Executive Team

Mr. Smallegange sets a standard of leadership that is exemplified through his actions and his ability to play to the strengths of his management team and Board. It is a standard rooted in trusted service and unwavering commitment to serve the needs of Burlington Hydro’s customers and the community.

As President and CEO, he is accountable for the holding company Burlington Enterprises Corporation, and its affiliates Burlington Hydro Inc. and Burlington Electricity Services Inc., a position he has held since 2009.

Gerry is a Board Member and Past Chair at Plug N’Drive Ontario and Conservation Halton. He has an engineering degree from the University of Waterloo, holds the nationally recognized designation of a Chartered Director, is a professional engineer in the Province of Ontario, and has his MBA from Athabasca University.

Ms. Blackwell has over 15 years of experience in management roles in the electricity sector including Alectra Utilities, the former Horizon Utilities, and Oakville Hydro. She has been actively involved in several rate applications as well as the merger process to form Alectra Utilities. Her prior work experience includes several years in the consumer-packaged goods industry.

In her role she has oversight of the Finance, Billing, Regulatory Affairs, Supply Chain and Capital Planning departments. She serves as a Board Member of the Utilities Standards Forum and Links2Care, and is a member of the Electricity Distributors Association’s (EDA) Regulatory Affairs Council.

Ms. Blackwell is a Chartered Director (C.Dir), a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CMA) and holds a Master of Business Administration and Bachelor of Commerce degree from McMaster University.

Jennifer Smith is the Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer at Burlington Hydro. Jennifer is an accomplished senior executive with over 20 years of Electrical Distribution Industry experience and 15 years at the senior leadership level. She is responsible for overseeing key areas of business, including strategy, Governance, Human Resources, IT, Stakeholder and Customer Relations, Corporate Communications and Health and Safety.

In addition to her professional accomplishments, Jennifer is active in the Electrical and Business Community. She has served on the Burlington Chamber of Commerce’s Board of Directors and is a Past Chair. She is a current member of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. Jennifer also has Chaired various Human Resources Committees of the GridSmartCity Cooperative, Electrical Distributors Association and Electricity Human Resources Canada.

She holds a Master of Business Administration with a focus on Digital Transformation in addition to earning a Chartered Director designation through the Directors College at the DeGroote School of Business, McMaster University. She also holds the designation of Certified Human Resources Leader.

Paul Heeg brings over 30 years of experience in the electricity distribution industry, with extensive technical and managerial expertise in Engineering and Operations. As the VP of Engineering Services & Network Operations, Paul oversees the design, planning, safe operation and maintenance of the entire electrical distribution system.

A dedicated leader, Paul is committed to workplace safety and the continuous development of his team. He is a Registered Journeyperson Meter Technician and holds an Energy Systems Engineering Technologist diploma from Mohawk College. Additionally, he earned the Chartered Director (C.Dir.) designation through the McMaster University DeGroote School of Business. Paul is an active member of several Electricity Distributors Association (EDA) Technical Councils, contributing to the advancement of the industry.