Velma McColl

Co-chair Smart Prosperity Institute steering committee, Managing Principal at Earnscliffe Strategy Group

As a Managing Principal at Earnscliffe Strategy Group in Ottawa, Velma works on a range of economic and social issues including M&A, innovation, energy, environment and emerging technologies.

Prior to joining Earnscliffe in 2004, Velma advised Federal Cabinet Ministers on political strategy, policy and communications. She has also worked provincially in British Columbia and Alberta. She has worked to find creative solutions across federal/provincial/territorial, North American and international boundaries. Her career includes success as an entrepreneur and experience working collaboratively with business, academia, think tanks, not-for-profit organizations and the public sector.

A proud mother and Westerner with twenty years’ experience in Ottawa, Velma studied at the University of British Columbia and the Banff School of Management. She is a co-founder of the Canadian Clean Technology Coalition and Women in GR. She has taken leadership roles with several organizations including Smart Prosperity, the Ryan’s Well Foundation and EcoTrust Canada.