Clearsum is a Canadian, business management and strategy advisory firm
Specialized in managing climate-related risks and environmental performance, our advisors help organizations integrate climate resilience, environmental excellence, and sustainability in corporate and organizational strategy.
We enable our clients to build resilience to climate-related threats, realize the full potential of climate-driven opportunities, and improve corporate environmental performance. Our data-driven process is focused on building climate-readiness and meeting the growing demands of capital markets.
We achieve results by delivering carefully crafted and uniquely organized services that we refer to as: The Clearsum Way to Build a Climate-Ready Business Foundation.
OUR PURPOSE
Our purpose is to help organizations recognize and build resilience to the environmental challenges of today and tomorrow, and to support them in realizing the full value of related opportunities. We have one fundamental goal in mind: building a sustainable economy, a sustainable future.
OUR MISSION
Our mission is to help organizations create enduring financial and societal value. We achieve this by offering industry-leading, science-based, and data-driven strategy services that place climate-resilience, environmental performance and sustainability principles at the core of corporate strategy.
OUR VISION
Our aim is to become the world’s most trusted advisors, by leading the movement to integrate climate resilience, environmental excellence, and sustainability in corporate and organizational strategy. Across continents, market structures and industries, we strive to be renowned for our ability to help build an enduring and sustainable competitive advantage.
OUR MISSION
Our mission is to help organizations create enduring financial and societal value. We achieve this by offering industry-leading, science-based, and data-driven strategy services that place climate-resilience, environmental performance and sustainability principles at the core of corporate strategy.
Our values
Ethics and Integrity. We are honest and trustworthy. Driven by strong moral principles, we never compromise our conduct and always deliver the highest level of quality on our commitments.
Respect and Collaboration. Our value for people leads us to collaborate with all stakeholders with a mindset of humility, empathy, and forbearance.
Knowledge and Empowerment. We believe in making informed, data-driven decisions, and in empowering others to do accordingly. We nurture our fundamental desire to learn and to share our learnings.
Our leadership team
Chief Executive Officer, Climate Strategy & Business Intelligence
Cedric B. Robert, EP, CSR-P, MBA
Cedric is a passionate, values-based entrepreneur who holds the purpose, mission, and values of Clearsum as core beliefs. Determined to have a substantial, positive impact on the transition to a low-carbon economy, he is committed to rallying clients, partners and the Clearsum team around the vision he set for the firm. Cedric is a skilled communicator who values people, authenticity, and integrity. As an experienced executive, he is known for his collaborative leadership style, his ability to build genuine and lasting relationships, and for delivering results. Responsible for actualizing the company’s vision, and for executing its strategy, Cedric is focused on helping organizations build resilience to climate change and building a sustainable future.
A subject matter expert with a deep understanding of strategy and corporate environmental performance, Cedric is devoted to delivering value and quality. Through Clearsum, he leverages his experience, expertise and data-driven approach to help organizations thrive and become climate-ready.
Prior to founding Clearsum, Cedric spent approximately 15 years at the helm of a specialized environmental consultancy, where he led teams of professionals and helped renewable energy producers, infrastructure developers, and civil contractors develop and embed sustainable construction practices throughout their projects. He dedicated more than a decade of his career helping industry maintain the highest levels of social licensing in British Columbia (BC). In his past role as president, he had complete P&L accountability for the firm and was responsible for maintaining top line growth and profitability. He sold the firm in December 2016 to embark on a skills-honing journey, a long-time goal of his.
Chief Legal Officer, Transition Risk, Climate Law & Governance
Daria Hobeika, B.C.L., LL.B., MBA
Daria is a lawyer and strategic advisor dedicated to enabling organizations to pursue sustainable growth. A generalist, deep thinker and committed doer, she is known for her sound judgment, straight-forwardness, calmness, rigour, and capacity to work well under pressure. She thrives in complex environments and excels in clear communication. Daria has intricate knowledge of the workings of government and of legislative and regulatory processes, which she leverages for Clearsum clients.
Prior to co-founding Clearsum, Daria completed her executive MBA from McGill University and HEC Montréal and returned to the private sector. While working in the private sector, she managed operations and acted as a solution-creator and thought partner to the executives she advised. Among others, her key tasks included developing, communicating, executing, and sustaining corporate strategic initiatives.
Having held key positions with elected members of the Government of Quebec and of the National Assembly over a period of 11 years, she has direct experience dealing with a cross-section of policy issues, including in the energy, infrastructure and environment sectors.
Chief Financial Officer, Business Development & Quantitative Analysis
François Senez, Pl.Fin., MBA
A dynamic and unifying leader in finance and business development whose expertise in risk and investments have led him to the upper echelons of a large Canadian financial institution, François ensures the financial success of clients as well as offering them a flawless experience along their journey to build a climate-ready business foundation.
A core member of our scenario planning team, Francois assumes complete leadership of our quantitative scenario analysis services, oversees our model development and modelling team, and is responsible for deciphering and integrating the pricing of externalities in our value-at-risk assessments.
Having been responsible for a team managing $ 1.2 billion in assets, he is recognized as a genuine, visionary and creative leader. During his Executive MBA at McGill University and HEC Montreal, he combined his career experience with his background in science (applied physics) to explore the impacts of artificial intelligence on the financial industry. In doing so, he demonstrated yet again his ability to think transversally and resolve complex problems thanks to a multidisciplinary approach. At Clearsum, François utilizes his in-depth knowledge of organizational governance, financial markets, enterprise risk management (including portfolio and investment risk), and financial instruments to the benefit of our clients.
