Keynote Speaker: Mac Van Wielingen
Founder and Partner - ARC Financial Corp
Mac provides leadership support for the executive team in the areas of internal governance, corporate development and investment decision making. He has played key roles in numerous significant corporate transactions and capital-raising projects. Mac is a member of ARC’s Investment and Governance Committees.
Mac is a founder and former Chair of the board of ARC Resources Ltd. and was Chief Executive Officer of ARC from 1989 to 2000 and Chair from 2013 to 2016. His education includes post-graduate economic studies at Harvard University and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Business from the Ivey Business School at Western University.
Mac is the recipient of numerous awards including the Distinguished Business Leadership Award from the Haskayne School of Business and the Calgary Chamber of Commerce (2014), the Chairperson of the Year award from the Alberta Oil Magazine (2015), the Institute of Corporate Directors Fellowship Award and a Calgary Business Hall of Fame Laureate (2016). In 2017, he received the Fraser Institute Founders’ Award.
A. Jeffery Tonken
President, CEO & Chairman, Birchcliff Energy
Mr. Tonken is the President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Birchcliff. He has more than 36 years of experience in the oil and natural gas industry and is one of the Corporation’s founders.
Prior to creating Birchcliff, Mr. Tonken founded and served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Case Resources Inc., Big Bear Exploration Ltd. and Stampeder Exploration Ltd. Mr. Tonken was previously a Partner of the law firm Howard, Mackie (now Borden Ladner Gervais LLP). Mr. Tonken is the current Chair of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP).
Mr. Tonken received his Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Alberta and his Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Wales.
Alfred Sorensen
CEO, Pieridae Energy
Mr. Sorensen has been the CEO of Pieridae Energy Limited since its founding in 2012. He is a chartered accountant and a leader in the energy industry, with over 30 years of Canadian and international experience.
Mr. Sorensen served as the CEO of Canadian Spirit Resources from 2013 to 2015. From 2003 to 2010 he was the CEO and a founder of Galveston LNG. Galveston LNG’s Kitimat LNG project was the first new liquefaction facility permitted in North America in 40 years and is now owned by Chevron and Woodside Petroleum. Prior to Galveston LNG, he was President of Duke Energy Europe and before that President at Duke Energy Canada.
Alicia Dubois
CEO - Alberta Indigenous Opportunities Corporation
Alicia is a proud Indigenous professional who earned a B.Sc., with Distinction from the University of Lethbridge and a Juris Doctor from the University of Toronto. Alicia joined the Alberta Indigenous Opportunities Corporation from CIBC’s executive team where she developed and implemented CIBC’s Indigenous Markets strategy and framework. In this role, she established and proudly led an expert national Indigenous Markets team. At AIOC, Alicia continues her dedication to Indigenous economic prosperity and wellness by bolstering Indigenous access to capital and the economy and supporting meaningful Indigenous ownership in mid to large scale resource and related infrastructure projects.
Alicia is the Co-Chair of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business and served as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Ontario Museum. She actively contributes to awareness building and enhancing the positive national narrative around Indigenous finance and prosperity via speaking engagements with industry, governments and diverse audiences across the country. In 2019, Alicia was honoured with the National Aboriginal Trust Officers Association’s inaugural Award of Distinction for her steadfast commitment to Indigenous prosperity and self-determination. Prior to her career in Indigenous financial services, Alicia practiced law at Alberta Justice, ENMAX Corporation and Native Child and Family Services of Toronto.
Allan Fogwill
CEO, Canadian Energy Research Institute
Allan Fogwill joined the Canadian Energy Research Institute (CERI) in November 2014 as President and CEO. An energy sector executive with over 30 years of experience in both the public and private sector, Mr. Fogwill’s background has focused on economic and market analysis of energy sector issues along with policy development related to energy regulation and efficiency issues.
Mr. Fogwill has previously worked for natural gas distribution companies in BC and Ontario and for the Ontario Energy Board dealing with market analysis and the analysis of distribution costs. Prior to assuming his role at CERI, Mr. Fogwill provided regulatory consulting services to local distribution companies in Ontario.
Allan has a Master’s degree from Simon Fraser University in Natural Resources Management and a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Saskatchewan in Geography. He has also served as the Chair and CEO of the Canadian Energy Efficiency Alliance and the Canadian Gas Research Institute.
