UTC Canadian Technology Conference

A seasoned professional in the utility industry, the career began at Hydro One in 1986 as a Telecommunications Officer.  Designated as a Certified Engineering Technologist while holding various positions throughout my Hydro One career.

With 38 years of experience at Hydro One, expertise includes writing technical specifications for telecom equipment and collaborating with leading OEMs globally on the development and testing of telecom equipment serving protection and control applications.  Leadership experience includes over 15 years as Senior Manager for Telecom Design, overseeing significant engineering initiatives for both Transmission and Distribution.

Currently serving as Senior Manager, Telecom Engineering, responsible for design and engineering of telecom assets supporting Transmission and Distribution. This role encompasses the design and creation of standards of all telecom solutions—SONET, MPLS, wireless (licensed and unlicensed), power line carrier, satellite and leased carrier services—ensuring high reliability and low latency of all telecom services while meeting all legislative, regulatory, safety, and environmental standards.

Personal interests include healthy living, fitness, and engaging with peer utilities on common issues impacting the delivery of telecom solutions.

Mr. Khosravi is a telecom engineer working at Hydro-Quebec as a wireless architecture team leader in their telecommunications group. Having worked as an Equipment engineering team leader at Rogers Communications, a leading Canadian network operator, Mr. Khosravi brought several innovative cellular solutions to Hydro-Quebec to help solve end-client connectivity challenges.  

In particular, he developed the PVNO concept in collaboration with Hydro-Quebec’s research institute (IREQ), and was instrumental in securing policy changes from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to allow Railway and Electrical Operators (REO) to receive private dedicated Mobile Network Codes.

He holds a Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières and a Master’s degree in engineering project management from Université de Sherbrooke.

Barmak is a recipient of Electricity Canada’s first-ever Faces of the Industry Award.

Chuck Victor is an accomplished Electrical Engineer with over 38 years of experience in the telecommunications industry. Currently, he leads the Telecommunications Department at Nova Scotia Power Inc., where he oversees the engineering and operations of a province-wide telecommunications network.

Hugo Bertrand is an electrical engineer with a Master of Science degree in RF technology, specializing in antenna arrays, beamforming, and signal processing. He has over seventeen years of experience at Hydro-Québec, a leading Canadian electric utility renowned for its extensive hydropower production and vast transmission network.

Throughout his tenure at Hydro-Québec, Hugo has made significant contributions in various roles, demonstrating his expertise in telecommunications and automation applications for the electric grid. His professional journey is divided into two main phases: seven years as a Telecom Engineer, where he was involved in deploying telecommunications technologies for the electrical grid, and over ten years as a Research Engineer. In this latter role, he has focused on developing and investigating the evolution of information and telecommunications technologies to address the electric grid’s unmet and emerging needs, driven by digital transformation and the introduction of Distributed Energy Resources.

Ron Bilodeau is a Director Industry Affairs –with Osmose Utilities Services with more than40 years of experience in both telecommunications’ construction and electric utility operations management. Ron earned and MBA and has aBA in Communications and Managementfrom the University of Las Vegas Nevada (UNLV). Ron is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and is former UTC board member.

Francis Bradley is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Electricity Canada. Electricity Canada is the National Voice of Electricity and serves its electricity industry members through the work of expert professionals led by Francis and directed by a Board of Directors made up of member CEOs.  Francis is the co-chair of the National Cross-Sector Forum, overseeing Canada’s Action Plan for Critical Infrastructure. He also sits on the Steering Committee for the Electricity Sub-Sector Coordinating Council (ESCC), the Board for the Energy Council of Canada (ECC), the Positive Energy Advisory Council, and is a founding Board member of the Canadian Transportation Alliance.  At the North American Electric Reliability Corporation’s (NERC) Member Representatives Committee and Board of Trustees’ meetings, Francis represents Electricity Canada and advocates strongly for its members in their activities related to the Electric Reliability Organization Enterprise, and its role in ensuring the reliability and security of the North American bulk power system.

