CNSC Departmental Audit Committee

The President and CEO of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC), in consultation with the Comptroller General of Canada, is responsible for establishing and maintaining an independent departmental audit committee (DAC) that includes a majority of external members recruited from outside the federal public administration and appointed by Treasury Board.

The DAC is responsible for providing the President with independent advice and recommendations on the sufficiency, quality and results of internal and external audit engagements related to the adequacy and functioning of the department’s frameworks and processes for risk management, control and governance. The DAC also provides advice and recommendations on matters for which the President, as accounting officer, is responsible and on other related matters as needed or requested by the President. In addition, the DAC uses a risk-based approach to review all core areas of departmental management, control and accountability processes, including reporting.

The CNSC’s DAC is composed of 4 members: 3 external members appointed by Treasury Board and 1 internal member. Julie Gelfand (DAC Chair), Glenn Janes and Patricia Li have been appointed as external members. The internal member is the CNSC President and CEO.

Julie Gelfand, Departmental Audit Committee Chair

Julie Gelfand is the former federal Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development in the Office of the Auditor General of Canada. Julie led a historic collaborative audit on climate change with the provincial Auditors Generals as well as audits on subjects such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), toxic substances, biodiversity, and the federal oversight of industrial activities (mining, aquaculture, nuclear energy, and pipelines). She also worked with Auditors General from around the world to promote the SDGs.

Prior to this, Julie was the Vice President of Environment and Social Responsibility at Rio Tinto, Iron Ore Company of Canada (IOC) where she was a member of the Executive Team and had full responsibility for all environmental and social responsibility files.

Prior to joining the IOC, Julie was Vice President, Sustainable Development at the Mining Association of Canada (MAC) from 2008 to 2011 and President of Nature Canada from 1992 to 2008.

At MAC, Julie led the development of the mining industry’s social responsibility initiative, Towards Sustainable Mining. Julie also led the development of the industry’s Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives related to how Canadian companies operate overseas.

During her 16 years as the President of Nature Canada, Julie led campaigns to get new National Parks established and new laws to protect nature (including the federal Species at Risk Act). Julie was the founder of the Green Budget Coalition, an alliance of twenty-two national environmental NGOs working to achieve ecological fiscal reform. During her tenure, Nature Canada identified all the Important Bird Areas of Canada. Julie sat on the Global Board of Directors of BirdLife International and helped the Americas division become the second largest region of the BirdLife family.

Julie has significant experience sitting on boards of directors of charitable organizations both nationally and internationally.

Glenn Janes, Departmental Audit Committee Member

Glenn Janes has spent his career developing and implementing strategies to finance and successfully commercialize technology. Most recently, he was the first CEO of the Research & Development Corporation (RDC). Before returning to Canada to help get RDC off the ground, Mr. Janes worked with Imperial Innovations Group plc, a leading technology commercialization company in London, England. He also has extensive experience working with young and growing companies to develop new products, target and penetrate markets, and grow sales.

Mr. Janes currently serves on the board of Genoa Design International Ltd. and the Dr. Leonard Miller Centre Advisory Committee. In addition, he recently served on the St. John’s Board of Trade, the Board of Canadian Adaptive Snowsports, and the Newfoundland and Labrador Chapter Executive of the Institute of Corporate Directors. As a result, he has served on and chaired committees dealing with such things as strategy, human resources, finance and organizational risk. He also served as Secretary of the Rhodes Trust for Newfoundland and Labrador for 10 years.

Mr. Janes is a Rhodes Scholar. He holds master’s degrees in business administration and in environmental change and management from Oxford University. He completed a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry at Yale University, and holds the Chartered Director (C.Dir.) designation from The Directors College of Canada and the ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors.

Patricia Li, Departmental Audit Committee Member

Education and qualifications

• Honors Business Administration, Ivey Business School, Western University
• Directors Education Program, Institute of Corporate Directors, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto
• Chartered Professional Accountant (Ontario)

As senior vice-president, Operations and Business Optimization, Patricia is responsible for providing enterprise-wide strategic direction, cultivating organizational effectiveness and leading transformational change initiatives at CPA Canada. She also has direct oversight of operational functions that include Information Technology; People and Culture; Language Services; Business Support Services; Finance and Administration; Corporate Citizenship; Corporate Planning Strategy and Compliance; and Legal, Risk and Compliance. She is also responsible for information privacy and data security and overseeing the Program Management Office for major transformation projects.

Patricia is a highly experienced senior executive with a proven track record in managing complex operations and achieving financial and business results. This has been accomplished throughout her career by establishing and building strategic alliances and partnerships. Patricia’s background includes a variety of leadership roles as an Assistant Deputy Minister with the Government of Ontario. She also has board and governance experience in non-profit corporations, government agencies and charities.

Today, Patricia is chair of the Audit, Investment and Risk Committee of Diabetes Canada, a member of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission’s Departmental Audit Committee and a board director for the Canadian Catholic Women’s Leadership Foundation.