Anne Harding
Founder, Forum Community Relations
Anne is the Owner of Forum Community Relations Inc., a Calgary based consulting company dedicated to promoting and creating space for meaningful engagement, reconciliation, and relationship-building. Anne has also worked in Indigenous Community Relations at Suncor Energy for over a dozen years. She’s worked with over 60 Indigenous communities and organizations across Canada on economic development, community engagement, education, training, and resource consultation initiatives.
In 2012 Anne attained a Master of Arts in Corporate-Aboriginal Relations through the University of Calgary. Her research resulted in a framework for effective ethical Indigenous corporate engagement, naming five key criteria for success in indigenous-corporate collaborations. In 2017, Anne attained the designation of Certified Public Participation Professional (CP3) through the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2 Canada), demonstrating skills and experience in all aspects of public and community engagement.
Alongside Indigenous community members, Anne co-creates and co-facilitates learning solutions to increase awareness and understanding about the history and experiences of Indigenous Peoples in Canada.
Blaire Lancaster
Vice President, Business Development & External Affairs - Ferus Natural Gas Fuels
Blaire is responsible for the Business Development, Sales, Corporate Communications, and Government, Stakeholder and First Nations Relations functions at Ferus NGF. Blaire joined Ferus in 2011 as Director of Government & Regulatory Affairs for the company's new LNG division, and in 2014 was promoted to Vice President, Communications & Government Relations for the Ferus Group of Companies. She assumed her current role on the Ferus Natural Gas Fuels team in April, 2018. Previously, Blaire spent 10 years in business development and client service roles at the Canadian Consulate General in Boston, Calgary Economic Development and Rainmaker Global Business Development.
Brad J. Hayes, PhD, P.Geol
President, PETREL ROBERTSON CONSULTING LTD.
Brad Hayes is President of Petrel Robertson Consulting Ltd., a geoscience consulting firm addressing technical and strategic issues concerning conventional and unconventional hydrocarbon exploration and development. Under Brad’s direction, PRCL has developed particular geoscience expertise in unconventional hydrocarbons, including oil sands, tight reservoirs, and shale plays.
Brad earned a PhD in geology from the University of Alberta, and a BSc from the University of Toronto. He joined PRCL in 1996 after 15 years of exploration experience in operating companies, including Shell Canada and Canadian Hunter.
Brad served as President for the Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists in 2001. He is currently a Board member with the Canadian Society for Unconventional Resources (CSUR), and recently completed his second three-year term as a Councillor for the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA).
Brad is an Adjunct Professor in the University of Alberta Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, and a sessional instructor teaching Petroleum Geology at Mount Royal University. He is a prolific media writer and commentator on energy and environmental issues.
Bryan Cox
CEO, BC LNG Alliance
Bryan Cox is the President and CEO of the Canadian LNG Alliance. As the leading voice and advocate for the LNG industry in Canada, Bryan leads a team actively working with governments, business leaders, Indigenous leaders, communities, and the broader public to realize the opportunity to build a world-leading LNG industry for the benefit of all Canadians.
In 2020, Bryan led the evolution of the BC LNG Alliance into a new national voice as the Canadian LNG Alliance. Prior to joining the Alliance, Bryan was the President and CEO of the Mining Association of British Columbia (MABC), leading the Association’s effort to position the industry as a global leader in responsible development and critical contributor to society's transition to a lower carbon economy.
Prior to joining MABC, Bryan spent seven years in the brewing industry in progressively senior roles including Vice President, Western Canada at Canada’s National Brewers, where he was responsible for managing the regulatory, sustainability, and public affairs agenda for Canada’s largest brewers across the four western provinces.
Before joining the private sector, Bryan spent several years in senior roles with the Government of British Columbia.
Bryan Helfenbaum
Executive Director, Advanced Hydrocarbons, Alberta Innovates
At Alberta Innovates, Bryan is responsible for programs such as recovery technologies, partial upgrading, digital oilfield, methane emissions reduction & value add and bitumen beyond combustion.
Prior to joining AI, he spent 20 years in a wide variety of technical, business, and innovation roles in industry, most recently as Technology Manager at Devon Energy.
Bryan’s passion for innovation extends outside the office, where he teaches a course at the University of Calgary and has worked on innovative community residential development projects.
Bryan has a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Engineering from the University of Waterloo and a Master’s degree in Business Administration, with a specialization in Global Energy Management & Sustainability, from the University of Calgary.