Ignacio Callén, Senior Vice President Sales in PowerTrunk in North America, is a veteran Sales & Marketing Telecoms Specialist, with more than 30 years of experience in the Land Mobile Radio industry. Before joining PowerTrunk, he was supporting the international expansion and consolidation of Teltronic (PowerTrunk’s mother company) with a successful Sales career in Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle-East, and CIS countries. 

Dunstan has over 28 years of experience at Hydro One in various roles within the company related to telecommunications. In the AMI space, he ran the network engineering team during Hydro One’s AMI 1 project and is currently fulfilling this role in the AMI 2 project. In addition to the AMI 2 project, he heads a team which deals with engineering and communications standards for metering.

Rod Doornbosch is an Enterprise Architect IT/OT with FortisAlberta, a large distribution utility, where his primary area of expertise is Operational Field Technologies and Communications. Mr. Doornbosch has been in the utility industry for more than 14 years, and in IT & R&D for more than 25 years. He describes himself as a true Polymath and Intrapreneur that “plants & waters bamboo”. Before joining FortisAlberta he held numerous IT and Data Analytics roles in Transportation, Industrial, Government, and Manufacturing. Mr Doornbosch has been a vocal component, advocating for the regulatory, and policy changes required to allow for the build out of shared Critical Communications Infrastructure.

Rod works at all levels and in several domains at once. This multifaceted approach and role diversity gives him a unique perspective allowing him to be just as comfortable in the field as behind a desk, presenting or advocating. Always searching for the next “thing” he’s able to connect technology and people to real world solutions. When he’s not advocating you can find him fabricating, building furniture, or doing R&D. Don’t let his size scare you, when he’s done work, he likes to regale listeners with stories over drinks.

Bio Coming Soon

Victor Hernandez has a Master and International Postgraduate Certification on IT Project Management from Euroinnova Business School in Spain, he is a BS on Electronic Engineering from de Simon Bolivar University in Venezuela.
Victor joined Teltronic (PowerTrunk HQ in Spain) in 2009 as an R&D engineer and quickly made his presence felt by developing TETRA and LTE solutions for systems in Europe, South America and USA. Today, he is the youngest VP of Operations at PowerTrunk Inc, responsible of the Project Management Office of PowerTrunk North America and Lead Project Manager of the New York City Transit TETRA BRS Project, one of the most relevant mission-critical system in the country.
He is responsible for using his specific design and technical expertise in TETRA-based products and infrastructure deployment, core nodes; base stations; and backhaul and control centers to resolve highly complex customer issues related to technical solutions and integrations.
In 2019, Victor was awarded the IWCE Young Professional Award to recognize young leaders (under 35 years) that had made significant contributions in the wireless and telecommunications technology industry.

Eric L’Heureux studied computer engineering at Concordia. After graduating in 2004, he quickly built up his telecommunications experience in the industrial field, collecting technical knowledge working with VHF, UHF, satellite and cellular, among other technologies. In 2009, he founded Ambra Solutions Inc. which creates and deploys private networks in industrial environments. Eric’s first mining customer located in Fermont was connected through Wifi mesh technology, which was limited in bandwidth. And in 2017, Ambra deployed its first private LTE network in an underground mine in Abitibi. Today, the 90-employee company is still driven by Eric’s vision : innovate and contribute towards a smarter mining industry. Ambra has connected over 70 sites in 10 countries and covered more than 900km of underground mining tunnels.

Mr Gosta Kallner holds the position as Executive Chairman of the no profit organisation 450 MHz Alliance and are advisor for industries regarding deployments of private mobile networks. Mr Kallner has more than 30 years’ experience in the telecom industry has been involved in numerous network deployments across Europe, Asia and America with various global telecom operators and equipment suppliers, among them Orange, 3 and Ericsson. The last 18 years´ focused on deploying and operating dedicated network in the lower spectrum with wide range characteristics typical 450 MHz.

Brett Kilbourne is Senior Vice President of Policy and General Counsel at the Utilities Technology Council, where he provides legal and regulatory guidance and advocacy for utilities on matters affecting their telecommunications and information technology interests pending before the Federal Communications Commission, as well as Congress, the federal courts and state public utility commissions and legislatures.   In addition to working with UTC, he was employed at the law firm of Stevens & Lee, as well as BellSouth and the law firm of Baker & Hostetler.  Brett received his Juris Doctor degree from the Catholic University, Columbus School of Law in 1998 and he received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of the South in 1987.  He is licensed to practice law in the state of Maryland, and he is admitted to the United States Supreme Court and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.  He is also a member of the American Bar Association and the Federal Communications Bar Association.  He has nearly 40 years of experience working in communications law, including over 25 years at UTC.

