Here are the Forty Under 40 recipients for 2026

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The Ottawa Business Journal and the Ottawa Board of Trade are pleased to announce the recipients of this year’s Forty Under 40 awards, which have become widely recognized as the region’s most sought-after business award for people under the age of 40.

This year’s selection committee, chaired by OBJ publisher Michael Curran, included Jennifer Cross of Chandos Construction, Nadine Atkinson of BDO, Greg Richards from the Telfer School of Management, tech entrepreneur and founder Rob Imbeault, and Anne Howland, OBJ’s editor-in-chief. 

The committee chose the top 40 based on their business accomplishments, professional experience and community involvement. 

“This is my third year of judging the Forty Under 40 and it’s always impressive to see the depth and breadth of talent across our city,” said Howland. “And that talent comes from both the private and public sectors, and from a variety of industries and professions. This year, I was struck by the diverse backgrounds of the candidates and their stories of how they’ve overcome significant hurdles to achieve their goals.”

“It’s amazing to see, year after year, the contributions of these high achievers to their organizations, their communities and to the city of Ottawa,” said Richards. 

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The awards gala is scheduled for June 18 at the Casino du Lac-Leamy. OBJ and the Ottawa Board of Trade also produce a TV show for Rogers TV and PBS to recognize the recipients.

Congratulations to this year’s Forty Under 40 recipients (in alphabetical order):

Irfan Ahmed, 38, Procom, Consulting Director

Jahanzaib Ansari, 36, Knockri, CEO

Jen Arbuckle, 35, Metcalfe Realty Company, President

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Mathew Baranowski, 38, PCL Construction, District Manager

Danielle Bergeron-Walsh, 37, MNP LLP, Partner, Family Office/Succession

Adam Bracken, 36, The Fitness Lab, Founder and CEO

Kyle Briggs, 36, SAIL Fund, Co-founder

Emma Brown, 38, Whimble Care, Founder

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Cody Campanale, 38, Campanale, Director of Land Development and Finance 

Trevor Clark, 37, Boardwalk Ottawa, Owner and Operator

Natasha Commanda, 38, Emdash, Strategist

Gena Custode, 37, Scotiabank, Managing Director, Technology & Innovation Banking

Andrew Dings, 39, Anatomy Physiotherapy Clinic, Founder and CEO

Andrew Fahim, 32, Giatec Scientific, Senior Director Research

Karine Génier, 39, Alliance Engineering & Construction, CFO and Partner

Sarah Gordon, 36, Elite Virtual Staffing, Founding CEO

Hugo Hodgett, 37, H2 Analytics, CEO

Garrett Incze, 34, GBI Pool Services, President

Brian Kells, 39, Perley-Robertson, Hill & McDougall LLP, Partner and Corporate Lawyer

Adam Kourakis, 34, Somersault, Owner and Race Director

Pierre-Charles La Haye, 39, Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton, Partner

Samantha Leclair, 39, Snowed In Studios, Production Director

Andrew Lemoine, 38, Autocorp.ai, CEO

Danielle Manley, 38, Carleton University, Associate Professor and Director, School of Nursing

Andrée-Anne Martel, 38, Vanier Community Services Centre, Executive Director

Robert Myette, 39, CHEO, Clinician Scientist and Medical Director Dialysis

Neilda Pacquing Gagné, 38, AGI Ventures Canada, Co-founder and Chief Ecosystem Officer

Dhiego Pinilla Lopes, 39, The Stone Fabricator & The TGi Group

Chris Roussakis, 37, Phantom Productions, Co-founder and Chief Creative Director

Ramzi Salem, 33, The Westin Ottawa, Market Director of Sales

Frances Shapiro Munn, 39, Nelligan Law, Partner

Meaghan Shoemaker, 34, Department of National Defence, Senior Defence Advisor

Chris Tester, 38, Comercio (Nordic Sauna & Outdoor Direct), Founder and CEO

Michael Wallack, 39, Wallack’s, President and Owner

Genevieve Walton, 34, Flex Property Developments & Short and Suite BNB, CEO and Owner

John Wark, 34, CLV Group, Vice-President, Asset Management

Michael Weatherhead, 37, The Ottawa Education Group, Chief Strategy Officer

Christie Wilson, 39, International Workplace Group plc, Senior Legal Counsel North America

Michelle Younes, 36, Invest Ottawa, Director of Venture Programs

Muhammad Zaheed, 39, BluWave-ai, Vice-President, Finance

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