Leadership matters
Laurentis Energy Partners is led by an experienced team of industry experts whose background and expertise are a driving force behind the company’s growth and success. Get to know Laurentis’s senior leadership team and you will understand why so many customers in the nuclear industry rely on the company’s products and services.
At Laurentis, we recognize that our clients entrust us with some of their most critical and complex projects. That responsibility drives us to deliver with precision, integrity, and a steadfast commitment to results. Our leadership team is dedicated to ensuring every project is executed safely, to the highest standards of quality, and with a disciplined focus on meeting timelines and budgets. For our clients, accountability isn’t just a value – it’s a promise.Leslie McWilliamsPresident and CEO
Meet the team
Meet the people who are implementing Laurentis’s plan for strategic growth and leadership in the fields of nuclear energy services and isotope production.
Leslie McWilliams
President and CEO
Leslie McWilliams was appointed Laurentis President and CEO in 2025 after more than 25 years with Ontario Power Generation (OPG).
During her career at OPG, Leslie held roles in Engineering, Project and Outage Management, Maintenance, Chemistry and Inspection Services. She also served in station leadership positions at Pickering and Darlington, as well as in Nuclear Refurbishment and Corporate functions. Most recently, Leslie was Deputy Site Vice President at Darlington, where she played a lead role in the station’s relicensing.
In addition to her technical and operational leadership, Leslie has been active in workforce development and mentorship. She has advanced equity, diversity, and inclusion within her teams and built partnerships with schools to encourage future generations to pursue careers in nuclear.
Leslie holds a B.A.Sc. in Chemical and Environmental Engineering from the University of Waterloo, has served on industry boards, and has been a licensed member of the Professional Engineers Ontario since 2003. She is also actively involved in her community, having served as a long-time youth soccer coach, Girl Guide Leader, and advocate for STEM education and equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives.
John Burta
Senior Director of Isotopes
John Burta is Laurentis’s Senior Director of Isotopes.
John joined Laurentis as Director, Nuclear Regulatory Affairs in 2023. He brings a vast range of experience, accumulated over the past 25 years, from many areas of the nuclear industry. Most recently, John was the Regulatory Program Director for the Darlington Regulatory Program Division at the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission. In this role, John was the single point of contact between the federal nuclear regulator and Ontario Power Generation's Darlington Nuclear Generating Station, responsible for all aspects of licensing, compliance, enforcement, planning, reporting, community outreach and Indigenous engagement related to the facility.
As an active member of the global nuclear community, John represented Canada in various international activities. He was Canada’s National Officer for the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale (INES) and served as a member of the IAEA's INES Advisory Committee. In addition, he was the Canadian National Coordinator for the Incident Reporting Systems for Operating Experience and served on its Advisory Committee.
John completed a master’s degree in nuclear engineering from the University of Ontario Institute of Technology following his undergraduate degrees in health science (nuclear medicine) from Dalhousie University and applied management from the University of New Brunswick. In addition, John has completed the certificate program in regulatory leadership from the University of Ottawa and has a diploma in nuclear medicine technology from the Canadian Association of Medical Radiation Technologists.
John has two teenage daughters. He helps coach their softball teams and spends most weekends (Spring and Summer) at a ball diamond.
François Cussac
Vice President of Technical Services and Projects
François Cussac is Laurentis’s Vice President of Technical Services and Projects.
Prior to joining Laurentis in 2025, François spent more than 17 years in technical and management roles at Candu Energy Inc., formerly Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, an AtkinsRéalis company, focusing on strategic initiatives, engineering services, and CANDU reactor advancements. François has a master’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of New Brunswick, a master’s degree in engineering and management from Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Mines of Saint-Etienne in France, and additional certifications in Project Management (PMP) and in Organizational Development from York University's Schulich School of Business.
François is an ardent supporter of the development of new leaders and has led various communication and leadership programs such as Toastmasters. François is fluent in French and English.
Chris Dixon
Vice President of Nuclear
Chris Dixon joined Laurentis in 2024 as Vice President of Nuclear. In this role, Chris leads Laurentis’s New Nuclear and Nuclear Lifecycle business development and operations.
Chris has three decades of experience in nuclear operations, having previously served as Facility Operations Director at Global First Power. Previous to that, he held senior operations management roles at Ontario Power Generation’s Darlington and Pickering Nuclear Generating Stations.
As a diverse and inclusive teamwork focused leader, Chris is dedicated to industry collaboration on new technological innovations that will enhance existing nuclear facilities and emerging new nuclear reactor technologies in the provision of inherently safe, carbon-free, and cost effective community electrical generation in support of positive climate change action.
Chris has a bachelor of science, physics degree from McMaster University and has held shift manager licences and duty manager certifications from the CNSC.
Navindra Persaud
Chief Nuclear Engineer
Navindra Persaud joined Laurentis Energy Partners in 2023 as the Director of Engineering, responsible for the growth and development of the engineering team.
