Kaihen prides itself on three things:
• the value it brings to clients;
• helping clients anticipate and win in the face of industry change;
• and the talent of every single person on the Kaihen team.
We accomplish these goals with the guidance and leadership of some of the brightest minds in the Energy consulting business.
Jonathan Minsky
President
Pat Leahey
Director of Business Development
Pat Bright
Director, Western Canada
Gordon Fife
Ralph Gardiner
Robert Huggard
David McFadden
He has an in-depth understanding of Ontario’s electricity market, customer operations experience and has strong expertise in business process analysis, change and project management, and testing and training methodologies.
Jonathan began his career with PwC and IBM, where he led initiatives to prepare Hydro Ottawa for market opening and led a system test team during a CIS implementation with Enbridge Gas Distribution.
Moving into industry with Direct Energy, Jonathan oversaw a team of business analysts supporting the company’s Group Operations, including Enrolment, Billing, Remittance, Contact Center, and Credit & Collections. He was also the business lead for the outsourcing of the company’s Texas operations functions. In the early 2000s, Jonathan was also a key member of the Ontario Energy Board’s Retail Market Readiness team, developing action plans for key market opening issues.
He holds an Honours in Business Administration (HBA) and a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from The Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario.
As a 20-year industry veteran, Ralph has performed Branch Operations management and Industry Practice leadership in the management consulting and systems integration services business. Specializing in the Energy & Utilities (E&U) industry over the past two decades, he has been the lead partner of the Canadian E&U practice at both PwC and IBM, accountable for the group’s financial success and steady growth. He has led major business transformational initiatives for utility clients, and focuses on the provision of system and process solutions that deliver optimum business results.
Pat has more than 20 years of enterprise sales and marketing experience in several global Fortune 500 and start-up organizations (PeopleSoft, Cognos, Xerox) spanning the fields of software sales, marketing, business development, consulting services, and technology product sales. He has held progressively senior roles responsible for revenue growth and driving company’s customer service programs across the North American private and public sector. He also has significant experience in developing and implementing partner and channel sales strategies for software and consulting services.
Pat holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Marketing from the University of Guelph.
With more than 25 years in the energy industry, Pat brings broad and deep energy experience to the Kaihen team. Pat has worked with a number of major utilities, a major pipeline, and PwC.
Throughout his career, Pat has held progressively senior roles including systems analyst, business analyst, project manager, program manager, and portfolio manager, and has held Director positions at a number of Canadian organizations.
Pat has experience in a wide range of utility functions including CIS, mobile workforce, gas measurement, gas accounting, settlement, collections management, customer communication systems, IVR, and deregulated markets.
Gordon Fife
Advisory Board
As Executive Vice-President of Barrick Gold Corporation, he was responsible for the company’s operating strategy, business structure, merger integration and lean manufacturing. Gordon was a principal with PwC in the firm’s strategic change practice, where he worked on business transformations, restructurings, turnarounds, and merger integrations.
As a 20-year industry veteran, Ralph has performed Branch Operations management and Industry Practice leadership in the management consulting and systems integration services business.Specializing in the Energy & Utilities (E&U) industry over the past two decades, he has been the lead partner of the Canadian E&U practice at both PwC and IBM, accountable for the group’s financial success and steady growth. He has led major business transformational initiatives for utility clients, and focuses on the provision of system and process solutions that deliver optimum business results.
David McFadden
Advisory Board
David has extensive experience working with corporations, municipalities and utilities in the generation, distribution, marketing, transmission and financing of energy He also chairs and serves on the Boards of major players and stakeholders in the sector.
David is currently a member of the Smart Grid Forum of the Ontario Independent Electricity System Operator. He is also the Chair of the Board of Directors for Collus PowerStream Corp., a member of the Board of Toronto Hydro, Chair of the Ontario Energy Association, a member of the Board of the Energy Council of Canada, serves on the Council for Clean & Reliable Electricity and the Advisory Council of the Waterloo Institute of Sustainable Energy and the MaRS Advanced Energy Centre Advisory Board.
David was named the Leader of the Year by the Ontario Energy Association in September 2013.
Robert Huggard
Advisory Board
Robert’s prior experience includes directing the Ontario Energy Association as President and CEO (2014 – 2016), leading Direct Energy as President of Home and Business Services from 2008 to 2009, as President of Canadian Operations from 2005 to 2007 and as Executive Vice President from 2002 to 2005.
Robert is an Independent Director with Crius Energy Trust and Guelph Hydro Electricity Systems Inc., as well as serving on the Board of non-profit organization ProAction Cops & Kids. Additionally, he was Chairman and director of SCITI TR Limited and the Trustee of SCITI Total Return Trust from May 2006 to May 2011, and was the CEO of the Administrative Agent of The Consumers’ Waterheater Income Fund from 2002 to 2006.