Zoë is a policy leader, strategist, author, and communicator with a 20-year proven track record of driving high-impact change across non-profit, government, and corporate sectors. With expertise spanning climate, energy, natural resources, public and private finance, and economic policy, she creatively transforms complex challenges into actionable strategies that serve the common good. Most recently, she helped establish and scale a renewable energy asset management firm in Norway, and served as the climate policy advisor to the Prime Minister of Canada.
More about me
I’m a strategic optimist — aware of the stark realities of the world, and clear-minded on the path to solutions. My academic background is in climate science and global development. I am driven to constantly learn and apply new approaches to create positive change. I love working with people eager to make a tangible difference — the “doers” who actively shape tomorrow’s world. This mindset has allowed me to work alongside some of the most inspiring people across non-profits, government, and the private sector, to get big things done together.
Why forests are important to me
I grew up in a small mountain community of 300 people, nestled in what is now the world’s last remaining inland temperate rainforest. I drank water from the mountain stream, and played on the moss-covered forest floor beneath towering cedar trees. Watching the adults around me protect our forests and watersheds — through Canada’s first FSC certified, community-managed forest — impacted me for life. I learned our livelihoods are deeply intertwined with the health of the forests — a lesson I carry with me in all I do.
Why Canopy
I believe the most effective way to create change is to build the world you want to see. Canopy is a team of problem-solvers, tackling challenges at their root and forging uncommon partnerships to create practical, scalable solutions. They’re pragmatic, strategic, and relentlessly focused on building a new reality. Canopy is always in the arena, not on the sidelines.
Ask me about
Anything related to Norway: saunas, skiing, bread, trolls, mountain huts, and the culture of “free air life”. What it’s like to work with the White House. Lending me your dog. Canadian politics. Best practices for chopping and stacking wood (the irony). Swimming in Antarctica. And, of course, how not to cry (too much) when you meet Dr. Jane Goodall.
What ruffles my feathers
When people walk past a person struggling on the street and don’t stop to check if they are OK.
Salmon symbolize renewal within some First Nations cultures, a constant I try to live by. The Latin word salmo, “to leap”, describes how salmon battle strong upstream currents, succeeding against all odds. Salmon use collective navigation, communicate visually, and feel empathy. Their rivers are a core part of the forest ecosystem. They migrate a long way from home, but eventually return.