Navindra’s first job in his quarter-century career in the nuclear industry was at Bruce Power, where he was a Project Manager for the Unit 3 and 4 refurbishment projects. At the conclusion of his restart activities, he joined Bruce Power’s Performance Engineering department and later joined the Pressure Boundary Program Section in the Equipment Lifecycle Department. At Nuvia Canada, Navindra was the Engineering Manager, developing a Quality Management System and working on decommissioning and remediation plans for several areas in Ontario. Prior to that, he was Manager of Instrumentation and Control Design Section at Amec Foster Wheeler/Kinectrics. At Kinectrics, Navindra also served as Technical Director of the Electrical, Instrumentation and Control Directorate, and as the Director of Design Integration and technical lead for the Bruce Power/Isogen Lutetium-177 Isotope Production system.
Navindra is a Licensed Professional Engineer in Ontario, Manitoba, and New Brunswick, with an engineering degree from the University of Waterloo in environmental (civil) engineering. He also sits as a member of the Technical Committee for CSA N292 Radioactive Waste Management, CSA N294 Decommissioning of facilities containing nuclear substances, CSA N290.0 General requirements for safety systems of nuclear power plants, CSA N290.2 Requirements for emergency core cooling systems of nuclear power plants, and CSA N290.6 Requirements for monitoring and display of nuclear power plant safety functions in the event of an accident.
Navindra lives in the Durham region with his wife and kids and enjoys cycling, being the weekend breakfast chef, and doing work around the house.
Kamlesh Roy
Vice President of Finance
Kamlesh Roy joined Laurentis Energy Partners in 2023 as the Vice President of Finance.
Kamlesh has more than 20 years of experience directing financial operations for companies including De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Ltd., Bombardier Aerospace and Wipro. With a distinguished career in financial management and strategic planning, Kamlesh plays a pivotal role in ensuring Laurentis’s financial growth. His expertise in optimizing financial operations further reinforces Laurentis's ability to drive innovation and deliver exceptional value.
Kamlesh lives in Brampton, Ontario with his wife and has two childrens, a son who is in university and a daughter who is in high school. His interests include cricket, soccer and travelling.
Laura Van Soelen
Vice President of Corporate Services
Laura Van Soelen joined Laurentis in 2022 after spending 13 years practicing law for the international law firm, Gowling WLG.
Laura began her legal career in 2008, first practicing commercial litigation with a focus on defence-side class action work. In 2010, Laura joined a team litigating a dispute over a major nuclear refurbishment project, which initiated her interest in nuclear energy.
In 2015, Laura transitioned her legal practice to focus specifically on energy matters. Before joining Laurentis, as a partner in Gowling WLG's Energy Group, Laura gained expertise in energy regulation, commercial contracting, and dispute resolution. Her clients included power producers in the conventional and nuclear sectors, distributors, retailers, and industrial energy consumers. Laura represented clients on applications and in compliance proceedings before the Ontario Energy Board, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, and the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board.
Laura previously supported Laurentis's predecessor, Canadian Nuclear Partners, while on secondment from Gowling WLG to Ontario Power Generation's Law Department.
Michael Hare
Executive Advisor, New Brunswick Market & Client Development
Michael G. Hare has more than 30 years of experience in the nuclear sector. From 2005 to 2013, was a senior manager and executive at Point Lepreau, responsible for all aspects of layup, training, commissioning, restart and regulatory interface for New Brunswick Power's Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station Refurbishment Project. From 2015 to 2021, Michael held senior leadership roles at Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station, including Deputy Chief Nuclear Officer, Station Director, and Operations Manager.
In 2021, Michael joined Laurentis's Romanian subsidiary, Canadian Nuclear Partners S.A., as a Refurbishment Project Management Expert to aid in preparation for the Cernavoda Unit 1 Refurbishment. In this role, Michael was responsible for leading a team of experts in project management, nuclear steam plant, balance of plant, nuclear safety and analysis, and cost estimating. In addition, he has set up the organizational model with roles and responsibilities for owner's engineer and utility project staff, provided the strategy for the project governance system, drafted project execution and quality assurance plans, and developed division of responsibility between the owner and third-party suppliers.
Michael has bachelor of science from the University of New Brunswick, a professional engineer certificate, and is a graduate of the Smith School of Business. Michael is married with two daughters and one granddaughter, and enjoys boating, golfing, skiing, and travelling.
Giovanbattista Patalano
Managing Director, New Market Development, Europe
Giovanbattista Patalano is a dynamic and results-driven business leader with a proven track record in driving business growth, change management, and stakeholder engagement within highly regulated nuclear markets. With over two decades of leadership experience across Europe he excels in steering large-scale nuclear projects, strategic commercial development, and organizational transformations.
Currently serving as Vice President - Europe at Laurentis Energy Partners, Giovanbattista plays a critical role in shaping the company’s global nuclear strategy. He leads efforts to expand market presence, secure multi-billion-dollar contracts, and commercialize advanced nuclear technologies, delivering innovative solutions in complex, regulated environments as well ensuring the operational excellence in project delivery.
Prior to his current role, he held senior executive positions including Senior Vice President of Nuclear Markets and Sales at Ansaldo Nucleare, and Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Managing Director at Orano Projects UK. His accomplishments include transforming the UK company from a consultancy-driven model into a fully project delivery-oriented EPC organization.
Giovanbattista holds an MSc in Nuclear Science and Engineering from MIT and an MBA from Collège des Ingénieurs. He is a registered professional engineer in Italy and the UK and is recognized for his ability to lead strategic growth in complex, technical sectors.