Cameron Gingrich
Managing Partner – Markets and Strategy at Incorrys
Cameron Gingrich, Managing Partner – Markets and Strategy, has 20 years of natural gas, oil, and NGL experience in research, analysis, and authoring complex market studies. He is responsible for analytics and in-depth customized data analysis, development, and price modeling for Incorrys Information System. In addition to undertaking numerous energy consulting assignments for a range of clients, Cameron has testified as an expert witness before both the Canadian Federal energy regulator and Alberta provincial regulator.
Chelsea Bryant
Managing Director, global markets & strategy, Carbon Credit Solutions
Chelsea joined CCSI in February 2020, where she serves as Managing Director of Global Markets and Strategy. With more than 10 years of experience in commodity markets, investments and trading, Chelsea’s areas of focus include environmental commodity generation, transaction structuring, hedge strategy optimization, policy advocacy and market design.
Prior to joining CCSI, Chelsea led a team focused on environmental commodity advisory services and managed the environmental commodity portfolio for a large regulated entity with operations throughout North America. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from the University of Alberta and the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation.
Chris Bloomer
President & CEO, CEPA - Canadian Energy Pipeline Association
Chris Bloomer has over 30 years of experience across a range of upstream, downstream, domestic and international energy businesses. He began his career at Shell Canada and moved with increasing responsibility from exploration and production to economics and corporate planning, oil sands development and operations, pipelines and oil and NGL marketing.
Following his tenure at Shell, he was Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Castle Energy where he was responsible for the Canadian crude oil marketing business and US exploration, natural gas production and pipeline operations. Subsequently, he was a Founder, President and Chief Operating Officer at Talon Resources Ltd., a Latin American-focused midstream/pipeline project development and crude oil marketing company.
He spent ten years as a senior executive with Petrobank Energy & Resources, providing leadership throughout a period of significant corporate evolution for the company. Here he held the roles of Vice President Heavy Oil, Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer and Director. Immediately prior to joining CEPA, he was Chief Executive Officer and Director at Connacher Oil and Gas Ltd.
Throughout his career, pipelines have been an integral aspect of all his business activities in Canada, the United States and Latin America, involving operation of existing pipelines and pioneering new pipelines and access to new markets for both oil and natural gas.
Mr. Bloomer has a degree in Geoscience from the University of Toronto, has served on several public and private Canadian energy company boards and is a member of The Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA).
Chris Severson- Baker
Regional Director, Alberta, Pembina Institute
Chris Severson- Baker is the Alberta regional director at the Pembina Institute, Canada’s leading clean energy think-tank.
He worked with the Institute from 1996 to 2016, then spent three years at the Alberta Energy Regulator before returning in 2020.
He is a leading expert on responsible energy development, with specific expertise in oil and gas, oilsands and electricity.
Clifford White
Board Member - First Nations LNG Alliance
Clifford White (Nees Ma’Outa) is a hereditary leader and a former elected chief councillor of the Gitxaala Nation.
He is a lifelong facilitator and trainer, and has been involved for more than 10 years with the First Nations Court in New Westminster. He is an elder of the court. He also works with BC’s Aboriginal Family Healing Court project, a pilot program that deals with Indigenous children and families.
White is also chair of the First Nations Advisory Committee for the province of BC, and has worked with BC’s Industry Training Authority and trades unions on Indigenous workforce development, seeking to ensure that trades training for Indigenous people meets first-class standards.
Cody Battershill
Founder, canadaaction.ca
Cody Battershill is a Calgary realtor and founder of Canada Action, a pro-oilsands advocacy group with deep ties to the Conservative Party and the oil and gas industry. Battershill uses Canada Action to promote the oil and gas industry in Canada and garner public support for industry projects like the Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline and TransCanada’s Energy East pipeline.
He acts as a spokesman for Canada Action, speaking at public events, doing media interviews and writes articles that appear on outlets like the Huffington Post and the National Post. Battershill’s articles frequently criticize environmental advocacy, defend Canada’s poor climate record and celebrate Canada’s social and economic prosperity.
Cody Battershill is also the founder of the blog Calgaryism and a successful realtor, slated in the top 100 Remax agents in Canada.
Crystal Smith
Chief Councillor, Haisla Nation Council
Crystal Smith is Haisla Nation Council’s chief councillor and chair of the First Nations LNG Alliance.