Cristine Korowajczuk serves as the Chief Commercial Officer at CelPlan Technologies. She possesses a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering and brings over two decades of expertise in RF planning, software development, and customer training and support. Her involvement with CelPlan’s tools extends from their inception, encompassing specifications, testing, and documentation of applications.

Cristine’s extensive customer interaction has provided her with valuable insights into client needs, facilitating her transition to a more commercially-oriented role within the organization. Her technical acumen particularly supports her engagement with industries beyond the telecommunications sector.
Specializing in the utility market, Cristine offers expert guidance on telecommunication network implementation, including technology and spectrum selection, as well as network design and optimization.

 

A seasoned professional in the utility industry, the career began at Hydro One in 1986 as aTelecommunications Officer.  Designated as a Certified Engineering Technologist while holding various positions throughout my Hydro One career.

With 38 years of experience at Hydro One, expertise includes writing technical specifications for telecom equipment and collaborating with leading OEMs globally on the development and testing of telecom equipment serving protection and control applications. Leadership experience includes over 15 years as Senior Manager for Telecom Design, overseeing significant engineering initiatives for both Transmission and Distribution.

Currently serving as Senior Manager, Telecom Engineering, responsible for design and engineering of telecom assets supporting Transmission and Distribution. This role encompasses thedesign and creation of standardsof all telecom solutions—SONET, MPLS, wireless (licensed and unlicensed), power line carrier, satellite and leased carrier services—ensuring high reliability and low latency of all telecom services while meeting all legislative, regulatory, safety, and environmental standards.

Personal interests include healthy living, fitness, and engaging with peer utilities on common issues impacting the delivery of telecom solutions.

Kathy Nelson, PE is the Founder and Principal at KN Utility Telecom Consulting, a firm specializing in utilities telecommunications strategy. Ms. Nelson has over 31 years of experience in the utility telecommunications industry including a long career of 25 years at Great River Energy, serving on the board of directors for UTC for 10 years including as Chairwoman from 2017 – 2018, providing strategic direction and leading IEEE standards development at Ondas Networks, providing strategic telecommunications consulting for utilities at West Monroe Partners and most recently founding KN Utility Telecom Consulting.

 

Ms. Nelson is a strong supporter of women in STEM, hosting a podcast “Ordinarily Extraordinary – conversations with women in STEM”. Ms. Nelson resides in Minnesota and is the mother to three adult children and a lively sheepadoodle dog.

 

Sérgio Pinto serves as the Deputy Director of the Digital Platform at E-REDES Portugal and holds the position of vice-chair at the European Telecommunication Council (EUTC). With a focus on connectivity systems and services, Sérgio brings over 30 years of experience in the telecommunications industry. He earned his degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from the University of Porto and completed an Executive-MBA at INDEG-ISCTE.

Sérgio’s career journey began at EDP, followed by joining the founding team of ONITELECOM. During his tenure there, he led the implementation of Portugal’s first nationwide Broadband Backbone and Fixed Wireless Access network, innovating in service convergence and end-to-end assurance practices for corporate, enterprise, and financial clients, progressing into executive roles spanning Engineering, Operations, and Customer Care. His tenure culminated in the role of CTO.

 

Returning to E-REDES in 2014, Sérgio actively contributes to connectivity solutions for the energy transition. Leveraging E-REDES’s Fiber and IP-MPLS infrastructure, he addresses the access domain through a Private MVNO, harnessing 4G and 5G capabilities and implementing edge computing technologies.

Motivated by the ongoing wave of ICT convergence and digital disruption, Sérgio focuses his current research on emerging technologies, architectures, and supply models. He advocates for peer cooperation and champions an “open” advanced architecture and sourcing strategy for resilient perimeters, prioritizing performance and security. Sérgio is dedicated to advancing the utility sector’s role in energy and digital transformations.

