Dr. Frederick Buckman has served as a director of Terrestrial Energy since 2017 and became Chairman in February 2025. He holds a Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering from MIT and a B.S.E. in Science Engineering from the University of Michigan. Dr. Buckman brings extensive leadership experience in the energy sector, having founded, chaired, and served as CEO of Trans-Elect Development Company Inc. in 1999, which became the first independent transmission company in North America. His career includes serving as CEO and President of PacifiCorp, where he helped transform the company from a regional utility into an international energy company. He also held the position of President and CEO of Consumers Power Company and worked as Managing Partner at Brookfield Asset Management in the utility sector. Additionally, he served as President of the Power Group at The Shaw Group Inc. His board experience includes previous directorships at Pacific Gas & Electric Company, Solomon Corporation, and StanCorp Financial Group.
Dr. David Hill has served on the Terrestrial Board since 2014, bringing 35 years of nuclear research and laboratory management experience. He holds a Ph.D. and B.Sc. in mathematical physics from Imperial College, London University, and an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business. Dr. Hill served as Deputy Laboratory Director for Science and Technology at Idaho National Laboratory from 2005 to 2012. Throughout his career from 1984 to 2012, he held senior executive management positions at three major national laboratories: Argonne National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and Idaho National Laboratory. He is a Fellow of the American Nuclear Society and a Member of the International Nuclear Academy, reflecting his significant contributions to the nuclear science community.
William Johnson has served on the Terrestrial Board since 2023, bringing nearly 40 years of utility industry experience. He holds a J.D. from the University of North Carolina School of Law and a B.A. from Duke University. Johnson has served as CEO of three major utilities: Progress Energy, Tennessee Valley Authority, and Pacific Gas & Electric, demonstrating his extensive leadership experience in the utility sector. He began his career as an attorney with Hunton & Williams in 1983, becoming a partner in 1990. He currently serves on the boards of directors of TC Energy and NiSource Inc. His broad experience spans operations, public affairs, finance, and mergers & acquisitions, providing valuable strategic insight to the board.
Robert W. Jones has served on the Terrestrial Board since 2025, bringing over 50 years of financial sector experience. He holds a B.A. from Colgate University and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. Jones spent his career at Morgan Stanley from 1974 to 2024, holding various positions including Head of Global Power and Utility Group from 1990 to 1997, Vice Chairman of Investment Banking from 1997 to 2009, and Senior Advisor from 2009 to 2024. His extensive board experience includes serving as a board member of Progress Energy Corporation from 2007 to 2012, BATS Global Markets Inc. from 2013 to 2017, and the Electric Power Research Institute from 2015 to 2019. His deep financial expertise and extensive experience in the power and utility sectors provide valuable strategic and financial guidance to the board.
Hugh MacDiarmid was appointed to the Terrestrial Board in 2014 and served as Chairperson until February 2025. He holds an M.B.A. from Stanford University and an H.B.A. from Western University. MacDiarmid's career highlights include serving as President and CEO of Atomic Energy of Canada Limited from 2008 to 2011, and as President and CEO of Laidlaw Transit Inc. from 2003 to 2005. He held the position of Executive Vice-President, Commercial at Canadian Pacific Railway from 1995 to 2001 and served as President and CEO of Lumonics Inc. from 1987 to 1990. Earlier in his career, he was an Associate and Principal with McKinsey & Company. He currently serves as a director of Ridge Canada Cyber Solutions Inc. and has previously held board positions at SeaCube Container Leasing Limited and Pinnacle Renewable Energy.
Shawn Matthews has served as Chairman and CEO of HCM II since its inception and holds an M.B.A. from Hofstra University and a B.S. in Finance and Economics from Fairfield University. He brings over 30 years of management experience in public and private corporations. Matthews serves as Chief Investment Officer and founder of Hondius Capital Management since 2019 and was CEO of HCM Acquisition Corp, which successfully raised $287 million in its IPO in 2022. He previously served as CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. from 2009 to 2018. Matthews is also the founder and CEO of Hondius Energy and HondGo, an electric vehicle charging company, and has served as CEO of Mercator Power and DNA Holdings Venture, Inc., showcasing his diverse experience across energy and financial sectors.
Charles Pardee has served on the Terrestrial Board since 2024, bringing over three decades of nuclear industry experience. He holds a B.S. in Marine Engineering from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and completed Harvard's Advanced Management Program. Pardee served as Executive Vice President and COO of Tennessee Valley Authority from 2013 to 2017. He also held the position of Chief Operating Officer of Exelon Generation, where he managed 30,000 megawatts of generation capacity, and served as Chairman of Constellation Energy Nuclear Group. He currently serves as a board member of Xcel Energy Inc. since 2020 and Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation since 2019. From 2018 to 2023, he was a member of the Nuclear Safety Advisory Board for Tokyo Electric Power Company, further demonstrating his expertise in nuclear safety and operations.
Simon Irish has served as Terrestrial Energy’s Chief Executive Officer and a member of the board of directors of Terrestrial Energy and its predecessors since 2014. Mr. Irish brings more than 20 years of finance and investment management experience across a broad range of market sectors and industries, both domestically and internationally. Previously, Mr. Irish held senior positions for nearly 8 years at Man Global Strategies (“MGS”), including head of MGS in North America. MGS is the strategic investment division of Man Group Plc (“MAN”), a leading global investment management business. During his time at MGS, Mr. Irish was responsible for building and managing the largest and most active strategic investment and managed account business in North America at the time. Mr. Irish was also a member of MAN’s Investment Committee and responsible for corporate acquisition opportunities in North America. Prior to that, Mr. Irish was a derivatives structurer and trader at Credit Suisse Financial Products, a London-based investment firm and a leading global bank in the derivatives sector. Mr. Irish holds an MA in Natural Sciences from Cambridge University and an MSc in Finance from the London Business School.
Dr. David LeBlanc has served as Chief Technology Officer of Terrestrial Energy and a member of the Terrestrial Board since 2013. Dr. LeBlanc is a globally recognized expert and leader on molten salt reactors and has dedicated his career to the improvement and realization of advanced nuclear power systems, in particular MSR technologies. Dr. LeBlanc is the sole private sector member of the Gen IV International Forum, an intergovernmental research group focused on advanced reactors. In 2008, Dr. LeBlanc founded Ottawa Valley Research Associates Ltd. to advance MSR technologies and has filed patents relating to such technologies that have specific bearing on improving and broadening the commercial application of the MSR technology. Dr. LeBlanc is a frequent speaker at international nuclear industry conferences on Molten Salt Reactor design concepts, he has had numerous news media engagements covering MSR technologies, and his numerous academic articles are extensively cited. Dr. LeBlanc holds a Ph.D. and M.Sc. in Physics from the University of Ottawa and a B.Sc. in Physics from the University of New Brunswick.