Laurentis Section Manager helps redefine the nuclear by-products picture

People
June 22, 2023
8 min read

Laurentis Section Manager helps redefine the nuclear by-products picture

GSAn outdoor enthusiast and former IRONMAN hailing from Canada's East Coast, Gillian Spinney knew she wanted a career in the nuclear industry after early experiences working at the Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station in New Brunswick.

For Spinney, Laurentis Energy Partners was the perfect fit.

A commercial subsidiary of Ontario Power Generation (OPG), Laurentis is a nimble and fast-growing organization focused on innovation in energy markets and health care around the world. "Laurentis has offered many interesting opportunities for development; we are all here because we love a challenge and want to support in deploying new ideas and solutions for the 'next steps of nuclear'", Spinney said.

A mom of two young kids, Spinney leads a busy life camping all over Ontario in her personal time while playing a key role in bridging the gaps between technical and commercial issues for many of Laurentis's clean-energy projects as a Section Manager.

With over 15 years of experience in nuclear engineering, safety, and emergency response, Spinney joined Laurentis in 2022 to support the Commercial Projects team in their various medical isotope projects and innovations.

"It was an exciting draw," said Spinney.

It’s not every day that you get the opportunity to work in an organization so focused on advancing and deploying cutting-edge technologies for the nuclear industry during what is arguably the nuclear renaissance.
Gillian Spinney
Laurentis Energy Partners Projects Section Manager

In February of this year, Laurentis announced the installation and initial commissioning of an innovative isotope system at Darlington's Nuclear Generating Station to produce Molybdenum-99 (Mo-99). Mo-99 is used to produce Technetium-99 metastable (Tc-99m), one of the most prevalently used diagnostic imaging agents in nuclear medicine, which helps detect illnesses like cancer and heart disease.

"The isotope Target Delivery System (TDS) at Darlington is a first of its kind. It's been incredibly rewarding to be part of the team that gets t

o bring this lifesaving and industry-changing system to life," said Spinney. "The big question now is what's next. I'm excited to play a part in that answer and explore the expansion of the TDS's capability for new isotope opportunities."

The big question now is what’s next. I’m excited to play a part in that answer and explore the expansion of the TDS’s capability for new isotope opportunities.

Laurentis also produces Helium-3 - a rare isotope used in quantum computing, neutron research, border security, and medical imaging. Using a custom-designed tool, Laurentis extracts high-purity He-3 from tritium, a by-product of nuclear clean-energy, stored at OPG's Darlington Nuclear Generating Station.

"I'm passionate and proud to be able to play a part in nuclear sustainability," said Spinney. "Across the nuclear industry, we are not only producing power but we're inventing ways and developing tools to use what we have today to produce more for the future, like valuable isotopes, that are beyond what we typically think nuclear power generation is capable of. Through examples like He-3, we're turning what would've been considered a by-product into an asset. Working for Laurentis, I know that the impact of my role and the work we do can be industry- and even life-changing."

Spinney's message to others mulling a change or wanting to have more enthusiasm towards their career was clear to her.

GSfam

"Don't be intimidated by the big boulder in your way - focus on the small steps and bring your best to it, which will ultimately set you up for success. When in doubt, ask yourself 'at this moment, what's the best next step I can take?' - which may be loosely inspired by my daughter's favourite movie, Frozen 2!"

Spinney is excited about the future of nuclear and the innovations that are coming out of the industry. "As a mom to two young kids, I want to create a better world, where clean-energy and environmental sustainability go hand-in-hand. I want my kids to know that 'status-quo' is a thing of the past and the sky is the limit. Being able to play a role in that vision every day makes what I do at Laurentis a fulfilling career."

Laurentis is a forward-thinking, diverse, and equal-opportunity employer. Offering challenging career opportunities, Laurentis is surrounded by some of the best employees in the energy sector, working together to promote safety, efficiency, and integrity. To view the latest job opportunities at Laurentis, click here.

Organizational Announcement

People
January 11, 2023
6 min read

Organizational Announcement

JVW-Ginther
Jason Van Wart (left), Chris Ginther (right)

Chris Ginther is named Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Laurentis Energy Partners, and Jason Van Wart is appointed to President, effective Jan. 1, 2023.

Former President and CEO, Dominique Minière, announced his retirement in late 2022.

As Executive Vice President of Business Strategy and Commercial Management at Ontario Power Generation, Chris brings a wealth of knowledge in business strategy, development, commercial structuring, and commercial positioning.

Previously serving as Senior Vice President, Jason Van Wart has been instrumental to the growth of Laurentis, expanding operations internationally and positioning the company as a key producer, supplier, and leader in global isotope markets.

About Laurentis Energy Partners
Laurentis Energy Partners, a subsidiary of Ontario Power Generation, provides solutions for customers across energy markets and in health care around the world, offering expertise in inspections, refurbishment and engineering, nuclear materials sorting and recycling, the production of nuclear isotopes, and the advancement of small modular reactors. Laurentis has offices in the Greater Toronto Area, Hamilton and Bruce County in Ontario, Saint John in New Brunswick, and Bucharest and Cernavoda in Romania.