Ken is currently Head of Energy Segments for North Americaat Nokia. He and his team drive strategic programs insecure software and communications technologies as they impact critical industry markets for Power Utilities, Oil, Gas, Water and Mining. Ken’s inventiveoutlook shapes his organization’s long-term view of business and technology trends impacting Energy markets. He has been invited to speak and provide leadership on how technology promotes digital transformationin critical industry events worldwide.  His experience in the Telecommunications and Energy industries spans over 25 years. Ken’s professional acumen culminated from his roles in design, engineering, risk mitigation, management and deployment of complex digital architectures for industry leaders such as Sprint, CenturyLink and First Energy, USA.  Ken has also been recognized within Nokia and Bell Labs as a Distinguished Member of Technical Staff for sustained outstanding technical contributions.

Mr. Ratliff is a seasoned IT professional with over a decade of Information Security experience. He specializes in operating system and network security, penetration testing, and vulnerability risk assessments. He is proficient with a wide variety of system and network security solutions, including routers, switches, system and network firewalls, server and network intrusion detection systems.

Mr. Ratliff has worked at Enron Energy and Enron Broadband Services. While at Enron Energy, Mr. Ratliff served as a Senior UNIX security administrator. Mr. Ratliff’s responsibilities included providing security support for multiple datacenters. While with Enron Broadband Services, Mr. Ratliff was the Senior Security Analyst on their Information Systems Security team.

Following Enron, Mr. Ratliff was a Senior Security Analyst at The Methodist Hospital in Houston, TX. While at Methodist, he improved the security of its operations and assets through internal and external penetration testing, security assessments, and procedure review. This work was critical in ensuring secure operations within the organization and compliancy with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.

Mr. Ratliff has conducted numerous penetration tests and technical security assessments for major clients in the financial, education and electric power sectors. In addition, Mr. Ratliff has performed high-profile projects related to compliance with the NERC CIP Cyber Security Standards for several large Bulk Electric System participants, as well as the U.S. Department of Energy.

Mr. Ratliff is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), and has held certifications from Sun, Cisco, and Netscreen.

Specialties: NERC CIP
HIPAA
Vulnerability Assessments

Jean-Francois (JF) is a Sales Director at Ribbon Communications focused on Canadian critical infrastructures. Jean-Francois has 30 years of telecommunication experience having worked at Nortel, AVAYA, Ericsson, EXFO and ADTRAN with a focus on solution sales to utilities, public security network operators, municipalities, research and educational networks and service providers. Areas of interest include automation, customer experience, service assurance and open/interoperable solutions. JF is based in Montreal with his family and enjoys sports and renovations as a hobby.

SYLVAIN RIENDEAU (riendeau.sylvain@ireq.ca) holds a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in electrical engineering from École Polytechnique de Montréal in 1987 and 1991 respectively.  He joined Hydro-Québec’s Research Institute (IREQ) in 1989.  Since, he has been involved in various research and development projects related to measurement, control, protection, and telecommunication systems deployed on Hydro-Québec’s transportation and distribution network.

As part of Electricity Canada team who share the use of LTE and 5G commercial and private cellular networks for mission-critical applications, he is the originator of the PVNO concept. He promotes use of emerging telecom technology and spectrum access for Canadian electric utilities. Through his leadership and commitment, he has positioned Canada as a leader in electric grid flexibility, resiliency, security, and cost efficiency.

His interests include complex system architecture, robust embedded system developments, electronic designs for harsh environments and telecommunication technology adaptation for electric grid use, Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and home automation.

He is Vice Chair of Electricity Canada Operation Technology Telecommunication Committee, Co Chair of UTC NTN Services for Utilities Working Group and a Professional Engineer in the province of Québec.

Engineer – Federal University of Rio de Janeiro

MBA – Pontificia Universidade Catolica/RJ

1. Experience – Electric Utilities

FURNAS, ELETROBRÁS, LIGHTPAR and TermoRio

2. CONSULTANT – DTECH Tecnologia e Sistemas
3. ASSOCIATIONS – APTEL, UTC as Chairman of International Division 1997 – 2013, UTC América Latina, 2013 – now