Our board
of directors
Our board
of directors
The Management Team has decades of experience in development, acquisition, ownership, and management of quality assets in Canada and internationally. The Management Team is fully committed, owning an important position in Emergia’s Capital.
Henri Petit
henri petit
Chairman and President & CEO
Mr. Petit is the current Chairman of the Board of Directors, President and Chief Executive Officer of Emergia. He is a lawyer (Business Law) and member of the Barreau du Québec since 1991. He acted as Policy Analyst and Adviser – International Maritime Transport Policy at Transport Canada from 1985 to 1990, being responsible of the analysis and advising on the impact of the European and American maritime legislation and policies on Canada. He started practicing law in 1991 with the law firm Guy & Gilbert in Montreal, before starting his own law office. As President and Chief Executive Officer of GHP Real Estate Corporation from 1996 to the date where the assets of the GHP Group were transferred to Emergia, he has been acting as developer and managing partner in various commercial, industrial and multi-residential real estate developments or redevelopments. Mr. Petit has also acted on executive committees and as business consultant for various private companies in the 1990s and early 2000s. Mr. Petit has extensive experience in real estate acquisitions, negotiations, leasing, financing and management in Canada, USA and Europe. Mr. Petit holds a B.A. from Université Laval and a LL.L. from the University of Ottawa. Mr. Petit has also collaborated with some charity organizations in fund raising, including the Ste-Justine’s Hospital Foundation.
FRANÇOIS CASTONGUAY
FRANÇOIS CASTONGUAY
LEAD DIRECTOR INDEPENDENT
Mr. Castonguay was the former President & CEO of the Uniprix Group, a Canadian Pharmaceutical Company from 2000 to 2015. He has a rich and diverse background in business, finance and retail and currently acts as a consultant and strategic advisor He holds a degree in Business Administration and Advanced Finance from York University in Toronto. He began his career as director and then Vice-President at CitiBank Canada in financing medical equipment, leasing, medical, dental, hospitals, medical clinics and pharmacies. He then joined the Uniprix Group, where he served as Executive Vice President (for 5 years) and then as President and Chief Executive Officer (for 15 years). Mr. Castonguay was a member of the IUSSM (Louis H. Lafontaine) as Chairman of the Board of Directors for more than 11 years and is active with the following foundations: Cystic Fibrosis (Governor), Charles Bruneau, Cancer Research Society of Canada, Arthritis Society, Heart and Stroke Foundation, Longueuil Symphony Orchestra (Governor), Pierre-Boucher Hospital and Charles-Lemoyne Hospital.
Joseph Cianci
JOSEPH CIANCI
Independent Director
Mr. Cianci has been a chartered accountant since 1986. He has extensive experience in banking, finance, taxation and management advisory services gained as an accountant at DBO Dunwoody, Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton and 35 years in the role of chief financial officer of a services financial trust, a publicly listed real estate company, privately owned retail and real estate companies. He manages his own practice, and he acts as a consultant and is a trustee for several privately held family trusts.
Roy Scaini
ROY SCAINI
Independent
Director
Mr. Scaini is a senior executive with extensive experience in the financial services and technology sectors, with a history of successful acquisition and integration transactions. His experience in finance and operations extends across the world – Atlanta, Cayman, Dublin, Milan, Munich, Paris and Toronto. Mr. Scaini has raised financing both privately and publicly to implement strategic growth plans and financing solutions. He is trained and has practiced as both a Professional Chartered Accountant and a management consultant.
Mr. Scaini has significant experience with governance and compliance within both the corporate and not-for-profit sectors. Mr. Scaini has acted as chair, treasurer and committee chair on various boards throughout his career. Further, he acted as the “responsible person” in regulated industries in Canada and Europe.
Luigi Valeriati
LUIGI VALERIATI
Independent
Director
Mr. Valeriati is currently, since September 2016, President of Nuform Building Technologies. Mr. Valeriati is a Chartered Professional Accountant, CA, member of CPA Ontario since 1986. Acted as Senior Accountant at KPMG for 5 years at the beginning of his career. Mr. Valeriati, has a vast and dynamic experience in corporate senior management, as he acted in various senior executive positons, including Vice-president Finance, Corporate Controller, General Manager, Senior Vice-president, Vice-president Operations of nationally and internationally operating retail companies, such as The Timbermart Group, Jeld-Wen of Canada Ltd and United Window Mfrs Ltd.
Panagiotis Mitropoulos
PANAGIOTIS MITROPOULOS
Independent
Director
Mr. Mitropoulos has completed his bachelor degree in Economics and in Foreign Languages and in Marketing, both at McGill University. He has a long experience of 21 years in building construction as a general manager in the family company “Xenios Zeus SA” and 10 years in facility management as a regional manager of “Globe Williams International”. Since the last few years, he is also the general manager of “AZIMUTHIO Company” that he founded, offering consolidated solutions in the following sectors: property management, total facility services, real estate and construction. Mr. Mitropoulos is a member of the Association of Constructors in Western Greece and serves in their Board of Directors as of 2009.
Faraj Nakhleh
Faraj Nakhleh
Independent
Director
Mr. Nakhleh, BS in Electrical Engineering (Robert College), 3 GCE-A Level Subjects (University of London), completed the courses for a Master’s of Engineering Degree at McGill University, the Strategic Marketing Executive Program at Harvard Business School, and the Directors Education Program (ICD.D) at McGill University. Mr. Nakhleh has also been a partner at RCGT for 9 years, where he acted as President of RCGT Corporate Finance. Mr. Nakhleh finally, has a vast experience in equity and debt financing, subordinated debt and M&A. Since 2008, he owns and operates a technology company operating in Canada and in the US.
WHO are we?
To have more information about Emergia’s investment and development strategy visit our About Us section.