Rachna Clavero

​President & Chief Executive Officer

Rachna Clavero was appointed President and CEO in December, 2022. Rachna has had a diverse career in the nuclear industry. She first joined Conexus in October 2015, where she developed the Strategic R&D program and helped the industry establish long term priorities for R&D. In her five years at Conexus, she progressed from Program Manager of Research and Development to Director of Nuclear Safety & Environmental Affairs, before being appointed Deputy CEO. 

From 2020-2022, Rachna was Senior Director, Strategic Growth & Innovation at Kinectrics. In this role, she developed, orchestrated and implemented strategies to ensure Kinectrics’ long-term growth and profitability, and ensured that Kinectrics was well-aligned with its domestic and international clients’ priorities. Reporting directly to the CEO, Clavero had oversight of the nuclear business development team, the innovation portfolio and the company’s sustainability initiatives. 

Prior roles include senior positions with Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL), Candesco Corporation and the Ontario Ministry of Energy. She began her career performing safety analysis for the restart of the Ontario reactors and then moved on to regulatory projects for the Canadian utilities and waste management. Rachna returned to AECL to lead licensing for new CANDU designs. During her time at the Ministry of Energy she provided strategic advice on nuclear new builds, refurbishment, radioactive waste management and emergency planning. She has consulted internationally at the IAEA and sits on the Nuclear Strategic Steering Committee​ at the Canadian Standards Association. A strong supporter of diversity in the workplace, Rachna is a mentor and coach to emerging leaders in the industry. 

Sonia Qureshi

Vice President, Projects and Chief Technology Officer

As Vice President, Projects and Chief Technology Officer, Sonia enables alignment between Conexus' Research & Development and Joint Projects & Services Lines of Business by providing oversight and strategic direction that empowers them to work in collaboration and develop innovative, synergistic, value-added business solutions that support our members’ evolving priorities. Sonia is also accountable for procurement, with a focus on delivering efficient, high-quality services to our members, suppliers and participants.  

With 27 years of distinguished experience in the nuclear industry, Sonia brings a strong background in CANDU process and design, along with a comprehensive skill set encompassing leadership, strategic planning, project management, business development, and technical engineering expertise. Prior to Conexus, Sonia started her career at AECL in design and cost engineering, developing proposals and cost models for large infrastructure projects and new builds. Post divesture, she worked for Candu Energy Inc. as Director of Marketing and Business Development, and successfully managed SNC-Lavalin’s bid submission for Canada’s first GoCo proposal for management of CNL and provided oversight for commercial agreements related to intellectual property.

Sonia holds a Chemical Engineering honours degree from the University of Toronto and is a licensed Professional Engineer with the Professional Engineers of Ontario (PEO).  Sonia is also very active with Women in Nuclear (WiN) Canada and was the past Chair for the Golden Horseshoe West (GHW) Chapter and a member of the WiN Canada Board of Directors for many years. Sonia continues to support the WiN Canada's Speakers Clearinghouse initiative, WiN Canada's Leadership Development Training program, and has a passion for mentorship.​​

Contact: Sonia.Qureshi@ConexusNuclear.org

Carlos Lorencez

Director, Nuclear Safety & Environmental Affairs Program

Carlos Lorencez joined Conexus in the role of Director, Nuclear Safety and Environmental Affairs (NSEA) in October 2020. Lorencez has more than 30 years of experience in the nuclear industry and has spent the last two decades at Ontario Power Generation (OPG). He most recently served as director of OPG's nuclear safety division. Prior to joining Conexus, Lorencez served as chair of Conexus’ Nuclear Safety Peer Group and Industry Standard Toolset Steering Committee. He holds a master’s degree in nuclear engineering from Mexico’s Instituto Politécnico Nacional and a doctorate in chemical engineering from the University of Toronto.

As NSEA Director, Lorencez has accountability for managing collaborative regulatory efforts amongst Conexus members. NSEA facilitates several Conexus leadership forums, including the Chief Nuclear Officer Forum and through NSEA, Conexus members work together in several disciplines including safety culture, human and organizational factors; decommissioning and waste management; and, emergency preparedness and response. Conexus' SMR development program also falls under his NSEA portfolio.

Contact: Carlos.Lorencez@ConexusNuclear.org

​Usha Menon

​​​Director, Research & Development Program

As Director of Research and Development, Usha Menon oversees the department responsible for managing a portfolio of projects in six streams of R&D, with an investment of almost $40M, annually. The result of these projects contributes to continuous improvement and innovation in the safe, reliable, cost effective operation of CANDU stations worldwide.

Usha is a nuclear professional with more than 30 years of experience in the CANDU industry, with significant experience in nuclear safety, including roles at the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board India, leading the Advanced CANDU Reactor and Enhanced CANDU 6 PSA team at the Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (now Candu Energy Inc.), and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC), where she led the Bruce Power Probabilistic Safety Assessment (PSA) reviews and was part of the team to review Darlington and Pickering PSAs.At CNSC, she was a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency CANDU PSA working group.

Usha joined Conexus in February, 2017 in the role of Program Manager for R&D’s Industry Standard Toolset program.  Usha holds a Master’s degree in Nuclear Physics (with specialization in Reactor Physics) from University of Bombay and a Graduate Diploma in Nuclear Technology from McMaster University.

