The Ottawa Business Journal and the Ottawa Board of Trade are once again pleased to announce the recipients of this year’s annual Forty Under 40 awards, which have become widely recognized as the region’s most sought-after business award for people under the age of 40.
This year, the committee whittled down 159 nominations and from there chose the top 40 based on their business accomplishments, professional experience and community involvement.
This year’s selection committee, chaired by OBJ publisher Michael Curran, included Jennifer Cross of Marant Construction, Jeffrey Johnson of BDO, and Anne Howland, OBJ’s editor in chief.
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“The 2025 Forty Under 40 cohort caps the first quarter of the 21st century with a dynamic group of leaders that continues to raise the bar in professional and personal achievements,” said Johnson. “BDO is excited to support these leaders as they create economic growth and well-being in our community.”
“Being a Forty Under 40 judge is always a tough but fun assignment,” said Howland. “There are so many deserving candidates, it’s fantastic. And it’s always a balancing act to bring in entrepreneurs and professionals from all types of careers and backgrounds. What I’ve really come to appreciate is not only the amazing CVs of candidates, some of whom are in their early 30s, but also the truly touching stories of challenges and obstacles along the way, not to mention the charitable contributions that are another huge aspect of these awards.”
The awards gala is scheduled for Friday, June 27 at the Casino du Lac-Leamy. OBJ and the Ottawa Board of Trade also produce a TV show for Rogers TV and PBS to recognize the recipients.
Congratulations to this year’s Forty Under 40 recipients (presented in alphabetical order):
Alberto Aguilar, 28, Founder and CEO, Plantaform
Talal Al-Atassi, 39, Cardiac Surgeon and Assistant Dean, University of Ottawa Heart Institute
Jenniffer Alvarenga, 39, Real Estate Broker and Co-Founder, Goodstory
Ghina Annan, 36, Principal and Decarbonization Business Lead, Stantec
Nadine Atkinson, 37, Partner, BDO Canada LLP
Maximillian Bailey, 37, CEO, Spoonity
Jennifer Beckert, 39, Director of Finance Transformation, Shopify
Kyle Biggar, 38, Chief Science Officer and Scientific Co-Founder, NuvoBio Corp.
Diana Birsan, 36, Co-Founder and CEO, Downpay
Julien Bourgeois, 36, Partner, Dentons Canada LLP
Matthew Brown, 33, Vice-President of Customer Success, Solink Corp.
Mary Anne Carter, 37, Principal and Partner, Earnscliffe Strategies
Alexander Caudarella, 39, CEO, Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction
Varsha Chaugai, 38, CEO, Evoke Health
Kyle Crawford, 39, Vice-President Sales and Rentals, Hansler Industries/Venturis Capital Corp.
Evan Dudley, 34, Director Sales North America, Giatec Scientific Inc.
Marry Gunaratnam, 37, Senior Vice-President, Northern Credit Union
Erin Hennessy, 39, Director of Operations, CVE Inc.
Christian Jennings, 39, President, Jennings Real Estate Corp.
Tessa Kampman, 39, Senior Project Director, bbb architects ottawa inc.
Joel Kowalski, 36, River Operations Manager, Wilderness Tours
Pamela Lai, 38, Medical Director, ExecHealth
Michael Lalonde, 39, Co-owner and Founder, Purecolo Inc.
Marty Landry, 36, Vice-President of Sales, Field Effect
Sébastien Lavoie, 33, Owner, La Vie en Bois
Brett Merriman, 39, CEO, TryCycle Data Systems Inc.
Andrew Montague-Reinholdt, 35, Partner, Nelligan Law
Liam Mooney, 37, CEO, Jackpine
Ryma Nasrallah, 39, Partner, BLG
Rose Caddy Nwaha, 39, Owner, Rocaderm Clinic Ltd.
Emma Pollon-MacLeod, 36, CEO, NutriChem
Rumi Prince, 39, General Manager, Prince Mortgage Team
Liam Remillard, 37, Senior Manager and Chief Statistical Adviser, Abbott Point of Care
Idan Scher, 37, Rabbi, Congregation Machzikei Hadas
Dedrick Sterling, 39, Owner, Merakey Construction and Management
Sarah Vandenbelt, 38, Broker of Record and Founder, Paradigm Commercial Real Estate & Brokerage Inc.
Patrick George Vice, 33, Vice-President of Engineering, Product and Platform, Fullscript
Tori Waugh, 38, Founder and CEO, Conservation Ag
Kody Wilson, 39, Partner, GGFL LLP
George Zahalan, 36, Owner and CEO, Pharmacist Valley Health Pharmacies
