Catherine Karakatsanis, FCAE

Catherine Karakatsanis, P.Eng., M.E.Sc., FCAE, ICD.D, LL.D, is a practicing professional engineer and the Chief Operating Officer and Board member of Morrison Hershfield, an employee-owned multi-disciplinary consulting engineering and management firm with 24 offices across Canada and the US (and one in India). She oversees more than 900 professionals that provide services in the areas of Infrastructure, Buildings, Mission Critical Facilities, Telecom, Transportation, and Environmental.

Catherine has consistently been recognized with medals and awards for her contributions to the profession and the community, including the highest engineering distinctions—the Gold Medal from Engineers Canada and the Gold Medal and Order of Honour Companion Level from Professional Engineers Ontario, and the Governor General of Canada Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers. She was inducted into the Canadian Academy of Engineering as a Fellow and into Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women Hall of Fame. Catherine was also recognized with lifetime achievement awards from the Canadian Consulting Engineer magazine and the Hellenic Heritage Foundation. She has an Honorary Doctorate from Western University.

Catherine is currently the President/Chair of the International Federation of Consulting Engineers, the global body of consulting engineers representing over 1.4 million engineering professionals in more than 100 countries. She is also the President-elect of the Canadian Academy of Engineering and a board member of the Council of Canadian Academies. In the past, she chaired the boards of Engineers Canada, Professional Engineers Ontario, and the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers, and was Vice Chair of Engineers Without Borders Canada. She also served on the boards of Hydro One and Western University, among others.

Catherine has a bachelor’s and master’s degree of Engineering Science from Western University.