Responsible Returns: How Canada’s Pension Plans are Shaping Sustainable Investments

Roundtable Luncheon with Michael Kelly, Sunita Mahant and Sarah Takaki

C.D. Howe Institute events and webinars are open to members and their guests. Please follow this link or contact events@cdhowe.org to register.

Michael Kelly, Chief Legal & Sustainability Officer, OMERS

Michael Kelly is the Chief Legal & Sustainability Officer of OMERS.  He oversees OMERS Legal Division, including working closely with the Board of Directors.  Mr. Kelly also leads OMERS approach to sustainable investing in his role as Chief Sustainability Officer and is Chair of the Sustainable Investing Committee.

Mr. Kelly represents OMERS on various domestic and international organizations focused on governance and sustainable investing, including the Canadian Coalition for Good Governance and the Investor Leadership Network.

Prior to assuming his current role in 2014, Mr. Kelly served as Executive Vice President & General Counsel at Borealis Infrastructure (now OMERS Infrastructure).  Prior to joining OMERS, he practiced corporate, commercial and regulatory law, both in-house and with firms in Toronto, London, England and Ottawa.

Mr. Kelly was called to the Bar in Ontario in 1994.  He holds a BBA from Wilfrid Laurier University (1989), an LLB from the University of Toronto (1992), and an MA (International Relations) from the University of Toronto (2004).  He also holds the designation of Chartered Director (C. Dir).

Sunita Mahant, Managing Director, Sustainability, and Managing Director, Toronto, CDPQ Global

As Managing Director, Sustainability, Sunita Mahant is responsible for supporting the sustainable investment credit and equity activities in the real estate sector and overseeing sustainable development projects. She optimizes risk and opportunity management based on environmental, social and governance criteria and acts as an ambassador for the culture of sustainability within the overall organization. In addition, as Managing Director, Toronto, and as part of CDPQ Global, Ms. Mahant works closely with all asset classes to foster relationships in the Toronto financial and business community, and with key stakeholders including our peers, partners, financial institutions, governments, regulators and industry associations.

Prior to this role, Ms. Mahant was Vice-President and Head of Social Impact and Inclusion, Sustainable Investment, at Ivanhoé Cambridge. Previously, she held various management roles in the organization, including in Talent and Performance and in Legal Affairs, with a focus on real estate investment. Ms. Mahant holds a Bachelor’s of Political Science from Glendon College, York University, and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Windsor. She also earned a Mini-MBA from Boston University’s Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) and is a member of the Ontario Bar.

With a keen interest in diversity, equity and inclusion, she serves as Director, DEI, on the Board of Directors of NAIOP Commercial Real Estate Development Association. She is also a member of Toronto CREW, which works to advance women to positions of leadership and influence in commercial real estate. In 2015, Ms. Mahant was ranked one of the best lawyers under 40 in Canada in the Lexpert Rising Stars awards. In 2024, she was selected as a member of the Women’s Leadership Initiative by Urban Land Toronto Institute. She is fluent in Hindi, Punjabi, French and English.

Sarah Takaki, Managing Director, Sustainable Investing, Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan

Sarah joined HOOPP in 2019 and leads the Sustainable Investing program. She oversees the implementation of sustainable investing practices, including the analysis of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors across the total portfolio. Her team works closely with the asset class teams to provide insights on ESG themes, collaborates with groups across the organization to advance HOOPP’s climate change strategy, and leads the portfolio stewardship program, including proxy voting and engagement activities.

Prior to joining HOOPP, Sarah was with the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan on the Responsible Investing team. During this time, she was a member of the secretariat of the Government of Canada’s Expert Panel on Sustainable Finance. Sarah has also worked in the consulting and non-profit sectors.

Sarah holds a Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering and a Master’s of Biomedical Engineering from Western University. Sarah also holds an MBA from the University of Cambridge.