Board of Directors
The Board of Directors’ role is to provide oversight to the activities of the CEO and Executive Management Team and provide strategic direction to the activities of the company.
Powerex Board of Directors is comprised of experienced, diverse, skilled individuals appointed to oversee the conduct of Powerex's business. The Board is appointed by our shareholder, BC Hydro.
Current board members include:
Catherine Roome, P. Eng, FEC, ICD.D
Chair, Powerex Corp
Member, Audit and Risk Management Committee
Catherine is the President and Lead Executive Officer of Technical Safety BC. Previously, Catherine held positions as Chief Operating Officer, and Vice President of Engineering and Research. Prior to Technical Safety BC, she worked as General Manager, Thermal Operations for BC Hydro.
She serves as a Director of Prospera Credit Union; Chair, University of Victoria’s Campaign Advisory Council for Engineering & Computer Science; member of the Scientific Advisory Board, Neuroethics Canada; and, Director of the International Women's Forum, BC Chapter.
Catherine is the former Chair of ActSafe, the Performing Arts and Motion Picture Safety Association of BC and has held other board positions as Director of Decoda Literacy Solutions, Canadian Engineering Memorial Foundation’s BC Undergraduate Scholarship Committee Chair, and Board Member of Metro Vancouver Transit Police.
In 2018, Catherine was named one of the Top 100 women in Canada – the Top 100 Awards pays tribute to outstanding women across the country who advocates for diversity in the workforce, and who serve as an inspiration for the next generation of leaders. The awards span the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors.
She holds her Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD.D) designation.
Catherine holds her Bachelor of Electrical Engineering from the University of Victoria.
Doug Allen
Director, Powerex Corp
Doug Allen is the former Chair of BC Hydro’s Board of Directors. Mr. Allen has an extensive background in the public and private sectors in British Columbia. Previously, Mr. Allen was Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia. In 2015, he was the Interim Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of TransLink. Between 2011 to 2014, Mr. Allen served as the CEO of InTransit BC, the private company in the very successful Public/Private Partnership responsible for Canada Line that links YVR and Richmond to downtown Vancouver.
Mr. Allen has spent 10 years with the Government of Canada (mainly with the Department of Finance). In addition, his public service includes the Government of British Columbia as Provincial Deputy Minister of five different ministries including the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Employment and Investment. Mr. Allen was recently a member of the Board of Directors of the Vancouver Sun’s Adopt a School Program.
Mr. Allen holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Alberta and a Graduate Certificate in Public Administration from the University of Hawaii.
Sam Drier
Director, Powerex Corp
Chair, Audit and Risk Management Committee
Sam has held various senior roles including Chief Operating Officer, Investment Banking at Barclays Capital and as M&A manager with BHP Billiton. She started her career in the Natural Resources Investment Banking team with JPMorgan, based in London.
Sam’s previous directorships include Equinox Gold and she currently serves as Chair and Treasurer for a Vancouver-based registered charity, BabyGoRound, which supports under-resourced families across the Lower Mainland by providing essential gear so they can safely care for their babies and toddlers.
Sam holds a Bachelor of Business Science Honours degree (Finance and Economics) from the University of Cape Town.
Amanda Hobson, FCPA, FCA, C.Dir.
Director, Powerex Corp
Member, Audit and Risk Management Committee
A senior financial executive, Amanda is passionate about leadership and organizational excellence. She is a Chartered Professional Accountant, Chartered Accountant and Chartered Director. Strategic and results oriented, with a diverse background in both public and private sectors, she brings more than 20 years’ experience with large international publicly traded and private companies in the areas of finance, investor relations, strategy, governance and risk management.
Amanda’s been recognized as one of BC’s Most Influential Women in Finance (2019), Canada’s Most Powerful Women, Top 100 (2018), and a BC CFO of the Year, Emerging Leader (2017).
Amanda holds a Bachelor of Commerce Degree from the University of Victoria.
Marilyn Loewen Mauritz, LL.B., ICD.D
Director, Powerex Corp
Marilyn Loewen Mauritz is a senior executive and corporate director. Most recently, she was the Chief Organizational Development Officer at Atlas Corp., where she led HR, Insurance, ESG and Corporate Communications globally. Prior to joining Atlas, Ms. Mauritz held several senior executive positions at Central 1 Credit Union. This included serving as its interim Chief Executive Officer and later as Chief Transformation & Legal Officer, where she led strategic planning, business transformation, legal, IT and stakeholder relations. Previously Ms. Mauritz was General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at Interfor Corporation and was Senior Counsel at Methanex Corporation, advising on multi-million-dollar transactions.
Marilyn also serves as a director of Powerex Corp. Previously, she served on the Board of Governors of BCIT. She obtained a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Calgary and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from McMaster University. Marilyn is a graduate of the Institute of Corporate Directors, ICD.D.
Chris O'Riley
Director, Powerex Corp
Chris O'Riley is BC Hydro's President and CEO.
Chris leads B.C.'s largest Crown corporation, the fourth-largest company in the province as ranked by annual revenue. With a clean energy advantage thanks to a long history of hydroelectric generation, BC Hydro delivers 98% renewable and clean electricity to its 4 million customers. To ensure a reliable supply of this critical product, BC Hydro will spend approximately $2 billion per year over the next 10 years to refurbish and expand its electricity assets. With construction of the Site C Project currently underway, Chris continues to seek opportunities to support clean development in B.C., such as through low carbon electrification.
Chris built his career at BC Hydro, starting as an engineer-in-training fresh out of university in 1990. During his 30-year career, Chris has held positions throughout the organization and across the province, including roles working with customers, leading operations, overseeing capital projects, and working at BC Hydro's trading subsidiary, Powerex. He has been a member of BC Hydro's Executive Team since 2007, and was appointed Deputy Chief Executive Officer in 2015.
Originally from Nova Scotia, Chris's family relocated to B.C. in 1974. Why? His dad was inspired by the growth in B.C. and in particular, a Time Magazine article featuring W.A.C. Bennett, B.C.'s premier from 1952 to 1972 and the driving force behind BC Hydro as we know it today.
With great appreciation for the sense of history and legacy of our province's crown jewel, Chris feels honoured to be leading the company today. Chris is a Professional Engineer and holds a Master's degree in Business Administration. He lives in Vancouver with his wife and three children, where he is active in his local community.