Ms. Smith has long served Haisla Nation Council, originally at the staff level in the Chief Councillor’s office, and later elected to Council itself.
She is the Chair of HNC’s Stakeholder Relations committee.
Dale Friesen
Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs - ATCO
Dale Friesen is the Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs for ATCO. He is responsible for the development and advancement of ATCO’s corporate affairs, supporting global advocacy efforts on key issues, and foster authentic two-way dialogue across multiple constituents.
Mr. Friesen was named to his current role in 2020 after serving as ATCO’s Vice President of Indigenous and Government Relations & Sustainability for the previous five years and after holding increasingly senior positions throughout his 30-year tenure with the company, including management of ATCO’s Bulwer Island Refinery in Australia.
Dale Nally
Associate Minister of Natural Gas, Alberta
Minister Nally was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta on April 16, 2019, as the MLA for Morinville-St. Albert.
Nally brings with him decades of private sector experience managing and leading business units that generate between 50 million and 80 million dollars in revenue. He has a Masters Degree in Education.
Nally was a co-chair for Diversity Edmonton which was a volunteer organization that worked with business to promote the hiring of people with disabilities. He is an active volunteer within his community. You can often catch him at one of the local arenas assisting on and off the ice with his child’s hockey.
Dale Nally was appointed the Associate Minister of Natural Gas on April 30, 2019. He will work to ensure Albertans receive the full value for their natural resources, and fight for more market access for Canada’s LNG to displace carbon intense sources of energy around the world.
Dan Allan
President & CEO, Canadian Society for Unconventional Resources
Mr. Allan is a registered professional geologist with 40 years of diverse industry experience working in both Canada and the United States. He is a graduate of McGill University with an honours degree in Geological Sciences.
Mr. Allan has held executive management positions in numerous oil and gas companies. These have included both large and smaller exploration and production companies, including being the President and CEO of several Canadian publicly listed energy firms.
Mr. Allan has extensive experience in unconventional resource exploration and development having worked on projects throughout North America over the last 20 years.
Mr. Allan is the former chairman of the board for CSUR, is a member of the Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists, the American Association of Petroleum Geologists and is a registered Professional Geologist in both the province of Alberta and the state of Wyoming.
Darren Gee
President & CEO, Peyto Exploration & Development
Mr. Gee joined Peyto in 2001 as the VP Engineering and succeeded Don Gray as president of Peyto in 2006. He assumed the role of CEO on Jan. 1, 2007. Mr Gee received a BSc in Mechanical Engineering in 1989 from the University of Alberta and worked as a Professional Engineer for Petro Canada, Anderson Exploration, Renaissance Energy and Husky in the past in various reservoir and exploitation engineering roles.
Douglas Stout
Vice President, Market Development and External Relations - Fortis BC
Mr. Stout joined the company in 2001 as Vice President, Gas Supply and Transmission. He has held senior executive roles with Belkorp Industries Inc. and Husky Energy Inc., and has served as Director for Sultran Ltd., Pacific Coast Terminals and Hillsborough Resources. He is past Chair of the Canadian Natural Gas Vehicle Alliance, past Director of the Northwest Gas Association and a current Director of the BC LNG Alliance.
Dulles Wang
Research Director, Americas Gas, Wood Mackenzie
Dulles Wang has worked within Wood Mackenzie’s North America Gas Research group since he joined WoodMac in 2013.
He has experience analysing all aspects of the natural gas value chain, in developing Wood Mackenzie’s short-term and long-term outlooks, and in recognising what market dynamics mean for both gas prices and potential market opportunities.
Dulles’ industry experience spans both the private and public sectors, starting with natural gas consulting at The Brattle Group, and fuels fundamental analysis and physical gas scheduling at NRG Energy. Prior to joining Wood Mackenzie, Dulles was an energy markets regulator at the Alberta Securities Commission, providing primary regulatory oversight of what is now ICE NGX.
Dulles holds a B.S. degree from Johns Hopkins University and dual M.S. degrees from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Evan Bahry
Executive Director, Independent Power Producers Society of Alberta
Mr. Bahry’s career interests have focused on public policy development and have led to his current involvement in Alberta’s deregulated electricity industry.
In the public sector, Evan’s experience included serving in the office of the Hon. Harvie Andre, a minister in the government of former prime minister Brian Mulroney, including terms in both Calgary and Ottawa. He also worked for the Calgary Economic Development Authority, undertaking a number of public affairs projects within that organization.
