Ugo (he/him) is a Researcher with the Firelight Group. He works on policy analyses, project assessment, and the negotiation and implementation of Impact and Benefit Agreements (IBAs). Ugo holds two degrees in mineral technology and geological engineering, and over 20 years of experience with industry, communities, Indigenous organizations, governments, academics, civil society, and media. Before joining Firelight, Ugo led non-governmental initiatives and organizations to improve mining practices and policies nationally and internationally. He was a member of governmental and multi-interest committees federally and provincially, including Canada’s National Orphaned and Abandoned Mines Initiative (NOAMI) and Quebec’s and Ontario’s Mines Minister Advisory Committees. In 2021, Ugo received the ‘Allumettières Award’ in recognition for his community and environmental engagements.

Ugo lives by the Kichi Sibi with his two children in Gatineau, QC, on the unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg First People. He is a thirteenth-generation settler with historical roots in France. If not behind his screen, you may find Ugo on cross-country skis, paragliding in light wind, or simply stretching his back (and mind).