PRIOR TO 1995 – INDEPENDENT POWER GENERATION

As a banker I specialized in financing regulated industries which encompassed cable, telephone and gas utilities –and more specifically, project financing for non-utility generation, more commonly known as independent power generation projects.

Finance. I became an expert in regulated industries and the financing structures for these sectors. I negotiated power purchase agreements with principals and utilities that included means to manage technical risks such as conditions under which power could be solicited or interrupted or forced off-line.

We were invited by Hydro-Quebec to discuss of the terms of power purchase agreements to establish a template that would be acceptable to both the utility and the financial community.

My contacts included bankers, treasury personnel as well as the utility’s engineering staff, and I developed in depth knowledge of electricity transmission and familiarity with technical issues.

DURING THE LATE 1990’s – 2007: UTILITY CONSULTING

Utilities deregulation became an important theme at the end of the 90’s. The technical knowledge I had developed combined with my background in utilities financing provided an opportunity for me to undertake consulting mandates – both in the area of finance , as well as in the development of regulatory policy.

PPP’s Waste-Water. Private-Public Partnerships became a term used to describe independently financed and owned ventures that provided services to government agencies on the basis of long-term contracts.

Leveraging the familiar cogeneration template, as principal I managed several proposals to municipalities here and abroad (Brazil) for the construction of large waste-to-energy facilities. I became familiar with the infrastructure development mandates of international organizations such as the Latin-American Development Bank and the African Development Bank. I dealt principally with municipalities’ engineering staff and their legislatures, councils and committees. I believe that the exposure to decision-makers at these levels helped me build the kind of confidence that would become very useful in presenting compelling presentations.

Policy Development – Electricity. The turn of the millennium in the utilities sector ushered in an era of unprecedented experimentation world-wide with the development of market structures and processes that reflected a belief in the inherent higher efficiency of open market mechanisms.

These approaches have since met with mixed levels of success. Very important vulnerabilities were revealed in the wake of market failures: many open market systems failed to provide adequate transparency to satisfy private investment and the dependability of distribution systems was compromised by these additional stresses.

I have attended electricity conferences and have met with policy directors at the Ontario Energy Board as well as the National Energy Board. I understand over the years, and understand the nature of regulatory bodies, and respect the calibre of the personnel and the import of the matters on the table.

The task at hand has always been to offer intellectual products or to refine advisory models for a sophisticated audience. Whether my clients and colleagues have been from the private sector, the public sector, the financial sector, engineering consultants or lawyers I have always earned their respect by paying close attention to their opinions and by addressing them with enthusiasm, integrity,an analytical mind and a pro-active countenance.