July 2024

Founding Partner and CEO

Susan McGeachie is a founding partner at Global Climate Finance Accelerator (GCFA), which convenes partnerships across business, finance, and government on strategies, policies, procedures, and tools to finance climate solutions. With over 20 years of experience in sustainable finance, Susan has held leadership positions in banking, management consulting, and engineering firms, as the Head of the BMO Climate Institute, Global Director of the Climate Change practice at Hatch, and the Central Market Leader for EY’s Climate Change and Sustainability Services practice. Prior to consulting, Susan was a Director with Innovest Strategic Value Advisors (since acquired by MSCI) where she supported the firm’s clients on the integration of environmental, social, and governance factors that could impact future financial performance. Susan started her career in climate change and biodiversity with WWF Canada.

Susan is an adjunct professor at the University of Toronto, where she teaches a graduate course in climate finance and an executive education course through an ESG Designation program at the Rotman School of Management. She is also a member of the Climate Governance Experts panel and a former board member of the Canadian Responsible Investment Association. Susan was named to the Canadian delegation of COP 26 and 27 and, in 2021, was awarded one of twenty-six Canadian Climate Champions by the Canada Climate Law Initiative and the British High Commission. In 2014 she was named to the Clean50 and Clean 16 lists of practitioners, which recognize contributions to advancing the clean economy. Also in 2014 Susan received the University of Toronto Arbor Award as a member of the University of Toronto’s Environmental Finance Advisory Committee, on which she served from 2006 until the committee was retired in 2018.

Susan received her MBA from the Schulich School of Business, York University with a specialization in international finance and sustainability and holds a first degree in Public Policy from the University of Guelph. She holds a 2024 certificate in Private Markets Investments from the Saïd Business School, University of Oxford.

 Senior Director, Partnerships 

Gitanjali is an accomplished cleantech expert (> 15 yrs in lithium ion batteries, electric vehicles, high voltage systems). She excels at building partnerships and is passionate about how disruptive innovation (technology and otherwise) can accelerate positive change for the planet and people.

 Managing Director, Projects and Technologies

David is an engineer and senior business leader with over 30 years of experience in project management, product development, technology commercialization and corporate venturing. Most recently, David was a Project Director at Hatch, leading client engagements in the areas of mineral processing, automation, machinery design, EV technology development, and renewable power integration and energy storage. Prior to this role, David was Technologies Manager at Hatch, where he led the integration of distributed energy resources into mine site power systems and remote community microgrids in multiple jurisdictions around the world, development of microgrid controls solutions, and investigations in energy saving comminution technologies from concept and justification through to implementation. David’s experience spans the globe, with a particular focus on North America, Europe, Middle East, and Africa.

Partner, Tax Planning, Structuring, and Strategy

Kelly Ehler is an experienced executive with a track record of helping transform companies in a variety of industries. He advises on M&A, valuation processes, go public strategies, capital structuring, operational efficiencies, growth strategies and collaborative team building in banking, real estate financing, general tax, and estate planning. 

Managing Director, Finance and Operations

Wendy Potomski is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charterholder and the founder of Brookstone Strategy Group, which works with senior management, executives and boards of organizations going through change stemming from regulatory issues, a shift in corporate strategic direction, structural changes within their industry or with organizations looking to improve both their financial and operational performance. 

Wendy brings over 25 years of senior consulting experience assisting clients identify and address current and future business and operational risks associated with increasingly complex sustainability issues, an evolving energy industry, emerging cleantech market, and a carbon constrained economy. She has successfully led cross-functional and multi-disciplinary project teams, managing occasionally competing objectives of the various stakeholders involved in a project and through targeted stakeholder engagement to build consensus. She has demonstrated her ability to manage large, complex projects and to consistently meet timelines and exceed client expectations.

Prior to establishing, Brookstone Strategy Group, Wendy worked at Reclay StewardEdge where she was responsible for developing short and long-range strategic business plans for the North American Consulting Practice that included defining specific products and services, articulating clear value propositions and identifying target markets and clients. 

As a Vice President in the PwC Climate Change and Sustainability practice, Wendy closely followed changes in the climate change, energy, and environmental sectors, in Canada and around the world since 2000. She uses this knowledge and her awareness of relevant local and international best practices to address emerging government and client issues, and to identify and address current and future business and operational risks. 

As a climate change consultant, Wendy assists multi-national organizations to compile and calculate greenhouse gas emissions inventories, from which to benchmark their operations, and to develop informed energy and carbon management strategies, including the identification of clean technologies to support environmental outcomes. Wendy understands regulatory requirements and has worked with companies to identify impacts and opportunities for their organizations. 

Wendy specializes in finance and operational effectiveness, investment analysis and capital raising, business plan and business case development and assessment, energy and carbon management program development, program development and program reviews, project and change management, and public-private partnerships.