Stephane Tardif, CPA, MBA, PMP  Managing Director, Climate Risk Division, OSFI  

Stephane Tardif is responsible for OSFI’s strategy and prudential response to climate risks and leads the office’s Climate Risk Division. Stephane’s team is responsible for climate scenario analysis, climate analytics, and Guideline B-15, which advances OSFI’s regulatory expectations for climate risk management by federally regulated financial institutions. Domestically, Stephane represents OSFI at the Sustainable Finance Action Council, and speaks at many industry events. Internationally, he is a member of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision’s (BCBS) Task Force on Climate-related Financial Risks (TFCR), is a member of Climate Risk Steering Group with the International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS), and a member of the United Nations Environment Program Finance Initiative convened Sustainable Insurance Forum. Prior to leading the Climate Risk Division, Stephane spent over 20 years supervising financial institutions and was most recently the Managing Director of the Property and Casualty Supervision Division at OSFI. He holds a BComm, MBA and is a CPA. 

Sarah Keyes, FCPA, FCA, Partner, Sustainability Strategy & Transformation, PwC Canada 

With over a decade of work experience as a thought leader, consultant, facilitator, and auditor, Sarah is a recognized sustainability and climate change expert. She regularly presents to Executive teams and Boards of Directors on the link between ESG and climate change with financial and operational performance and long-term value. In her role, Sarah helps her clients establish strategies that align with core priorities, allowing for effective integration with existing risk processes. Sarah facilitates a module on ESG and sustainable finance in the ICD’s Director Education Program and serves as the National Academic Director for the ICD’s Board Oversight of Climate Change program. Sarah also serves on the Boards of Directors of Leading Change Canada and Sustainable Buildings Canada. Sarah has a Bachelor of Commerce from McGill University, ISO 14064-3 Certification for Greenhouse Gas Verifications, and received the 2018 Emerging Leader Award from CPA Ontario. In 2023, Sarah received a Top 50 Changemaker Award from the Globe and Mail’s Report on Business. 

Lesley Christodoulou, CPA, VP, Finance & Chief Accountant, The Co-operators Group Limited 

Lesley is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the Corporate Finance function including treasury, investor relations, financial reporting and corporate FP&A for the group of companies as well as the effective management and delivery of end-to-end financial systems, transaction processing and accounting services to the insurance business units and the corporate operations. Lesley is accountable for the Climate Disclosures Report for Co-operators (formerly TCFD report). In 2021, she represented Co-operators as one of six participants in the Bank of Canada / OSFI Climate Scenario Analysis Pilot. Lesley has been with The Co-operators since 2010 in various capacities including Corporate Finance and FP&A for the P&C insurance operations. Lesley is chairperson of the Co-operators pension committee, a defined contribution plan with over $1 billion in pension assets. Lesley holds an Honours Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Wilfrid Laurier University and is a CPA.

Besa Xhyheri, MBA, FMA, CIM, Director, Sector Lead and Target Setting Strategy, Climate COE, Commercial Banking, Royal Bank of Canada 

Besa is a seasoned leader in sustainable finance, currently serving as Director, Sector Lead and Target Setting Strategy of Climate Centre of Excellence at RBC Royal Bank. She leads the development and execution of strategies to achieve greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets across priority sectors as part of RBC’s Net Zero Banking Alliance commitment. With extensive expertise in designing innovative financing solutions and aligning corporate lending programs with sustainability goals, Besa has driven transformative initiatives in commercial real estate, agriculture, and energy supply. Holding an MBA and professional designations including Chartered Investment Manager (CIM), Besa is passionate about fostering impactful change and enabling businesses to integrate sustainability into their long-term strategies.

Sabreen Salman, CPA, CA, Director, ESG Reporting & Measurement, EDC  

Sabreen’s interest in sustainability and social responsibility began during her business undergraduate studies as she led Schulich’s Corporate Social Responsibility Society, planning one of the largest annual undergraduate ESG conferences in Canada. Since then, she has established herself as a valuable and unique ESG professional. With experience developing science-based GHG emissions reduction targets, Sabreen plays an important role in helping companies transition to a low-carbon economy and make progress against their climate commitments. Using her financial accounting and reporting background, she raises sustainability and climate reporting processes to a high standard. Sabreen has a passion for sharing her journey and learnings with students who are looking to build an ESG career. Sabreen was interviewed by CPA Ontario as part of the Rise of the Warrior Accountant insights study and quoted in the CPAs and the New Social Contract research report published in 2021.