ESA President and CEO Josie Erzetic Named EHRC's 2025 Leader of the Year
Award recognizes people-first leadership during a period of rapid transformation in Canada's electricity sector
MISSISSAUGA, ON, Feb. 20, 2026 /CNW/ - The Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) is proud to share that President and CEO, Josie Erzetic, has been named Electricity Human Resources Canada's (EHRC) 2025 Leader of the Year. The honour was presented at EHRC's Annual Awards of Excellence on February 19th in Toronto.
The EHRC Leader of the Year Award celebrates individuals who demonstrate exceptional leadership and make a meaningful contribution to the development of Canada's electricity workforce.
EHRC's Awards of Excellence Evaluation Panel praised Josie as a "clear visionary," citing her ability to empower employees and improve communication across the organization. In announcing the award, EHRC highlighted Josie's people-first leadership and commitment to building a culture of trust -- positioning Ontario's electricity sector for the future, while supporting the workforce navigating change today.
"Josie is an inspiring leader, and I'm pleased to see her recognized with this award," said Arjan Arenja, Chair of ESA's Board. "She continues to have a real and lasting impact at ESA by building a culture that strengthens how we deliver on public safety and work together."
Under Josie's leadership, ESA has advanced an ambitious modernization agenda grounded in a strong, accountable culture. That foundation has enabled a series of organizational firsts to evolve how ESA delivers service: expanding the use of data to better target inspections and safety education where risk is highest; launching digital tools such as a remote inspections app and self-serve licensing platform; and streamlining internal and external processes to support faster, more effective service -- particularly during storm response.
Together, these efforts are helping ESA better protect Ontarians and enable safe economic growth. For Josie, culture is central to strategy. Leading more than 550 employees across the province, she has made leadership a core priority of the organization -- because everything ESA does as a regulator starts with its people. Creating a culture where employees feel free to share ideas and information helps ESA deliver on the strategy and respond as one team to rapid changes in the sector.
"I'm really grateful to receive EHRC's Leader of the Year award," said Josie Erzetic. "ESA is a small organization with an ambitious mandate. Our impact comes from our dedicated employees and our culture of collaboration. That collaborative ethos applies both to how we work together and with others across the electricity sector, as well as Ontario's business and manufacturing communities. Through the hard work of our committed staff and the support of our regulated and safety partners, we're able to punch above our weight in ensuring the safety message is heard across Ontario's complex electricity sector and by the public."
Read more about Josie Erzetic's vision for a safer, stronger electricity sector.
About the Electrical Safety Authority
The Electrical Safety Authority's (ESA's) role is to improve public electrical safety in Ontario. ESA is an administrative authority responsible for administering specific regulations under the Electricity Act, 1998 (Part VIII) related to the Ontario Electrical Safety Code, the licensing of Electrical Contractors and Master Electricians, electricity distribution system safety, and electrical product safety. ESA works extensively with stakeholders throughout the province on education, training and promotion to foster electrical safety across the province.
SOURCE Electrical Safety Authority
For further information, please contact the Electrical Safety Authority by phone (905-712-7819) or email at: [email protected].
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