Smart Grid Innovation Network announces new CEO
Greg Robart new leader of Atlantic Canada’s digital energy innovation hub
Fredericton, NB (November 8, 2019) – Smart Grid Innovation Network (SGIN) today announced the appointment of Greg Robart of Rothesay, NB as the organization’s new CEO. Robart has spent the past half-decade working on the transition of Canada’s electric utilities through their evolution toward a cleaner, digitized grid. He brings experience and leadership that will strengthen the SGIN mission to support smart energy vendors and advance the smart grid eco-system in the Atlantic region and beyond.
“As we look to the next phase of growth for SGIN, which is at the centre of the electricity industry’s transition to more digital and renewable energy systems, Greg will bring unique insights and expertise to the Network’s activities,” said Brent Staeben, SGIN’s Hiring Committee Chair. “We are at a unique moment in time when the opportunity to help spur economic development and contribute to carbon reduction is possible through helping energy entrepreneurs leverage the global energy transformation. SGIN’s goal is to expand the reach of the Network to encourage and showcase more of the innovation happening in this space in Atlantic Canada, and Greg is uniquely qualified to lead this endeavour while connecting us with similar entities around the country working on the same goals”.
An electrical engineer and graduate of UNB in Fredericton, Robart has held numerous senior leadership positions over the past twenty years in the ICT, energy, health care, and environmental sectors. Most recently, he was the Global lead for Siemens Canada’s utility practice, steering projects in Canada, the US and the Middle East that are helping utilities manage the transition toward a cleaner, digitized operating model.
Prior to Siemens, Greg lead the Delivery Management/Risk Management group within the system integrator division of Bell Canada covering the Health Care, Corrections, Government and Communications sectors. He started his career at Honeywell Ltd where he was responsible for the team delivering energy audits and automation services in the Commercial and Institutional sectors. Greg has held numerous positions in professional organizations including the Association of Professional New Brunswick and is past president of the Consulting Engineers of New Brunswick.
The CEO position is a new one for SGIN. It is funded in part by ACOA and ONB who are supporting the Network’s goals of creating a rich innovation eco-system as ‘on-ramp’ for business to develop smart grid technologies, products, services, and knowledge; provide access to full spectrum power system knowledge and expertise at UNB, NB Power and Siemens; and foster the co-creation of intellectual property and build significant thought leadership in companies here that will go global.
Greg joins SGIN technical lead, David Beauvais, on a team supported by Network members from UNB, NB Power and Siemens, as well as ACOA and Opportunities New Brunswick. One of Greg’s first goals will be to look at how the network can be expanded to include additional partners from throughout the region and across Canada.
About SGIN
SGIN is Atlantic Canada’s digital energy innovation hub. A single point of contact for vendor product testing and development at UNB, Siemens and NB Power, SGIN is enabling the successful deployment of smart grid initiatives in New Brunswick while driving and supporting a smart grid ecosystem for innovation, technology advancement, research and development provincially, regionally & nationally. It also advocates and organizes conferences focusing on electricity systems’ transition to low-carbon, supported by smart grid technologies and markets.
Media contact:
David Beauvais
Innovation Officer, SGIN
506-478-1235