Volta CEO Leaving For VP Role At Sustainability Think Tank
HALIFAX—Volta CEO Martha Casey is leaving the innovation hub for a job with the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD).
IISD is a Canadian think tank established in 1990 thanks in part to the efforts of former prime minister Brian Mulroney. The organization’s mission is to “accelerate solutions for a stable climate, sustainable resources, and fair economies.” It has about 150 staff and associates working in more than 30 countries.
Casey will join IISD as vice-president of operations and organizational transformation.
In an interview with Huddle, Casey says she is “really excited” about the opportunity.
“Sustainability has always been a passion of mine and the team at IISD are really world leaders in their field. So this is something I’m very, very excited about,” she said.
But while she looks forward to the new opportunity, Casey says leaving Volta was a difficult decision.
“The team here… really is one of the best teams I’ve ever worked with, and I was actually quite sad when I let them know I was moving on,” she says.
Casey has been with Volta for more than three years. She started in 2018 as the chief operating officer and officially took over as CEO in July of 2020, replacing outgoing CEO Jesse Rogers.
During her time heading the accelerator, Casey says she’s seen tremendous growth in Halifax and Atlantic Canada’s startup community. She says she’s valued being a part of that growth but isn’t too caught up in her own legacy at Volta.
“I’ve learned so much from my colleagues here and from the founders so it’s hard for me to know what I’ve left behind,” she says.
“This isn’t about me. It’s about the work that’s been going on since 2013 since Volta was founded, and just how much momentum and how much growth we’re seeing in the startup community and the impact that these companies are having on our economy and the kind of energy that we’re seeing in Halifax.”
Casey essentially spent her entire time as CEO shepherding Volta through the Covid-19 pandemic and says it’s been “inspiring to watch” the region’s startups adapt and continue to thrive in such a challenging environment.
Volta, too, had to adjust dramatically to the pandemic, closing or restricting its co-working space and re-tooling much of its programming and events to go digital.
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However, Casey points out that the organization held an in-person event last week and has a full schedule of events on the horizon.
Casey will remain at Volta until early May. When she leaves, Volta’s chief innovation officer, Matt Cooper, will take over on an interim basis. Cooper was a Volta Academy instructor for more than four years and has been CIO since June 2021.
Trevor Nichols is the associate editor of Huddle, based in Halifax. Send him your feedback and story ideas: [email protected].