Contact: Usha.Menon@ConexusNuclear.org

​Mark Skuce

Director, Learning and Development

Mark Skuce is Conexus' Director of Learning and Development. In his role, Mark Skuce leads development and execution of Conexus' leadership training programs, which provide nuclear industry professionals with opportunities to further their leadership and professional development within a nuclear environment. It also offers leaders programs to grow their expertise in managing specific function areas.   

Since joining Conexus in 2018, Mark has contributed to the design and delivery of key training initiatives, including Regulatory Affairs, Nuclear Professional Development Seminar, Safety Culture, and the Supplier Participant First Line Supervisory programs. His expertise in collaborating with international organizations such as IAEA and WANO has been instrumental in strengthening Conexus' international relations.   ​​

With 15 years of experience as Assistant Board Treasurer at Ontario Power Generation, Mark developed a strong foundation in governance and strategic oversight. Mark holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and a Bachelor of Environmental Studies from the University of Waterloo. 

Contact: Mark.Skuce@ConexusNuclear.org

​John Sowagi

Director, Information Exchange Program

John Sowagi is the Director of Information Exchange for the CANDU Owners Group (Conexus) Inc. As the Director of the Information Exchange (IE) department, the goal is to leverage operational experience and best practices across the industry and among CANDU utilities so that each member and supplier participant can make the most of shared operating experience and best practices. Learning & Development is one of the programs that is specifically designed to capture lessons learned, promote understanding of the CANDU technology and provide leadership training to the CANDU community. Another key program under IE is the Conexus Supplier Participant Program that is to share supplier perspectives, best practices and lessons learned, compile messages on common challenges in execution of services for customers, engage with customers and resolve common issues for the benefit of the industry, and finally to work collaboratively to ensure a strong supplier network supporting the CANDU nuclear industry.

John has over 40 years of nuclear experience working at the Pickering, Darlington and Bruce nuclear generating stations. John has worked in technical and management roles both in the station environment and in support organizations. He current leads executive development programs, mentoring programs and international joint programs for Conexus members. He has worked with utility leaders from nuclear plants around the world. John completed his education at Centennial College in Electrical and Controls, St. Francis Xavier University in Adult Education and the University of Toronto in Human Resources. He is currently the Chair of the IAEA Technical Working Group - Managing Human Resources and Knowledge Committee (TWG-MHRK).​

Contact: John.Sowagi@ConexusNuclear.org

Sarah Charuk

​Director, Communications

Sarah Charuk is Conexus' Director of Communications. She joined Conexus in 2021.  

In her role, Sarah leads the organization’s communications and brand strategy, effectively positioning Conexus and its mandate through proactive communications, engagement and change management with Conexus staff, members, and stakeholders. She continues to advance the Conexus communications program with a focus on driving awareness of the important achievements and contributions of Conexus members, participants and partners in the nuclear industry.  

Sarah brings 20 years of senior communications leadership experience, including her role as Director of Communications for Northland Power, a global sustainable power producer. She also previously worked with GS1 Canada, a global standards organization, Element Fleet Management and the Ontario government. 

Additionally, Sarah serves on the Women in Nuclear Canada Board as Director of Marketing and Communications. In her role she is responsible for advancing the organization’s communication and marketing program to support effective communication across the WiN Canada membership, and achievement of WiN Canada’s strategic objectives.    

Sarah holds a master’s degree in communications management from McMaster University and a bachelor’s degree in political studies from Queen’s University. 

Contact: Sarah.Charuk@ConexusNuclear.org

Kelly Curtis

Program Director, Information Technology Operations

Kelly Curtis is Conexus’ Program Director, Information Technology Operations. Since joining Conexus in 2002 Kelly has worked a variety of roles within the IT department, playing a key role in growing Conexus’ IT operations, infrastructure development, and technology strategy. He has led his team in numerous initiatives to enhance system efficiencies and security, deliver critical IT initiatives, and drive digital transformation efforts.  

In his role, Kelly is responsible for the overall management, maintenance, and security of Conexus’s IT infrastructure and resources. He works closely with senior leadership to align IT operations with strategic goals, with a focus on cybersecurity, efficiency, data security and innovation.  

 Kelly holds a BFA from York University. 

Contact: Kelly.Curtis@ConexusNuclear.org

​Louisa Kwan

​​​​Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer

Louisa Kwan is Conexus’ Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer. She joined Conexus in 2023.

In her role, Louisa is responsible for the financial health of the organization and leads Conexus's finance function, including business planning, strategic execution, accounting, treasury and operational oversight. She works closely with the President and Board of Directors to ensure financial compliance, strategy execution and risk management, while leading the finance team with a focus on integrity, accountability, and efficiency. 

Louisa brings more than 17 years of senior financial leadership experience, including close to a decade at Ontario Power Generation. As Director, Operations Controllership and Business Planning and other senior roles, she led transformative initiatives,provided financial strategies and developed teams. She has deep expertise in controllership, financial planning and analysis, and board-level reporting, and is well-versed in the development of strong financial governance frameworks. 

 Louisa holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Toronto and is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA).  

Contact: Louisa.Kwan@ConexusNuclear.org