Ken Nash has announced his decision to resign from his role as President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) as of September 30, 2016. 

“I am very much looking forward to pursuing a number of interests after 42 years in the nuclear business,” said Mr. Nash. “At the same time, it is difficult to leave a successful organization with such a dedicated, diverse and talented team of professionals. I am committed to supporting the transition in whatever way I can.”

“The Board would like to thank Mr. Nash for his tireless leadership and contribution to nuclear waste programs in Canada,” said Pierre Charlebois, Chair of the NWMO’s Board of Directors. “Over the last 25 years, he has played a major role in shaping and developing the short- and long-term strategies for the safe storage and disposal of nuclear waste, initially in his role as Senior Vice-President of Nuclear Waste Management at Ontario Power Generation (OPG) and over the last 10 years at the NWMO.” 

Effective immediately, the Board has established a search committee, and working with an external firm, it will conduct a search for a successor to the CEO position at the NWMO. 

“As we move forward into the next phase of site selection in Ontario, the Board is focused on continuing to maintain collaborative leadership within the NWMO,” said Mr. Charlebois. 

Mr. Nash was appointed President of the NWMO in 2006. He is a founding director of the NWMO and past chair of the organization’s Board of Directors. In his role as President and CEO, he was responsible for initiating the implementation of Adaptive Phased Management, the long-term plan for used nuclear fuel, approved by the Government of Canada in 2007. 

He is also past chair of the International Association for Environmentally Safe Disposal of Radioactive Materials (EDRAM), an association of nuclear waste management organizations from 11 countries, including Canada.

He has held a number of senior management positions at Ontario Hydro and OPG, including finance, engineering, environmental management, policy development, and waste management. Prior to joining Ontario Hydro, he worked for British Nuclear Fuels on a range of existing and advanced reactor fuel designs and as a senior design engineer in the reprocessing/recycling division.