Laurentis engineer, problem-solver and Métis citizen, Brendan Boucher, advances his career through OPG’s ION program

People
January 3, 2022
6 min read

Laurentis engineer, problem-solver and Métis citizen, Brendan Boucher, advances his career through OPG’s ION program

Since he was a child, math, science, problem-solving and helping others have always been areas of interest for Brendan Boucher, a citizen of the Métis Nation of Ontario. And he's been able to translate those strengths into an engineering career at Laurentis Energy Partners.

BrendanBoucher_headshot
Brendan Boucher

After graduating from the Mechanical Engineering program at Ontario Tech University, and with the knowledge that Laurentis and its parent company, Ontario Power Generation (OPG), are committed to diversity and inclusion in their workforce, Brendan reached out to OPG's Human Resources to inquire about job opportunities in the nuclear industry for Indigenous peoples.

Cue the OPG Indigenous Opportunities Network (ION) program, an initiative designed to increase the number of Indigenous people working in the nuclear industry. Launched in 2018, ION has placed 68 Indigenous people in energy sector roles within OPG, its subsidiaries, vendors and unions.

Thanks to ION and his skill-base, Brendan was hired at Laurentis, a subsidiary of OPG, in August 2021, as a member of the newly formed Design Engineering Team. He has spent the past several months helping to formalize policies and procedures for Laurentis, focusing on Quality Management Systems.

"The ION program created opportunities and opened many doors for me," said Boucher.

If I could give advice to others, Indigenous or not, who are seeking out a successful career or working towards their dream job, it’s to be your own biggest advocate. Be persistent and be confident in what you bring to the table. There are incredible resources available if you’re willing to put in the work and time to seek them out and use them.
Brendan Boucher

"I look forward to connecting with other Indigenous people in the nuclear industry and hope that others are encouraged to follow a similar path."

Laurentis is an innovative, diverse and equal opportunity employer that offers challenging opportunities, career diversity, and focuses on hiring highly qualified individuals. To learn more about job opportunities with Laurentis, contact us here. And, for information on employment through ION, click here.

Andrew Lukomski: Leading by Example

People
August 25, 2020
7 min read

Andrew Lukomski: Leading by Example

Andrew Lukomski
Andrew Lukomski

When Andrew Lukomski joined Laurentis Energy Partners in December 2018 on a rotation, he was determined to use his new opportunity as one to create meaningful change, not for himself, but for millions of Canadians who rely on the medical isotope industry.

Andrew came to this role equipped with more than 10 years of project management experience in various positions at Ontario Power Generation (OPG). Andrew is skilled at what he does however instead of taking complete control of the projects he manages, he prefers to take on the role of teacher, to help members on the team he oversees to reach their full potential.

I am a subservient leader. I prefer to not get too involved instead I would like to facilitate leadership among my team to help them understand the whole project management process.
Andrew Lukomski
Section Manager, Laurentis Energy Partners

With Andrew's experience in project management, he quickly became a key asset for Laurentis and was offered a position as a section manager under the Commercial Services of Laurentis overseeing the Molybdenum-99 project. Laurentis manages various high profile commercial isotope projects in the medical and nuclear isotope industry from Molybdenum-99 (Mo-99) to Tritium (H-3). The medical attributes of Mo-99 peaked Andrew's interest because Molybdenum-99 is used to aid in millions of diagnostic and medical imaging tests to help detect life-threatening illnesses like cancer and heart disease. Given the life-altering impacts of working under Laurentis' Commercial Services division especially on the Molybdenum-99 project, Andrew was immediately drawn to it, given he has family members affected by the harsh realities of Cancer.

"What motivates me to come to work everyday is the knowledge that my role is bigger than I am. The medical attributes of Molybdenum-99 affects millions of lives. I understand what I do on a daily basis, has the power to create and affect positive change in Canada and the world," says Andrew.

As Andrew continues to thrive in his role, he prefers to focus on the future and how he can transfer the skills he has learned along his more than 10 year journey as a project manager. He wants to create a foundation of success for the employees he manages. Andrew is able to do this by taking on the role as a teacher to create a successful system to grow the skillset of his direct reports. With the foundation he is creating, Andrew is hoping it will sustain long term operations for project management at Laurentis. This is why Andrew is more than happy to share the successes he has acquired along the way as well as encouraging employees to question the various systems in place. He wants to instill this mindset as a means to finding new ways to approach a project; as well as encouraging staff to learn from their mistakes as a way to reach their full potential.

"What I want to do is pass on knowledge to the team. I have lots of years of experience in projects so I'm trying to create a strong foundation for project management success in the careers of the staff I'm mentoring. For me to have this knowledge and not pass it on, is simply a waste of time," says Andrew.