Updated September 2026
As a young man, Chris Huskilson (BScE'79, MScE'82, DSc14) travelled from Shelburne, N.S., to UNB in Fredericton to pursue a degree in electrical engineering. He joined Nova Scotia Power in 1980, working on software engineering and control systems projects while pursuing a master's degree in electrical engineering at UNB. Throughout the two decades that followed, he advanced to increasingly senior roles with Nova Scotia Power and Emera, its parent company. In 2003, he was named chief operating officer of both firms. By the following year, he was named president and CEO of Emera, a position he held until his retirement in 2018.
During his tenure as CEO, Emera's assets grew from $4 billion to about $29 billion. Chris' leadership contributed to the development of transmission networks, renewable energy initiatives and cross-border energy partnerships. He played a key role in advancing projects that connected energy systems across jurisdictions, reflecting the increasing importance of integrated and resilient power networks.
In addition to his corporate leadership, Chris has been active in professional and community organizations. He has served on a number of boards and advisory bodies related to energy, business and public policy, and has contributed to discussions on infrastructure development, sustainability, and economic growth.
He was also the driving force behind the formation of the Emera & NB Power Research Centre for Smart Grid Centre Technologies at UNB. Within the centre, the company supports the Emera chair in smart grid technologies and facilitates industry partnerships and innovative applied research.
Chris has done even more to support his alma mater: he sponsored the Entrepreneurial Leadership Program through the Wallace McCain Institute at UNB and served as a member of UNB's Forging Our Futures campaign cabinet. He advocated for Emera New Brunswick's support of the Promise Partnership program on the Saint John campus to create a bursary to support students from low-income neighbourhoods. In 2014, in recognition of his accomplishments as a community builder and as one of the top business leaders in Atlantic Canada, UNB granted him an honorary doctorate of science.
In 2018, Chris was awarded the UNB Engineering Distinguished Alumni Award and inducted into the UNB Engineering Wall of Fame. The Engineering Distinguished Alumni Award recognizes a UNB engineering alumnus who has demonstrated core values of excellence, integrity and leadership and has attained prominence and achievements through his or her career. Award winners are often trailblazers in industry or have demonstrated commitment to community through volunteer, philanthropic or advocacy efforts or service and support to UNB.
Chris Huskilson’s career illustrates the impact of engineering leadership in the energy sector, where technical knowledge, strategic decision-making and public responsibility intersect. Through his work with Emera and his contributions to energy development, he has helped shape the infrastructure that supports communities and economies across multiple regions, reinforcing the role of UNB graduates in building and managing complex systems that serve the public good.
