakers at the 6th International Symposium on the System of Radiologial Protection from 1-4 November 2021 in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Rumina Velshi was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) in August 2018.

Ms. Velshi has had a long association with the CNSC, having been a Commission member from 2011 until her appointment as President and CEO.

Ms. Velshi has extensive technical, regulatory and adjudication expertise in the energy industry. Throughout her career, she has worked in various capacities at Ontario Hydro and Ontario Power Generation, the electrical utilities in the province. Ms. Velshi also previously served as a part-time Board member of the Ontario Energy Board, the economic regulator of the province’s electricity and natural gas sectors.

Key priorities for Ms. Velshi include ensuring that the CNSC and other nuclear regulators are ready to respond to innovation and accelerating technological change, are collaborating with a view to eventually harmonize regulatory reviews, and are continuing to find ways to gain and enhance public trust.

In February 2020, Ms. Velshi was appointed Chairperson of the Commission on Safety Standards (CSS), established by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), for a four-year term.

Ms. Velshi very actively promotes careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), especially for young women.

Ms. Velshi holds a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in civil engineering, a Master of Engineering degree in chemical Engineering and a Master of Business Administration, all from the University of Toronto.

 

Stephanie Smith assumed the role of CANDU Owners Group (COG) President and CEO in 2020. Prior to joining COG, Stephanie served as Deputy Site Vice President at Ontario Power Generation's (OPG) Darlington Nuclear Plant. Stephanie has 30 years of experience in the nuclear industry, including roles in senior management as well as plant operations and management.  She was named 2020 Leader of the year by Electricity Human Resources Canada.

Stephanie has achieved a number of firsts in her career. She is the first female president in COG’s 36-year history, as well as the first woman certified by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission as a shift manager at the Pickering Nuclear Plant. She was also the first female maintenance manager and plant manager at a Canadian nuclear power plant. In 2016, she was appointed OPG’s first female director of operations and maintenance, overseeing all maintenance activity at the Pickering plant, from fuel handling to safety systems. Stephanie is committed to making the nuclear sector more accessible for all through her involvement with Driving the Advancement of Women in Nuclear (DAWN).

Stephanie was previously seconded to roles at the World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO) and the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO) before being appointed Deputy SVP at OPG in 2019.  

Stephanie is a graduate of the University of Toronto with a bachelor of applied science in chemical engineering and is also a certified professional engineer in Ontario.