Corporate Knights Research

Corporate Knights’ research group develops and maintains the Corporate Knights Sustainable Economy Taxonomy (CKSET) and the world-leading Sustainable Economy Database that tracks sustainable revenues and investments across thousands of companies, enabling granular benchmarking, competition analysis, and opportunity scanning for clients in all major sectors and asset classes. In addition to custom benchmarking, shareholder engagement support, net-zero capex alignment assessments, and sustainability taxonomy advisory, the group produces all Corporate Knights rankings and financial product ratings, including the flagship Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World.

Our Team

Toby Heaps
CEO

Toby is the chief executive officer and co-founder of Corporate Knights. He spearheaded the first global ranking of the world’s 100 most sustainable corporations in 2005, and in 2007 coined the term “clean capitalism.” Toby has been published in the Financial Times, Wall Street Journal and the Globe and Mail, and is a regular guest speaker on CBC. In 1998, he played centrefield for the Yugoslav National Baseball Team.

Ralph Torrie
Director of Research

Ralph has been working on sustainability issues since the late 1970’s when he had a leadership role in Canada’s first long range study of the potential for conservation and renewable energy.  Years later he produced a low carbon scenario analysis for Canada, possibly the first such study in the world. He is the inventor of strategic planning software for local government climate mitigation that was widely deployed throughout the world.  In addition to his consulting practice, he served as assistant coordinator of the Energy Research Group of the United Nations University and the International Development Research Centre, Vice President of ICF International (NASDAQ:ICFI), Managing Director of Navigant (NYSE:NCI), and Managing Director of the Trottier Energy Futures Project.  He is widely published in both peer reviewed and popular literature. Ralph lives in Cobourg, Ontario with his partner, has two grandsons, and gardens.

Matthew Malinsky
Director of Sustainable Economy Intelligence

Matthew is Director of Sustainable Economy Intelligence at Corporate Knights Inc., leading the effort to quantify green revenues and investments of the world’s most significant companies. The Sustainable Economy Intelligence database is a super-indicator that is making it easy for investors to target companies poised to succeed in the transition to the low-carbon economy. Matthew also heads Corporate Knights’ research division. He graduated from Toronto Metropolitan University’s Master of Environmental Applied Science & Management program.

Michael Yow
Director of Rating and Rankings

Michael is the Director of Ratings at Corporate Knights, where he leads the development of methodologies for the company’s various rankings, including the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World. He also provides sustainability benchmarking and advisory services. Prior to joining Corporate Knights in 2011, he served as a research assistant in public policy at the Schulich School of Business and worked as a consultant in international taxation for several years. Michael holds an MBA from Schulich.

Ruby Kuo
Deputy Research Manager

Ruby is a sustainability specialist with over five years of experience in sustainable finance, ESG research, and consultancy. She leads data collection for the Sustainable Economy Intelligence database. Previously, she has worked at FTSE Russell (LSEG) and Nomura Research Institute (NRI). Ruby holds a Master’s degree in National Development Studies from National Taiwan University and is passionate about tackling sustainable development challenges worldwide.

Gabriel Faucher
Lead Data Scientist/Data Engineer

Gabriel is a data scientist, developer and writer. He has previously worked for the University of Toronto, the Ontario College of Art and Design, and IBM. Originally from Boston, he now lives in Toronto and holds a BSc in Computer Science from the University of Toronto. 

Saranyan Maraikkadar
Senior Research Analyst

Saranyan is a Senior Research Analyst at Corporate Knights, leading and supporting sustainability research projects, benchmarking reports, and broader sustainability initiatives. Prior to joining Corporate Knights, he worked in venture capital and market research, building a strong foundation in data-driven analysis and sector insight. He graduated from the CIMA Institute (UK) and holds a post-graduate certificate in Business Management from Seneca College in Toronto. He is passionate about translating complex research into clear, accessible insights.

Althea Reyes
Senior Research Analyst

Althea Reyes is a Senior Research Analyst with a Master in Management degree from INSEAD and an undergraduate degree in International Development Studies from York University. Althea is eager to contribute eye-opening analysis and build transformative, community-based solutions that tackle wicked problems around environmental and social sustainability. She has prior research and professional experience in the renewable energy, mining, and impact investing sectors, having completed work terms with the Social Venture Connexion (SVX) in Toronto and 10Power, a renewable energy B-Corp serving indigenous communities across the U.S.

Anirudh Gandhi
Research Analyst

Anirudh is a Research Analyst involved in the maintenance and expansion of the Sustainable Economy Intelligence database, with a particular focus on sustainable transitions in the Mining and Circular Economy sectors. Anirudh is passionate about local initiatives, engaging in climate action, and interaction with natural ecosystems. He holds a Master of Environmental Science from the University of Toronto, specializing in Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation.

Trevor Chu
Research Analyst

Trevor is a Research Analyst specializing in sustainable revenue and investment research, generating data insights to support the transition to a low-carbon economy. He previously worked in consulting, with expertise in business and digital transformation. Trevor holds a BEng in Decision Analytics from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

Gabrielle Mergier
Stakeholder Engagement Lead

As a Stakeholder Engagement Lead at Corporate Knights, Gabrielle supports the scaling of sustainable economy initiatives and the expansion of corporate engagement. She is passionate about leveraging partnerships to turn sustainability strategies into meaningful action. Gabrielle holds a Master’s in Management with a specialization in sustainability from ESSEC and a Master’s in International Business from Queen’s University.