The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) has announced that Rumina Velshi has been appointed president and chief executive officer (CEO) for a five-year term effective August 23, 2018.
Velshi replaces Dr. Michael Binder, who has served as president and CEO since January 2008.
Velshi brings to her new role extensive technical, regulatory, and adjudication expertise in the area of energy. She has worked in various capacities at Ontario Hydro and Ontario Power Generation where, in her last role, she was director, planning and control for the Darlington New Nuclear Project. Velshi currently also serves as a part-time Board member on the Ontario Energy Board, the economic regulator of the province of Ontario’s electricity and natural gas sectors.
Velshi is very active in the promotion of careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), especially for young women. She was one of the founding members of Canada’s Women in Science and Engineering and, until recently, served as vice chair on the board of directors of Scientists in School – a non-profit organization that in 2017 alone provided STEM-focused workshops to almost 700,000 students. She is the recipient of the 2011 Women in Nuclear (WiN) Canada Leadership Award.
She is also very active in international development activities. She is the founding member of Focus Humanitarian Assistance Canada, an internationally recognized humanitarian assistance agency. She served for four years as the Aga Khan Foundation Canada’s city chair for Toronto for the World Partnership Events, Canada’s largest annual event dedicated to increasing awareness and raising funds to fight global poverty.
Velshi holds a Bachelor of Applied Science (Civil Engineering), a Master of Engineering (Chemical Engineering) and a Master of Business Administration – all from the University of Toronto.
