Peter Halsall, MASc., P.Eng.

As Chairman/CEO of the Halsall group of companies, Peter Halsall led the integration of sustainability into all aspects of its businesses and services and its growth to over 350 employees. Halsall Associates delivered structural engineering, building evaluation/restoration and green building engineering. Halsall also started three other companies within the Halsall Group: BuildingWeb (a software service for managing building data); Pivotal Projects (a building project management company); and Loop Initiatives (a corporate sustainability advisor).

After Halsall’s sale to an international company, he built the company's global sustainability program. After leaving he was Executive Director of the Canadian Urban Institute. While there, Halsall led the development of Solutions for a Low Carbon Future, leading projects such as implementing LED street lighting, preparing municipal green development standards, creating a national infrastructure report card, and managing waste soil for municipalities.

Halsall has also helped establish two firms with co-workers from Halsall: Synergy Partners, a building restoration firm, and Purpose Building, a company committed to accelerating real estate to planet positive performance, where he currently works. He also helped found Purpose Analytics, a non-profit working to make data analytics available to the non-profit sector, where he acts as Board Chair.

Since becoming president of Halsall in 1995, sustainability has been central to the organizations which he leads. Through the Halsall Family Foundation, Halsall has supported several community organizations providing opportunities for disadvantaged youth. He has served on advisory boards for the University of Toronto and McMaster, as well as community organizations such as Evergreen CityWorks. He served for 5 years on Design Review Panels for each of the City of Toronto and Waterfront Toronto. He is currently the volunteer Executive Director of the Toronto 2030 District, a collective action initiative to create a low carbon downtown.

Halsall's work has been recognized by Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Canada Green Building Council, Sustainable Buildings Canada and the Ontario Building Envelope Council. He has been inducted into the UofT Engineering Hall of Distinction and received a UofT Arbor Award for his service to his alma mater. Halsall was elected a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering in 2011.