By co-founding Clearsum, he concretizes his desire to help companies make a sustainable transition while ensuring they create financial, economic and societal value.
Senior Vice-President, Head of Climate Risk Practice
David Whittall, CFA
As head of Clearsum’s climate risk practice, David brings years of experience in investing and investment risk management to help organizations identify and manage their climate risks and opportunities. He has a global perspective and has held analytical and portfolio management roles in Hong Kong, San Francisco, and Montreal. With experience covering the global energy, utility, industrial, and transportation sectors, David is familiar with many of the unique climate-related challenges and opportunities in these sectors.
David understands the growing responsibilities of executive teams to identify their climate exposures, articulate and disclose time-bound climate action-plans, and to integrate climate strategies into existing processes. David has experience with the frameworks, organizations, and alignment groupings that provide structure and global resources to support climate transition and adaptation plans.
Bringing a multi-disciplinary approach to his work, David is a creative collaborator who helps organizations frame their climate strategy in a sectoral, regional, and historical context. Properly contextualized, David believes climate strategies and climate scenario planning become integral components of corporate strategy. David earned a bachelor’s degree in Asian Studies from the University of California, Berkeley, is a CFA charterholder, and holds the Sustainability and Climate Risk (SCR) certificate from the Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP).
Our team
Senior Climate Strategy Advisor
Gregory Lynch, M.s.d., MBA
Gregory is a dedicated advisor with expertise in climate change resilience for organizations. With a strong background in sustainable development, he has over 10 years of experience assisting businesses, non-profits, and SMEs. Gregory holds master’s degrees in sustainable development and business administration, providing him a unique perspective on the shift to a low carbon economy. He leverages this knowledge, along with his experience as a business founder, to embed sustainability principles across various sectors. Gregory excels at identifying complex issues, determining key problems, and communicating practical solutions in a clear manner. As a valued member of the Clearsum strategic advisory team, he collaborates with clients to address climate-related risks and opportunities while developing financially responsible strategies. With a genuine passion for driving organizational change, Gregory builds trusted relationships and delivers impactful advice based on reliable research.
Senior Business Analyst, Process and Quality Management
Omar El Kebbi, B. Eng., MBA
An MBA graduate from HEC Montreal and a civil engineer, Omar brings a wealth of experience in the construction industry to our team. Having worked with multinational builders, designers, and subcontractors, he has honed his expertise in project management, contract management, and stakeholder engagement. His focus on quality management and process improvement adds significant value to Clearsum’s services. With a deep understanding of heavy civil and transportation infrastructure, Omar recognizes the need for these sectors to undergo substantial transformation for a low-carbon future. His MBA education equipped him with practical skills in sustainability, financial analysis, risk management, and modelling. Omar’s strong analytical and communication abilities make him a valuable asset to any organization seeking his input and contribution.
Climate, Business, and Data Analyst
Ophela Zhang , B. Eng.
Ophela is an accomplished analyst dedicated to advancing circular economy solutions. With a strong academic background in applied sciences, she maintains a constant drive for continuous learning and knowledge sharing. Ophela is driven by systems thinking to discover innovative and mutually beneficial solutions that are supported by technoeconomic and environmental assessments. At Clearsum, she delivers research support for a range of internal and external projects. Ophela’s systematic and detail-oriented approach ensures that information is accessible and tailored to each specific project’s requirements.
Climate and Business Analyst
Coline Dumaine , M.Sc. Strategy
Coline holds a master’s degree in strategy and the Sustainability and Climate Risk (SCR®) certification delivered by the Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP). With a strong ability to assist clients in understanding their external and internal environments, Coline performs qualitative research and supports the development of business strategies that are tailored to climate change. In addition, Coline actively contributes to Clearsum’s business development activities, ensuring the company’s continued growth and success.
Climate, Business, and Media Analyst
Julia Domingo, BScH
Julia is a graduate of Queen’s University with a passion for Environmental and Indigenous issues, as well as for content creation and digital marketing. Her innate desire to seek growth, change, and connection have led her to seek opportunities at the intersections of these spheres. She is a firm believer in embracing the mess and facing challenges head-on. Leveraging her knack for nuanced understanding and communication skills, she conducts qualitative research for Clearsum’s clients. Julia’s background in Environmental Sciences and Indigenous Studies also enables her to craft meaningful and well-informed content that is impactful, authentic, and aligned with the values of the firm.
Engaged
Because we believe that the outcome of collective effort is greater than the sum of its parts, we engage in a large and growing community working towards creating a sustainable future.
We proudly support
In addition to supporting and investing in initiatives we believe in, we have interest in offering our expertise for the benefit of communities and society at-large.
Please contact us if you have a project that could benefit from our advice or involvement.
About our name
Clearsum is derived from “clear-sighted” (adj.) [having clear vision, having or marked by keen perception or sound judgment] and “sum” (noun) [symbol: +, the aggregate of two or more numbers, magnitudes, quantities, or particulars as determined by or as if by the mathematical process of addition].
By widening the lens through which organizations see and prepare for the future, they, and we, add financial and social value for stakeholders and society at-large.