Leadership

With over 30 years of industry experience in the energy sector, Chris White holds the position of President and CEO of ERTH Corporation. Chris has played a major role in the creation of ERTH Power through the merger of ten Ontario-based electric utilities and most recently, leading the ERTH team through the merger with Goderich Hydro in 2018, while building on the valued partnerships established with our communities.

Chris’s inspiring career began in 1988 as an Apprentice Powerline Technician with Ingersoll PUC (now ERTH Power Corporation). Over the years, Chris has held various supervisory, management, senior management and executive positions within the organization and in 2010 became President of the regulated utility, ERTH Power Corporation, serving the interests of nine municipal shareholders. In 2013, Chris added Chief Operating Officer of ERTH Corporation to his list of responsibilities.

Chris was appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer of ERTH Corporation in 2016.  In this role, Chris has been an active leader in the electricity sector, sitting on various committees, boards, and associations, including serving as the Chair of the Electricity Distributors Association in 2021.  Chris’ commitment to evolving the traditional utility business was recognized when he was honoured as one of Canada’s 2021 Clean50 award winners and the Clean16 leader in the Traditional Energy & Generation category.

Chris is a graduate of the Electrical Engineering Technician program at Fanshawe College and has completed his Executive Leadership Development Certificate from the Richard Ivey School of Business; a Masters Certificate in Energy Sector Leadership from York University; and Competitive Decision Making Certificate from Harvard Business School

As a Chartered Professional Accountant and Certified General Accountant, Robert has over 30 years of financial experience and has spent 20+ years in the electricity industry providing financial, strategic and regulatory leadership to electric utilities, public water utilities and various competitive activities, including renewable energy projects.

As Chief Financial Officer, Robert is responsible for the strategic management and performance of ERTH’s accounting and finance functions.

Prior to joining ERTH Corporation, Rob was the COO of a local power distribution company and previously served as acting CEO and CFO.

With over 20 years of experience providing regulatory, financial and strategic leadership in the electricity sector, Graig has helped facilitate several mergers providing analytical and operational support throughout the process and during merger transitions.

Graig gained his expertise through various roles within the ERTH group of companies and in conjunction with previous consulting experiences prior to and during the deregulation of the electric industry.

As Vice President and General Manager of ERTH Power, Graig is responsible for the day to day operation of the regulated arm of the ERTH group of companies; ensuring safe and reliable supply of electricity to its customers and a commitment to customer service.

Eustacia joined ERTH Corporation as Executive Assistant to the President & CEO in 2007, and later added the role of Corporate Secretary to her title. Supporting ERTH’s Executive Management Team and Board of Directors, Eustacia brings a variety of skills and knowledge including executive administration, sales, marketing, and management.

Appointed as the ERTH Power Board Chair, Gunars Ceksters is a registered Professional Electrical Engineer in the Province of Ontario.

He has had a 30-year career in the utility sector in Ontario culminating as President of Enersource Hydro Mississauga. He has also held positions as President of the Ontario Energy Network, board member of the Electricity Distributors Association (EDA), and worked throughout his career supporting the advancement of the utility sector in Ontario.

Appointed by the Town of Ingersoll, Paul Madden has enjoyed a varied and successful career with the global 3M Company, retiring in 2018.  Paul was appointed CEO of 3M Australia/New Zealand in 2007, President of 3M Canada in 2012, and President of 3M’s Global Automotive and Aerospace Division in 2016. While in Canada, Paul was a member of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives, was a member of the United Way cabinet in the London region and was involved with the St Joseph’s Hospital Foundation fundraising Board.

Sarah Simmons was appointed to the ERTH Power Corporation Board of Directors in August 2023. Sarah is an electricity sector professional with over 15 years of experience in the electricity sector, currently working as the Director, Utilities and Innovation for Power Advisory LLC. She has worked with utility scale and distributed generators, electricity distributors and transmitters, system operators, industrial load customers, and emerging technology providers.

Sarah has supported clients in electricity regulatory and policy matters with a particular focus on sector evolution and distributed energy resources. Recently, she contributed to the development of several innovative studies and reports, including the Ontario Independent Electricity System Operator’s Innovation Roadmap and Workplan, the Electricity Distributor Association’s Power to Connect Roadmap to a Brighter Future, and the Ontario Energy Association’s Discussion Paper on Load-Serving Entities.

Scott was appointed as an independent director in 2019. Scott began his career in the energy industry as an engineer in 1990. For more than 20 years Scott has been counsel to natural gas distributors and storage developers and electricity distributors, generators, transmitters and energy service providers at the Ontario Energy Board, the New Brunswick Energy and Utilities Board, the Environmental Review Tribunal, at various courts and in numerous commercial transactions.