In industry, Evan worked with Intenco Energy Consultants, a Calgary-based consulting firm where he monitored Canadian natural gas and regulatory developments for U.S.-based energy companies. He also worked for GPC International, a public affairs consulting firm where he provided policy advice to firms involved in the oil and gas, petrochemical and electricity industries.
Mr. Bahry is presently the Executive Director of the Independent Power Producers Society of Alberta. IPPSA membership represents all of Alberta’s major power producers, along with their supporting industries. He has served in this capacity since the fall of 2001.
During his tenure, Mr. Bahry has developed and advocated IPPSA’s positions in a host of leading policy debates, including market design, transmission tariff design, market power and in various reviews of legislation and regulation. Mr. Bahry has also appeared as a policy witness on behalf of IPPSA in a number of hearings before the Alberta Utilities Commission.
Mr. Bahry has Bachelor of Arts and a Masters of Business Administration, both from the University of Calgary.
Gerald Palanca
Manager, Climate Policy Assurance Technical Advisory Team, Alberta Energy Regulator
Gerald has more than 14 years of oil and gas experience, and currently works for the AER as manager of the climate policy assurance technical advisory team, which is tasked with designing and operationalising methane requirements for the upstream oil and gas industry in Alberta. Gerald’s previous roles at the AER included managing regulatory effectiveness projects and providing technical advice on flaring and venting matters. Before joining the AER, Gerald worked for Suncor Energy in A&D, energy efficiency and regulatory compliance roles. He has an applied bachelors degree in petroleum engineering and a technical diploma in chemical engineering. Gerald’s recent committee involvement includes chairing the Canadian Standards Association emissions committee, the Western Regulators Forum emissions committee and the Methane Reduction Oversight Committee.
Harold Kvisle
Chairman - Arc Resources Ltd.
Hal has over 35 years of experience as a leader in the oil and gas, and the utilities and power industries. Most recently, he was a member of the Alberta Natural Gas Advisory Panel. Previously, Hal was president and CEO of Talisman Energy from 2012 to 2015, and from 2001 to 2010 president and CEO of TransCanada Corporation. Prior to joining TransCanada in 1999, he was the President of Fletcher Challenge Energy Canada and before that held engineering, finance and management positions with Dome Petroleum Limited. Mr. Kvisle holds a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from the University of Alberta and a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Calgary.
Mr. Kvisle is the former Chair of the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA) and is former Chair of the Mount Royal College Board of Governors. Mr. Kvisle has been a director of ARC since 2009.
John Adams
Managing Director, Natural Gas Innovation Fund
As the Managing Director, John was responsible for launching the Natural Gas Innovation Fund and raising capital from its industry investors for project investments and building its strategic partnerships. He is responsible for developing the fund's investment process, governance and accountability, and implementing the fund's investment strategy for natural gas priorities. This includes managing the fund's portfolio activities including technology scouting and deal review, technical and business evaluation, due diligence and evaluation, project management, corporate performance and entrepreneurial support.
Larry Frederick
Senior Technical Advisor - PTAC
Larry Frederick has been involved in the development of Alberta’s oil and gas industry for over 30 years. He is currently contracting to PTAC, Petroleum Technology Alliance Canada, where he is helping to facilitate the final testing of methane emission detection and elimination technologies. This PTAC consortium, known as CanERIC, has a broad cross section of support from 16 research organizations and 15 producers. Larry’s past experience includes the founding and chairing of an industry collaboration known as Phoenix to investigate subsurface technologies to increase the performance of oil sands production. Phoenix included several of Canada’s top producers, and is now a group within COSIA. He has led large production, reservoir, exploitation and innovation teams for many producers, and this collaborative spirit is helping to create the trust within CanERIC to move it forward effectively.
He holds a BSc in Chemical Engineering from the University of Calgary and has been granted 6 patents.
Marla Orenstein
Director, Natural Resources Centre, Canada West Foundation
As Director of the Natural Resources Centre, Marla champions the responsible development of the West’s natural resources for the benefit of all. Marla analyzes the policy and regulatory contexts that support or hamper development, commercialization and success.
Marla is a subject matter expert in impact assessment, and brings a comprehensive understanding of current standards and best practices including guidelines on impact assessment established by regulatory agencies, multilateral finance institutions, international agencies and industry organisations. She is also past President of the International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA).
