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

John Froats, Departmental Audit Committee Chair

John Froats has over 50 years of in-depth experience in areas such as engineering, nuclear operations and commissioning, emergency preparedness and fostering community relationships. He has contributed to Canada’s nuclear program, including serving as President and CEO of the CANDU Owners Group and supporting international initiatives through the International Atomic Energy Agency, such as his work as an Officer of the Convention on Nuclear Safety and his involvement in the International Nuclear Management Academy’s nuclear leadership initiative.

His expertise spans nuclear leadership, executive oversight and nuclear safety culture, making him a key figure in the development of industry practices and safety standards. John has spent more than a decade educating nuclear engineering students in Canada and internationally.

John holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical Engineering from McMaster University and has completed advanced leadership and executive development programs throughout his career, strengthening both his technical and organizational leadership capabilities.

His work has been recognized through numerous awards, such as the Power Within Award for Leadership from Ontario Power Generation, the John Jenkins Award for outstanding contributions to CSA standards, the Canadian Nuclear Society’s Outstanding Contribution Award, Ontario Tech University’s Yuelei (James) Yang Engineering Teaching Award, and a nomination for the Ontario Tech Students’ Choice Teaching Award. He is currently the Principal of Froats & Froats and Associates and serves as an associate professor and Nuclear Engineer in Residence at Ontario Tech University. He has contributed to the sector through active participation on several boards and advisory committees, including as external advisor to the Health, Safety, Security & Environment sub-committee of the Canadian Nuclear Laboratories Board, supporting governance, safety, and leadership development across the nuclear industry.

Julie Gelfand, Departmental Audit Committee Member

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

Patricia is an accomplished senior executive in the public and non-profit sectors. She previously served as an assistant deputy minister with the Government of Ontario, responsible for delivering a diverse portfolio of front-line government services ranging from consumer and business services to health care, and leading reform initiatives to improve programs for Ontarians.

Her senior executive roles at eHealth Ontario, the Royal Botanical Gardens and CPA Canada focused on operational excellence and leading business transformation through large-scale projects. Patricia has a passion for board governance and has been an independent director in a number of organizations across Canada.

At Diabetes Canada, she is Chair of the Audit, Investment and Risk Committee and is a member of the Fund Development Committee and Governance Committee.

She is a member of the Board of Directors of the Ontario Education Collaborative Marketplace (OECM), a not-for-profit sourcing partner for Ontario’s education sector, broader public sector and other not-for-profit organizations. She is a member of the OECM Governance and Human Resources Committee and a past member of the Audit and Finance Committee.

At the Yee Hong Centre for Geriatric Care, one of the largest senior care organizations in the Greater Toronto area, she is the Vice Chair of the Board of Directors and Chair of the Human Resources Committee.

She was previously a director with the Ontario Pension Board, a trustee with the OPSEU Pension Trust, a commissioner with the Niagara Parks Commission, and Vice Chair of the Catholic Women’s Leadership Foundation.

Patricia is a graduate of Western University’s Ivey Business School, a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) and an Institute-Certified Director (ICD.D).