Rumina Velshi

Co-Founder and Principal of ZettaJoule

Rumina serves as an expert in regulatory strategy, market development, and investor assurance for ZettaJoule. Her international experience in nuclear safety and governance strengthens the company’s licensing approach, informs commercialization and market-entry plans, and supports engagement with investors, governments, and industry partners.

Most notably

Rumina comes to ZettaJoule with globally recognized expertise in nuclear energy policy, regulation, and innovation. With over 40 years in the sector, she advises investors, developers, governments, and international agencies on advancing clean, reliable, and affordable energy. 

She is a Distinguished Fellow at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy and a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council. Rumina has also received an honorary doctorate degree in science and engineering from McMaster University.

In 2023, she was awarded the IFNEC Icon of Nuclear Award in recognition of her  outstanding leadership, vision, and commitment to mentorship.

Professional experience

Rumina currently serves on several of the world’s foremost nuclear advisory bodies, including:

  • International Nuclear Safety Advisory Group, advising the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna;
  • International Expert to Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority in Tokyo
  • Chair of the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency’s High-Level Group on Stakeholder Engagement and Trust, headquartered in Paris.

Additionally, she serves as Strategic Advisor to Torys LLP, and Senior Advisor to the CEO and Board of Management at ORLEN Synthos Green Energy, a private venture advancing the deployment of GE Hitachi BWRX-300 SMRs in Poland and other European nations. 

Rumina sits on the board of SaskPower where she also serves as Chair of the Nuclear Energy Committee.

Previously, she was President and CEO of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, Canada’s independent nuclear regulator, where she led a transformative modernization of licensing, oversight, and international collaboration.

Education

Rumina holds an undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering, a Master of Engineering degree in Nuclear Engineering, and an MBA – all from the University of Toronto.

More about Rumina

Rumina jokes that she taught her children to spell isotope before she taught them to spell ice cream and they have not forgiven her. 

She claims to have never watched a single episode of The Simpsons, and to some on the team that’s a badge of honor, to others it’s a missed opportunity.

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