Marla has led projects for both the public and private sector, on behalf of government, indigenous government, industry, and community organizations.
Menelaos (Mel) Ydreos
Executive Director EnergyVantage Inc.
Menelaos (Mel) Ydreos is the Executive Director of EnergyVantage, a consulting firm specializing in supporting transformational energy strategies and solutions. Areas of specialization include global energy policy and strategy, market assessment and implementation strategies and organizational cultural, revenue and cost transformation.
Clients of EnergyVantage include the International Gas Union where Ydreos is leading the transformation of the Union from a technical association to one of global advocacy. He currently serves the Union in the capacity of Executive Public Affairs Director, the first such role for the Union.
Previous to launching EnergyVantage, Ydreos was with Union Gas Ltd-A Spectra Energy Company, where he lead the company’s government, municipal and aboriginal affairs activities. Other roles held during his career with Union Gas included vice president, marketing and customer care, vice president, distribution and transmission operations and vice president, engineering and gas supply operations.
He is active in the natural gas industry through his participation with the International Gas Union. Ydreos supported the American Gas Association in securing the IGU’s 2015-18 presidency, as well as the 2018 World Gas Conference, which was held in Washington DC. He served as Chairman, Coordination Committee, for the 2015-18 IGU’s USA Triennium overseeing the work and contribution of 1,000 global industry experts involved in the many IGU committees and task forces. In the 2009-12 Malaysian Triennium, he served as chair of the Special Task Force on Geopolitics and Natural Gas. In the 2006-09 Argentinean Triennium, Ydreos served as the vice chair of the Special Task Force on Research and Development and led the IGU’s Best Practices Initiative.
Ydreos is a past member of the Advisory Board of the University of Waterloo’s Sustainability Institute, a past member of Pollution Probe’s Board of Directors and a past member of the Advisory Committee of the Mowat Centre’s Energy Fellow. Ydreos is also past chair of the Standing Committee on Operations for the Canadian Gas Association, and has served on the board of directors of Canadian Standards International.
Ydreos was interim president and ceo of the Ontario Energy Association in 2013-14 where he worked with the Board of Director to restructure the association.
Menzie McEachern
PhD, Director, Mineral and Petroleum Resources, GNWT
Menzie McEachern is Director of Mineral and Petroleum Resources for Government of Northwest Territories. Prior to 2014, he was Director of Strategic Initiatives at Alberta Energy, and a Senior Manager with Alberta Environment. Earlier, he worked for AMEC Earth and Environmental Ltd, preparing environmental impact assessments for oil sands, pipeline, road and industrial projects.
Dr. McEachern has a PhD in Geography from Clark University (Worcester MA), and a BSc from Queen’s University (Kingston, ON) with first-class honours in Environmental Sciences/Geology.
Menzie works with others for the benefit of all NWT residents to advance oil and gas and minerals exploration, development, production and transportation. Evidence-based policy and decision-making guides the approach.
Michael Cleland
Senior Fellow, Positive Energy
Mr. Cleland is a private consultant with extensive experience in energy and environment policy. He is a past Chair of the Board of Directors at the Canadian Energy Research Institute and chair of the Board of Directors of QUEST (Quality Urban Energy Systems of Tomorrow). In 2015, Mr. Cleland was named Canadian Energy Person of the Year by the Energy Council of Canada. He is formerly President and CEO of the Canadian Gas Association, Senior Vice President, Government Affairs for the Canadian Electricity Association, Assistant Deputy Minister, Energy Sector and Director General of the Energy Policy Branch at Natural Resources Canada. From 1987 to January 1990, he was Assistant Director, Resource Policy Division in the Department of Finance. Before joining the federal government, Mr. Cleland led a management training project for public servants in Zimbabwe and lectured in business-government relations at Dalhousie University and worked at the Nova Scotia Departments of Development and Municipal Affairs. Mr. Cleland was educated at the University of British Columbia (BA in political science 1972) and Queens (MPL urban and regional planning 1974).
Richard Laszlo
President, Laszlo Energy Services
Richard Laszlo has been working on energy and climate policies and technology for nearly 15 years with a variety of public, private and non-profit organizations and has facilitated and spoken at dozens of workshops and events across Canada.
