Sustainability Unlocked

Dr. Leanne Keddie

Leanne Keddie is an Associate Professor of Accounting at the Sprott School of Business at Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario Canada. She earned her PhD in Accountancy from the John Molson School of Business at Concordia University in Montreal, QC.  She is also a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA). Her current research follows three key streams. In the first, she examines the use of environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance-based goals in executive bonus plans. Second, Dr. Keddie is leading an interdisciplinary team exploring Canada’s transition towards a circular economy; her role examines how food retailers are tackling the measurement, reduction and redirection of food waste. Third, she has been exploring the valuation of natural and cultural capital in the context of UNESCO sites in Canada. Broadly, her sustainability accounting research is of interest to a variety of stakeholders including management, shareholders, regulators, and standard setters as interest continues to grow in social and environmental matters. She believes in the power of accounting to move the world towards sustainability. She has worked with various CPA bodies nationwide to advise and provide continuing education on sustainability accounting. Dr. Keddie has contributed her expertise to various panels across the country, the Director Journal, The Conversation, the Canadian Climate Institute, the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Energy Working Group and writing standard-setting response letters amongst other initiatives. Various podcasts, Global News, CBC, and other mainstream media outlets have highlighted her work.

Olivia St-Laurent

Olivia St-Laurent is a passionate sustainability advocate with a visionary outlook on the future. Holding an MSc in Renewable Resources from McGill University in Montreal, QC, Olivia’s research focuses on urban sustainability transformations, specifically exploring how diverse stakeholders collaborate to drive systemic, radical change in cities and communities. In addition to her academic work, Olivia is a co-founder and sustainability advisor at La Vague, a non-profit she launched in 2019 to promote ecological sustainability in Quebec’s café and restaurant industry. Through La Vague, she helps small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the food sector transition to sustainable practices, offering hands-on support and expertise to reduce their environmental footprint. 

Olivia has worked with a wide range of venues—from independent cafés to fine dining restaurants—empowering them to make positive environmental changes both internally, as a sustainability officer, and externally, as an advisor. Driven by a deep commitment to creating meaningful change, Olivia’s work continues to reflect her vision for a more sustainable and impactful future.

Dr. Sarah Farahdel

Sarah Farahdel is a results-driven leader specializing in sustainability performance measurement, corporate governance, and change management. She holds a PhD in Information and Systems Engineering from Concordia University, where her research focused on integrating data-driven methodologies, including machine learning and simulation, to enhance organizational sustainability assessments. With over a decade of experience spanning management consulting, program management, procurement, and supply chain optimization, Sarah has led transformative initiatives across various industries, driving multimillion-dollar cost savings and implementing strategic performance measurement frameworks. She has advised Fortune 500 companies on operational improvements, spearheaded national workshops, and developed governance models that optimize business processes and decision-making. Recognized as a Concordia Public Scholar (2024-2025), Sarah is committed to bridging academia and industry through thought leadership and public engagement. Passionate about sustainability and innovation, she continues to contribute as a consultant, educator, and speaker on performance optimization and data-driven decision-making.