Search
Close this search box.

Director Appointments

Board of Directors – Nominations

The Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority is currently recruiting potential nominees for the Class-1 User Director position.  

Board of Directors Class User Group Nomination Package

If you wish to apply to be a member of the board of directors, please download a nomination package at the link below.

Please send the completed package to [email protected] 

Download Nomination Package

Director Appointments

It is the responsibility of the Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority’s Board of Directors to exercise oversight of the activities of HOPA, acting honestly and in good faith with a view to the best interests of the port authority.

The Board of Directors for the Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority is composed of 7 members appointed to office as follows:

         The Governor in Council appoints one (1) individual nominated by the Minister;

The Corporations of the City of Oshawa and the City of Hamilton, in consultation with the Corporation of the City of Burlington, appoints one (1) individual;

The Province of Ontario appoints one (1) individual; 

The Governor in Council appoints the four (4) remaining individuals nominated by the Minister in consultation with the HOPA Nominating Committee

Experience and Knowledge Requirements for Directors

Directors appointed shall have generally acknowledged and accepted stature within the transportation industry or the business community and relevant knowledge and extensive experience related to the management of a business, to the operation of a port or to maritime trade.

Who is Not Eligible

The following persons are not eligible to be directors of a port authority (per Canada Marine Act, Section 16 (a-h):
  • An individual who is a mayor, councillor, officer or employee of a municipality mentioned in the Port’s Letters Patent (Hamilton, Oshawa, Burlington);
  • An individual who is a member of the Legislature of a Province, or an officer or employee of the Public Service or of a Crown corporation of a Province (Ontario);
  • A Senator or a member of Parliament or an officer or employee of the federal public service or of a federal Crown corporation;
  • An individual who is not a resident Canadian, as defined in Subsection 2(1) of the Canada Business Corporations Act;
  • An individual who is a director, officer or employee of a person who is a user of the Port;
  • An individual who is under eighteen years of age;
  • An individual who has been declared mentally incompetent by a court in Canada or elsewhere, or;
  • An individual who is an undischarged bankrupt

Proactive Disclosure

Quick Links

Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates on news, events, and more!

Subscribe to Newsletter!
Linkedin Facebook Instagram Youtube X-twitter

Renee Bulger, CPA, CGA

Vice President, Finance

Renee assumed the role of Vice President, Finance after having served as Director of Finance since 2023.

Renee joined the Hamilton Port Authority in 2006 as a General Accountant and was promoted to Controller in 2018. She was previously a member of the Board of Directors for the Hamilton Conservation Foundation from 2017 to 2020.

Renee received her Honours Bachelor of Commerce from Laurentian University and is a Chartered Professional Accountant.

Larissa Fenn

Vice President, Corporate Affairs

Larissa Fenn is Vice President, Corporate Affairs at HOPA Ports, leading a team responsible for communications and government relations, sustainability reporting, corporate governance and corporate culture.

Previous positions included communications and public policy roles at the Canadian Bankers Association, Credit Valley Conservation Authority, and the Regional Municipality of Halton.

Larissa holds a B.A.(Hons) in Political Science from Queen’s University. She holds the APR designation from the Canadian Public Relations Society, and completed the Senior Public Sector Leaders program at the University of Western Ontario, Ivey School of Business. Larissa has served as Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of the Royal Botanical Gardens, and as a member of the Policy Council of the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce.

Bill Fitzgerald

Vice President, Strategic Development

Bill assumed the role of Vice President, Strategic Development in 2024, after having served as HOPA’s Vice President, Operations since 2008.

Bill joined the Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority in July 1995 as Project Engineer. He previously worked with the Regional Municipality of Ottawa’s Transportation Department, as well as for the Toronto Transit Commission and the City of Waterloo.

Bill received a Bachelor of Applied Science, civil engineering / water resources, in 1995 from the University of Waterloo and registered with the Professional Engineers of Ontario in 1997.

Jeremy Dunn

Vice President, Operations

Jeremy assumed the role of Vice President, Operations in 2024 after having served as HOPA’s Commercial Vice President since 2019. Prior to joining HOPA, Jeremy served in successive leadership roles at The Miller Group, one of Canada’s leading transportation construction and infrastructure maintenance companies. Jeremy has managed multiple business groups in the heavy construction, asphalt paving and aggregates sectors driving results through business restructuring, service improvement and strategic growth. In his most recent role, Jeremy served as General Manager of Miller Maintenance, responsible for managing and growing Miller’s highway maintenance business in Ontario.

Previous to The Miller Group, Jeremy held the position of Director of Operations for the Dunn Group of Companies.

Jeremy earned his Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) through Queen’s University. He also holds a Master’s Certificate in Project Management.

Janet Knight

Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer

Chief Financial Officer for the Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority since 2008, Janet joined the HPA in 1998 as Accounting Supervisor and subsequently served as Controller.

Prior to joining the HPA, Janet held the position of Financial Analyst with St. Joseph’s Hospital, as well as various positions, including Marketing Communications/Research Lead with Zeneca Agro. Janet graduated from McMaster University in 1986 with a Bachelor of Commerce. She attained the professional designation of Certified Management Accountant in 1992.

Ian Hamilton

President & CEO

Ian Hamilton is President & CEO of HOPA Ports (Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority). He assumed this role in 2017, after serving as the Port Authority’s Vice President of Business Development and Real Estate since 2008. Ian has been instrumental in developing working waterfronts in Hamilton, Oshawa, and Niagara by attracting new business and private investment, and creating an integrated marine network across Southern Ontario.

Ian possesses more than 25 years of experience in international transportation and logistics in Europe and North America, and has held progressively senior positions in the liner shipping industry, including Transatlantic Trade Director (Europe) for CP Ships and Business Development Manager for Hapag-Lloyd. Ian is Chairperson of the Association of Canadian Port Authorities, and holds positions on various other boards, including: the Chamber of Marine Commerce, the Hamilton Club, and Brigs Youth Sail Training.

Ian holds an MBA from Aston University (UK) and a BSc in business administration and economics from the College of Charleston, South Carolina.