BC Hydro

Charlotte Mitha, President & CEO

Accessibility Leadership

Charlotte joined BC Hydro in 2004, bringing her engineering background and a deep appreciation for the role electricity plays in people’s lives.

Over the years, she’s taken on a variety of leadership roles, and today she’s proud to serve as President and CEO. She’s been part of the Executive Team for more than six years.

Before stepping into her current role, Charlotte was Executive Vice President of Operations, where she led the teams that keep BC Hydro’s massive system running smoothly — from control centres and water management to the crews maintaining over 80,000 kilometres of transmission and distribution lines, 300 substations, and 30 hydro plants. She also oversaw customer connections and the delivery of more than $1 billion in annual operating, maintenance, and capital work.

Charlotte’s career began in engineering and construction management on hydroelectric projects, giving her hands-on experience that continues to shape her leadership today.

She’s a Professional Engineer with a background in mechanical engineering and holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Royal Holloway, University of London.

Charlotte is passionate about BC Hydro’s mission and feels privileged to lead a company that’s so central to life in British Columbia.

Our Organization

Who We Are

BC Hydro is the province’s largest Crown corporation, delivering reliable, affordable, and renewable electricity to over five million people.

As a publicly owned utility, we strive to reflect the diversity of the communities we serve. BC Hydro fosters an inclusive culture where equity and accessibility are built into everyday practice, supporting a sustainable energy future.

Why We Are Involved

As a Crown corporation owned by the people of British Columbia, BC Hydro is committed to building a workforce that reflects the rich diversity of our province.

Our goal is to become a “Disability Confident” organization—one that is both comfortable and capable in supporting employees and customers with disabilities.

Distinction and Awards

Our efforts have been recognized through several distinctions that reflect our commitment to inclusion, accessibility, and sustainability:

• BC’s Top Employers,
• Canada’s Top Employers for Young People,
• Canada’s Greenest Employers,
• Canada’s Best Diversity Employers,
• Pledge to Measure’s Leading Accessible Employer,
• The Indigenous Work’s Employer of Choice.

Accessibility Initiatives

We have implemented a range of initiatives that embed accessibility into our organizational practices:

Strategy and Governance:

• A multi-year Accessibility Plan with 40 actions across five focus areas and an Accessibility Committee that developed and continues to support the plan.
• A dedicated role in Human Resources to support the strategy and implementation of Inclusion and Diversity programs.

Measurement and Accountability:

• An accessibility benchmarking tool, based on national standards, that tracks progress across 44 elements in nine key areas.
• Collection and transparent sharing of disaggregated workforce composition data on employees with disabilities, captured at time of hire and every two years through the employee engagement survey.
• Feedback and accountability mechanisms that reinforce continuous learning and improvement.

Workforce Practices:

• Inclusive recruitment and hiring practices supported through flexible interview formats and targeted recruiter training.
• Robust accommodation practices, including adjustments to physical premises, job duties, work schedules, and access to adaptive technologies and equipment.
• An Accessibility Employee Resource Group that provides community and support for employees living with or managing a disability.
• A drug and alcohol treatment program that funds 75% of the cost of residential treatment and supports safe return-to-work transitions.
• Accessible and inclusive spaces, such as comfort and cultural rooms, that promote employee wellbeing.

External Partnerships and Collaboration:

• Partnerships with disability-serving organizations—including CNIB, Inclusion BC, the BC Aboriginal Network on Disability Society, the Accessibility Alliance, the Canadian Disability Resource Society, the Family Support Institute, the Canadian Council on Rehabilitation and Work, and the Sinneave Family Foundation—that strengthen outreach and collaboration.
• A neuroinclusive digital accessibility pilot project launched in collaboration with the Sinneave Family Foundation and Canadian Council on Rehabilitation and Work.

Accessibility Highlights

These initiatives have led to visible impacts and measurable progress:

• Between 2021 and 2025, the number of employees self-identifying as having a disability increased by 30%, reflecting reduced stigma and greater psychological safety.
• Significant built environment improvements at our main downtown Vancouver office, including brighter signage, tactile walking surfaces, new handrails, a video intercom system, and assistive listening devices.
• Hearing loop systems and tactile signage installed at six customer service locations across the province.
• Accessibility features integrated into the design of new infrastructure, including EV charging stations with wheelchair-accessible reach, height adjustments, and safety lighting.
• Training and capacity-building prioritized, with all people leaders completing Inclusive Leadership training and half of recruiting partners earning the “Create an Accessible Workplace” certificate from Accessible Employers.
• Inclusion-focused webinars on neurodiversity, allyship, and hearing inclusion, each attracting more than 250 participants and creating space for dialogue about visible and invisible disabilities.

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