​Community Matters: Meet the new president and CEO of Bruce Power

Eric Chassard (right) assumed the role of Bruce Power president and chief executive officer (CEO), July 1, bringing a wealth of leadership experience at Bruce Power and other major companies, into his new position.

He has a proven track record in nuclear power plant operations and the successful delivery of major projects, and is intimately familiar with the company’s ongoing Life-Extension Program and Major Component Replacement (MCR) project.

Eric joined Bruce Power in 2019 as executive vice-president, projects and engineering, and was instrumental in the successful completion of the Unit 6 MCR with a record safe performance, ahead of schedule and on-budget. He has successfully led the delivery of Bruce Power’s Life-Extension Program, implementing a comprehensive project management technique and a long-term procurement strategy securing partnerships through the end of the six-unit refurbishment.

His leadership will be key as Bruce Power embarks on its remaining MCR outages, delivers its Asset Management Program, Project 2030 to increase the output of existing units, the expansion of isotope production capabilities, and the burgeoning opportunities of the Bruce “C” project.

Prior to joining Bruce Power, Eric held a series of senior executive positions, both in nuclear operations and leading multi-billion-dollar projects at Areva, Orano, Bechtel and Hitachi, directly leading more than 6,500 people in 13 different countries as CEO of subsidiaries or joint ventures. He was awarded the French National Order of Merit in 2018 by the French president for the successful turn-around of Areva.

He has a degree in engineering with a specialization in nuclear engineering, and holds a post-graduate diploma in nuclear reactor physics. He also received a Harvard/Stanford Executive MBA in 2009.

Eric, who proudly became a Canadian citizen this year, lives in Port Elgin with his wife, Vanessa. They have two grown children, Elora, 24, a chemical engineer working in France, and Elian, 21, in the third year of mechanical engineering at the University of British Columbia.

He takes over from Mike Rencheck who has retired after a transformative eight-year run as president and CEO of Bruce Power, leaving a lasting legacy on the community and the company.

In his introductory letter to Bruce Power employees in 2016, Rencheck envisioned a bright future in which the company’s role in Ontario would be further secured through safety, performance excellence, and social responsibility. He delivered this vision, leaving Bruce Power, its employees, surrounding communities and the province as the benefactors of his inspiring leadership.

Rencheck thoroughly enjoyed his time with Bruce Power and supporting various charitable organizations across the region. Although he’s looking forward to spending more time with family in his retirement, he and his wife, Carol, will remain active members of our community.