SPEAKER PROFILES Benj Cohen is the founder and CEO of Proton.ai, an AI-powered sales platform purpose-built for distributors. While studying applied math and data science at Harvard, Cohen realized he could use what he was learning in school to help increase sales for his family dental business. Upon seeing its success, he founded Proton.ai in order to bring this technology to the rest of the distribution space. Proton.ai recently raised $20M in Series A funding. John Vander Doelen is director policy, research and standards with Skilled Trades Ontario. He previously served in a similar capacity with the Ontario College of Trades where he was responsible for establishing the training and curriculum standards, developing policy and research to support trades-related decision making and most recently participated in the transition of programs to Skilled Trades Ontario. Prior to joining the Ontario College of Trades, he had a 30-plus year career with the Ontario Ministry of Labour in policy and operational roles related to occupational health and safety. Robert Edwards is a business advisor, private sector at IESO. Edwards has been at the IESO for over 12 years and in his current role he maintains relationships with many of the largest commercial businesses in Ontario. Working at the corporate level with a provincial focus, he
6 HPAC | CMPX 2022
provides information, strategies and support to help these organizations participate in Save-on-Energy incentive programs as well as related energy management programs offered by the IESO. George Hantzis is the supervisor, energy conservation commercial market at Enbridge Gas. Hantzis currently leads Enbridge’s large commercial team of energy solutions advisors in helping customers find opportunities to reduce their natural gas consumption through the adoption of efficiency measures that maximize ROI, reduce energy costs and boost their bottom line. Before taking on this role, he worked as an industrial energy solutions consultant where he applied his technical knowledge and practical skills towards developing custom energy efficiency solutions. Andrei Hari has worked a combined 20 years with Armstrong Fluid Technology. Hari currently holds the title of Canadian business development manager, concentrating on educating the industry on a systems approach to chilled water, geothermal, heat pump and boiler plant optimization with a focus on an understanding of demand-based controls, digital twins and the
application of AI, along with the importance of flow control. Andrei is a graduate of Ryerson University with a mechanical engineering degree. Philip Johnston is the low GWP program leader at Daikin Applied. Johnston joined McQuay International (now Daikin Applied Americas) in June 2001. He held a series of development, new product introduction, and product management roles in the air side business before becoming the senior director of product planning in 2010. In 2012, Johnston became the product general manager for the applied terminal business (water/ground source heat pumps, fan coils and unit ventilators). Mike Miller is vice president of sales with Taco Comfort Solutions in Canada. Born and raised in Germany where he became a certified heating cooling and air conditioning mechanic, Miller immigrated to Canada in 1996 and worked as a heating contractor in B.C. before joining a privately-owned plumbing and heating wholesaler in Red Deer, Alberta. He then joined a leading controls manufacturer in 2000 and has remained on the manufacturer side of the industry ever since, joining Taco Comfort Solutions in 2013. Miller plays an active role in several industry associations, and he is a past chair of the Canadian Hydronics Council (CHC).
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