Profile
Over $2.6 billion in independent power project financing
Founded in 1990, Access Capital has been involved in the successful completion of over $2.6 billion in independent power project financing. The Access Capital team boasts over 50 years of combined experience in corporate and project finance and development.
Value statement
Access Capital treats its clients’ projects as its own. By understanding and adopting its clients’ goals, Access Capital negotiates with a determination vital to the transformation of its advisory expertise into the most lucrative client return on time and investment. Having targeted and studied the electric power market, Access Capital is well positioned to negotiate the best terms for its clients based on our client’s objectives. Access Capital’s advisory strategies identify the elements of the transaction vital to optimally concluding the deal resulting in a focused, expeditious and profitable transaction.
Our founder
President and founder Robert S. McLeese is the 2017 Hedley Palmer award recipient which is presented to honour an individual who in the judgment of the APPrO Board has made an outstanding contribution to the Ontario power industry. Rob is a Past President of IPPSO and a former Director & Treasurer of APPrO (the successor Ontario IPP industry association) as well as past Chairman of the Toronto Board of Trade Electricity Task Force. Mr. McLeese was a Director of Pristine Power Inc., owner of the York Energy Center (393 MW), before its acquisition by Veresen Inc. in 2010. He is also a past Director and Treasurer of the Toronto Atmospheric Fund, a past Member of the Board of Management of the Ontario Centre of Excellence for Energy and a past Director of Creststreet Power and Income Fund which developed three wind farms totalling 159 Mw. Mr. McLeese is the Chair of ACI Energy Inc., which owns 91Mw and operates 53 Mw of solid fuelled power plants in the U.S. Mr. McLeese received his Chartered Accountancy designation from Peat Marwick in 1978, was awarded an MBA from McMaster University in 1977 and received his B.Sc. from the University of Western Ontario in 1974.
Our team
Senior Vice President George H. Cholakis
has over 25 years of experience creating access to energy solutions by negotiating deals and handling complex corporate finance transactions. Mr. Cholakis was awarded an MBA from York University in 1987 and a B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Toronto in 1985.
Head of Analytics and Planning, Jim Beamish, CPA, CA, has been involved in financial modeling and analysis for over 25 years. Jim’s expertise includes aviation finance with Bombardier, Alenia and Sukhoi, debt and equity investments in alternative energy and energy and real estate developments in Canada and in emerging markets.
At Access Capital, Jim has responsibility for finance and accounting of ACI Energy, Inc.’s operating energy assets in North America (91Mw). Jim works with Rob and the team on model audit, advisory, valuation and project financing in the renewable energy, power and infrastructure industries. .