For this virtual event and inaugural chapter networking meet-up for WiRE Winnipeg, we'll be learning about the role of hydropower in renewable energy from Shawna Pachal of Manitoba Hydro International. After her featured presentation, we'll also have some (virtual) networking time to reconnect and meet fresh faces with other women and allies in the sector from across Canada.

This event consists of two parts:

1. Presentations,

and

2. Interactive, which includes:

• Q&A with our guest speaker, and
• virtual networking through small conversation groups.

This virtual event will take place through Zoom. The link to join on Zoom will be made available to registrants ahead of the event start.

Non-Attendance Policy: To those with tickets to attend this event, we ask that if you can no longer attend, to please cancel your ticket as soon as you can out of courtesy to others who may be on a waitlist for event tickets (there is a limit for the number of participants we can host in our virtual events on Zoom). If you can no longer use your ticket to attend the event, then cancelling your ticket will give the chance to someone on the waitlist to participate instead. Thank you!

Guest Speaker Biography

Ms. Pachal has over 35 years of technical, managerial, and executive-level experience in electric utility operations. Her career at Manitoba Hydro includes 25 years of experience in the delivery of international utility services, primarily to developing countries. She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree, a Master’s in Business Administration Degree, and is a Canadian Registered Safety Professional. She is the Senior Managing Director of MHI, where she oversees the successful operation and provision of the company’s consulting, training, and management services to project developers/owners, electric and gas utilities, and governments.

Prior to holding this position, Ms. Pachal was the Acting Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Vice-President of Finance and Strategy at Manitoba Hydro accountable for the administrative, financial, and risk management operations of the company, which included the development of a financial and operational strategy, metrics tied to that strategy, and the ongoing development and monitoring of control systems designed to preserve company assets and report accurate financial results.

Before becoming the Senior Managing Director of MHI, Shawna was the manager of the Power Projects Development Division at Manitoba Hydro, responsible for the preconstruction phase of large hydro projects, which includes preliminary project planning/evaluations, environmental/social assessment, public regulatory approval, community consultations, and Indigenous engagement. Ms. Pachal was responsible for negotiating partnership agreements between the utility and Aboriginal stakeholders, with regard to future hydro-generating stations (Keeyask and Conawapa). This experience included leading the public environmental regulatory review of the Keeyask generating project. She developed policies and strategies for managing relations between the generation business unit and regulatory, legislative, and institutional type entities outside of Manitoba, which are concerned with the acceptability of Manitoba Hydro exports and entities concerned with hydro development, such as the World Bank.

In November 2018, the Women in Renewable Energy (WiRE) and the Canadian Hydropower Association (CHA) recognized Shawna Pachal with the new Hydropower Woman of Distinction Award at the annual CHA forum in Ottawa.