About the Speakers
Jean Olemou is Co-founder and Principal of GreenDev, a Toronto based impact investing firm focused on accelerating the transition to the circular economy by leveraging the power of 4th Industrial Revolution technologies. He is a seasoned investment professional in the energy and sustainable infrastructure sector, covering all the stages of investing: sourcing, diligence, structuring and execution. He brings experience in circular economy innovation, climate-smart and sustainable infrastructure investment, impact investing, ESG and corporate sustainability in the Americas, Europe and Africa. Currently, he serves as a Board Member for Social Planning Toronto. Jean was featured by the 100 Magazine as a 2020 Top Canadian Professional. He was named as a Global Talent and invited to attend the UN SDG innovation lab (UNLEASH 2019) in Shenzhen, China. Jean is a sought-after expert advisor, public speaker and has a track record of advising international organizations on circularity and sustainability matters globally. He turns challenging circumstances into opportunities that promote sustainability. He remains under the belief that business, the public sector, NGOs and civil society can work together to drive societal and inclusive change to address our most pressing social and environmental challenges.
Philippe Crête has more than 14 years of experience in the field of climate finance and natural capital. At Fondaction, he holds the role of Principal investment advisor within the alternative private investment team, where he develops, raises and manages investment funds in the sectors of climate change and sustainable agriculture, forestry and the circular economy. Previously, he worked for seven years for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), where he was in turn regional coordinator for Africa for the UN-REDD programme and climate finance expert. In these positions, he developed and supervised numerous development projects in the environment sector, with a particular emphasis on innovative financial mechanisms, including carbon finance, systems of payments for environmental services and blended finance. Before joining FAO, Philippe Crête was a partner and deputy director of the brokerage and consulting firm ÉcoRessources, now known as Coop Carbone, where he was responsible for sourcing and trading carbon offsets on global carbon markets, as well as for developing climate change projects and emission reduction strategies for large emitters. Philippe Crête holds a bachelor's degree in international development studies and economics and a master's degree in bioresource engineering from McGill University.