Aecon Legal Counsel

As General Counsel, Fushman leads a team of 14 lawyers loosely organized into public companies, operations, seconded project lawyers, and litigation. He provides strategic advice on all issues that arise, including mergers and acquisitions, litigation, labor and employment, contract negotiations, vaccination policy and many more. The Fushman team negotiates agreements for the contractor and provides strategic advice in the event of friction. Although Yonni Fushman began his legal career the day before 9/11 in a law firm with many tech clients amid the dot-com implosion, he was not discouraged. He left the Boston-based business firm to work at a litigation boutique in his hometown of San Diego, where he honed his advocacy skills before moving to Toronto in 2005 to join the legal team of Aecon Group Inc. Yonni Fushman is Executive Vice President, General Counsel, Chief Sustainability Officer and Corporate Secretary. He is responsible for managing a broad portfolio for the Aecon Group, including Legal Services, Corporate Secretariat, Sustainability, Ethics and Compliance, Insurance and Bonding, Data Protection and Strategic Procurement. Prior to joining Aecon in 2005, Mr. Fushman practiced law in the United States.

Mr. Fushman received a Bachelor of Arts, Magna Laude, in Economics from the University of Southern California in 1997 and a Juris Doctor Laude from Boston University School of Law in 2001. He earned the Certificate of Continuing Studies in Sustainable Management from Duke University, received the Envision Sustainability Professional certification, and holds the FSA qualification from the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board. He is admitted to the bars of Ontario, California and Massachusetts. “I would say sustainability is probably the most interesting and exciting area for me. It`s partly a legal issue in terms of governance, reporting and disclosure, partly business strategy and partly funding,” says Fushman. It also links the theme of sustainability to investor relations, communication and operations. Name: Yonni Fushman Company: Aecon Group Inc.

Title: Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer, Chief Sustainability Officer and Corporate Secretary Years in the Industry: 20 Portfolio: Legal, Sustainability, Ethics and Compliance, Insurance and Surety, Procurement and Office Services Fushman has experienced steady growth within the legal department of the Canadian infrastructure development and construction company and has been awarded the title of Chief Executive Officer of legal affairs in 2017. He now wears several hats – most recently, he took on the additional role of Director of Sustainability in August 2020. In this role, he works with many different departments. “The challenge is that not all EPC or turnkey projects have the same risk profile – and you can miss out on good opportunities if you just say that the risk of turnkey projects is too great,” says Fushman. In collaboration with Associate General Counsel Ernie Chan, Fushman has developed a list of questions that generate a green, yellow or red answer to create a framework for risk management from a risk management perspective on which jobs to pursue and how to assess them. The Canadian Legal Newswire is a FREE newsletter that keeps you up to date with news and analysis on the Canadian legal scene. A separate InHouse edition is delivered regularly, providing targeted news and information of interest to in-house lawyers. Fushman says Aecon has always had a strong ethical culture. The legal team has developed a rigorous ethics program to further strengthen this culture, initiated by Martina Doyle, Associate General Counsel.

We have noticed that various international organizations or individuals have offered false job opportunities at Aecon Group Inc. Our employment policies and processes include interviews, and job seekers never have to pay us a sum of money. This would be contrary to our business conduct guidelines and ethical practices. We also do not renew formal job offers or execute employment contracts through social media or social chat platforms. We take this issue very seriously and work with the relevant authorities to prevent such fraudulent schemes. Please remain vigilant about this and report any suspicious contacts to your local authorities and email any concerns to aecon@aecon.com. “It`s also a kind of war cry for our employees, who are increasingly interested in having their employer live their values,” he says. The second Sustainability Report, released in 2021, revealed that Aecon has conducted its first Diversity and Inclusion Census, which will help assess continued progress in removing barriers between talented people from all walks of life and opportunity in the company.

Fushman`s team is also working hard to strengthen cybersecurity to mitigate the risk of attacks. They recently ran a tabletop simulation that Fushman recommends as a best practice. “We were all in the storm together, we were working harder than ever, but we were really rowing together in perfect sync – everyone was communicating well, was completely focused on supporting our construction workers on the front line, pursuing our projects and making sure we maximized our recoveries,” he says. Aecon University`s goal is to provide effective learning that impacts each person`s growth and skills so that they can do more, be more efficient, and grow in our Aecon team. Gordana TerkalasSenior Vice-President, Human Resources Mr. Fushman is the past Chair of the Construction and Infrastructure Law Division of the Ontario Bar Association. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Canadian Bar Association`s Department of Construction and Infrastructure Law. After working almost exclusively remotely during the pandemic crisis, Fushman`s team found that in some cases, this meant that communication actually increased.

Blue Print Leadership Program A customized leadership program designed for Aecon executives, regardless of their position or seniority. He meets Aecon`s expectations of all its leaders and focuses on practical and relevant management tools and techniques. Manuel Rivaya Senior Vice President Urban Transportation Solutions “We are now the only construction company in Canada that not only reports on our greenhouse gas emissions, but has also set emissions targets for 2030 and 2050,” said Fushman. Aecon aims to reduce CO2 emissions by 30% by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2050. The focus is now on operationalizing sustainability by changing methods, materials and equipment to produce less carbon. According to Fushman, this approach gives Aecon a competitive advantage and distinguishes the company from its customers by focusing on an important emerging topic. Steve NackanExecutive Vice President, Concessions “The program gives us confidence that we have the right training and controls in place without being too cumbersome,” Fushman said. At Aecon, our leaders are here to guide you by helping you set realistic career goals, discuss your skills and interests, and provide valuable feedback and encouragement.

You`ll also find progressive colleagues who share the journey and measure growth and opportunities in the field of your choice. So, although the initiative is yours, trust that we will take care of the support. Future Leaders Program A program focused on strengthening the knowledge, skills and leadership abilities of our high-potential employees appointed as part of Aecon`s talent management processes. David SmalesExecutive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Our career management program is maintained through a well-developed talent management process and a training and development program. tag */ /* curator-feed-default-feed-layout */ (function(){ var i, e, d = document, s = “script”;i = d.createElement(“script”);i.async = 1; i.src = “cdn.curator.io/published/2869f841-cf04-4413-9e4f-e7cf14932afe.js”; e = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];e.parentNode.insertBefore(i, e); }) (); ]]> Since taking office, Mr. Fushman has led two sustainability reports and reported using two frameworks: the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board and the Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosures. Among its new strategies this year, Aecon expanded its training and certification programs to combat bribery and corruption, introduced new tools for anonymously reporting ethical concerns, and strengthened its sustainability leadership team. The organization has also expanded its training and certification programs to combat bribery and corruption and introduced new tools to anonymously report ethical concerns. Next Generation Leaders A program that aims to accelerate the development of experienced, high-potential managers and directors appointed as part of Aecon`s talent management processes. Women`s Leadership Program Each member of Aecon`s Executive Committee is responsible for the development and development of a high-potential woman at Aecon.

The program aims to create opportunities for women, create networks, become familiar with different parts of the organization and industry, and gain skills for future growth. Fushman says, “We have to constantly gasp for the air and ask ourselves, `Am I doing the most important thing for the company that I can do right now? Do I create added value? You deliver the best value to your customer when you block out the noise and focus only on the few issues that really matter – which are very often the issues that no one talks about. “Fushman and his team recently developed a proprietary algorithm to assess risk in turnkey engineering, procurement and construction contracts – through which the company hires the contractor to deliver a system so you `just turn the key` and make it work. Ironically, Fushman found the early stages of the pandemic particularly rewarding despite the stress. Aecon offers you unique opportunities to grow and build a long-term career.