Our People
Emera Energy gets its strength from a team of seasoned professionals whose knowledge, experience and client commitment is a welcome constant in an ever-changing, complex energy marketplace. We are driven by the company’s vision: to be the client choice in energy management through the relentless delivery of innovative value-enhancing solutions. Interested in joining the team? You can learn about career opportunities with Emera Energy on our careers page.
Executive Team
Emera Energy’s strong operating results and solid financial performance are due in great part to the vision and leadership of our experienced executive team. Each member of the team is dedicated to ensuring that Emera Energy becomes more diverse and builds greater capabilities to meet the changing needs of our customers, shareholders and employees.
Wayne O’Connor
Chief Operating Officer
- Wayne has been integral to the establishment and growth of energy marketing and trading at Emera since joining the company in 2003.
- 20 years experience in marketing and trading in markets across North America, and brings extensive knowledge of gas and electricity markets, related financial products and risk management to his role.
- As Vice-President, Operations for Emera Energy, he managed a professional staff of traders and schedulers for both electricity and natural gas.
- In 2008, he was promoted to Chief Operating Officer, and now has Executive responsibility for all aspects of the operation.
- Wayne serves as Chair on the Board of Governors of Armbrae Academy.
- An Alberta native, he has a Bachelor of Management, Marketing, from the University of Lethbridge.
Judy Steele, FCA
VP Finance
- Judy joined Emera Energy in 2007. Previously, she was Director, Investor and External Relations, for Emera Inc. She has a broad knowledge of the overall business, including its relationship with the capital markets, financial disclosure, growth strategy, and regulatory affairs.
- Judy is responsible for Emera Energy’s finance, accounting, planning, budgeting and control, and works closely with Emera Inc.’s enterprise-wide Risk Management team. She also oversees EE’s Gas Scheduling function.
- A Fellow Chartered Accountant, she worked for 13 years in the financial services industry for Ernst & Young before joining Emera in 1999.
- She is a Director of Film Nova Scotia, a Provincial Crown Corporation. She previously served as a Director of The Halifax Port Authority, and as Chair of its Audit Committee. She was Chair of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, one of Canada’s leading charitable organizations.
- Judy graduated from Mount Saint Vincent University with a Bachelor of Public Relations.
- Judy is currently the interim CFO at Emera Inc.
Karen Hutt
Vice-President, Commercial
- Karen brings almost 20 years of experience in marketing and sales, strategy, and business development to her role as Vice-President, Commercial for Emera Energy
- Karen is responsible for all commercial activities in Emera Energy including gas and power marketing and trading, origination, asset management as well as acquisitions.
- She has successfully led the acquisition and integration of some of Energy Energy’s largest clients and continues to pursue growth opportunities for the business.
- Karen joined NSPI in 2001 and has extensive experience across Emera. Prior to joining Emera Energy in 2006, Karen was Director, Corporate Strategy and Development where she led Emera Inc.’s strategy process, including enterprise-wide business planning and investment opportunity evaluation.
- Karen is s Past-Chair of the Junior Achievement of Nova Scotia Board of Directors and a past Board Member of the Nova Scotia Arthritis Society.
- She is a graduate of both Mount Saint Vincent University and Acadia University
Archie Collins
Vice President, Operations
- Archie brings 20 years of experience in electricity generation, now key to Emera Energy in light of its Bayside investment and its pursuit of additional generation assets.
- Most recently Archie was Director of Plant Operations with Nova Scotia Power, with responsibility for all aspects of plant performance, workplace safety, production, environmental compliance and cost control.
- He has also been Plant Manager at both the Point Tupper Generating Station and the Lingan Generating Station. Under Archie’s leadership, Point Tupper ranked first in Canada for performance achievement in 2004; and Lingan became the first operating area in NSPI to reach one million hours without a lost-time injury in 2008.
- Archie is a Professional Engineer (Chemical), and an alumnus of both St Francis Xavier University and the Technical University of Nova Scotia (now Dal Tech)
- He recently completed a 6 year term on the Board of Directors for the Superport Corporation, and presently serves on Board of Directors for the IWK Health Center in Halifax
Heidi Leslie, LLB, BA
Vice President, Legal & Regulatory
- As the newest member of Emera Energy’s Executive Team, Heidi, joined Emera Energy in September 2010
- Heidi brings 14 years of experience in law firms in Russia, Ontario, New Zealand and Halifax in the areas of Corporate and Commercial law
- Prior to joining Emera Energy, Heidi was seconded to Nova Scotia Power to carry out the legal work on the Port Hawkesbury biomass project
- Heidi holds a BA (Hons) and an LLB both from Dalhousie University
- She recently joined the Board of Directors of Phoenix House