Walid Abou-Hamde took on the role of Chief Executive Officer at the Ontario Road Builders’ Association (ORBA) following a successful year as Vice President, Corporate Affairs and Partnerships at Skilled Trades Ontario. Previously, he served as Director of Stakeholder Relations to Ontario’s Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development Monte McNaughton, where he was instrumental in the launch of Skilled Trades Ontario.
Walid played a key role in several high-profile government initiatives including generational transformations in Ontario’s higher education and employment services, expansion of natural gas and broadband to many rural communities across the province, and the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. He also led stakeholder engagement for Minister McNaughton where he co-developed and executed consultations on the Market Sounding Initiative, a process which led to significant changes to Ontario’s P3 procurement model for delivering infrastructure projects on time and on budget.
Walid has acquired a versatile skill set through direct engagement with C-suite executives, Cabinet Ministers and senior public officials, and has a proven track record in public and private sector executive management and strategic advisory.
Walid earned his Honours Bachelor of Applied Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Ottawa and a Postgraduate Certificate in Public Relations from Humber College.