Mr. Laszlo has been providing customized energy and carbon policy, strategy and communications expertise to corporate, utility and government clients under Laszlo Energy Services since 2010. As a senior associate with QUEST, he chairs the Ontario CHP Consortium, representing over 130 energy leaders from 70 organizations committed to moving combined heat and power (CHP) policies and projects forward. His research and advocacy work with QUEST includes Resilient Pipes and Wires, examining energy distributor actions and government policies in response to extreme weather events and Getting to Implementation in Canada! an initiative aimed at helping communities implement their Community Energy Plans.
Mr. Laszlo is the author of Pollution Probe’s Primer on Energy Systems in Canada, and contributed to the development of the Ontario’s Renewable Energy Approval under the Green Energy and Green Economy Act.
Sander Duncanson
Environmental, Regulatory and Aboriginal law, Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP
Sander Duncanson specializes in environmental, regulatory and Aboriginal law issues for natural resource developers. He has experience with matters before the National Energy Board, the Alberta Energy Regulator, the Ontario Energy Board, the British Columbia Environmental Assessment Office, the Alberta Utilities Commission, the Northwest Territories Office of the Regulator of Oil and Gas Operations and federal-provincial Environmental Assessment Joint Review Panels. Mr. Duncanson also has experience with regulatory, environmental and Aboriginal matters before the Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench, the Alberta Court of Appeal, the Federal Court of Canada, the Federal Court of Appeal and The Supreme Court of Canada. The subject matter of his recent regulatory work includes oil and natural gas pipelines, oil sands, LNG export, offshore drilling, hydro-electric generation, natural gas processing, electricity transmission and contaminated lands.
With degrees from Queen’s University (B.A., with Honours) and the University of Calgary (LL.B., with Distinction), Mr. Duncanson was admitted to the Alberta bar in 2011 and the BC bar in 2014.
Shannon Joseph
Vice President, Government Relations with the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers
Shannon joined CAPP in May 2018 and her responsibilities include leading, directing and coordinating all of CAPP’s Federal Government engagement.
Stephen Buffalo
President/CEO Indian Resource Council
The Indian Resource Council (IRC) has a new President/CEO, Mr. Stephen Buffalo. Mr. Buffalo is a proud member of the Samson Cree Nation, located approximately 100 kilometres south of Edmonton, Alberta. He graduated secondary school from Athol Murray College at Notre Dame, Saskatchewan. Mr. Buffalo then went on to complete a Business Administration program at Medicine Hat College, continuing on to the University of Lethbridge, where he completed a Management Degree in 1998. He began working at Peace Hills Trust two days after his convocation.
Mr. Buffalo worked for Peace Hills Trust for 15 years. He reflects on his time with the organization stating, “Near the end of my tenure at the Trust, I felt I had reached a certain limit of job growth, I looked at the both the pros and the cons of my position and decided that it was time for a major career move.” Peace Hills Trust’s loss has been IRC’s gain. Mr. Buffalo is great asset exemplified in his eagerness to begin work in his new position. He notes, “the oil and gas industry is very exciting, and especially for First Nations. Oil and gas are natural resources that can help them build First Nations communities.” He continues, “having spent 10 years as a Regional Manager for Peace Hills Trust, I am confident in my abilities as a business leader. We need to be accountable and, at the same time, do our best to reach our mandates.” The IRC supports First Nations through working with government and industry. With this mandate in mind Mr. Buffalo notes, “With all the non-renewable resources, protecting the First Nations’ interests and ensuring that they maximize on their resources should be a common goal to sustainability.”
When asked about the central importance of the energy and resource development for the future prosperity of First Nations people, Mr. Buffalo asserts, “Development is very important. As more and more First Nations deal with their own resource futures, this reality will lead to becoming more self-sufficient as Nations. As the development of these resources continues, more and more capacity is gained, which will allow the First Nation to maximize their investment of their own resources moving forward.” It is with this spirit in mind that Mr. Buffalo believes that, “IRC must also ensure that the Federal Government is supporting, and working with, First Nations to maximize the potential benefits of their natural resources. The big picture shows First Nations becoming more of an active player in all areas of resource sector, from providing certain services all the way to equity ownership. For this to happen we need heightened communication, more capacity building and more support systems in place.”
As IRC’s new leader, Mr. Buffalo concludes the conversation by speaking to the firm vision he already in place for the organization, “My vision is to continue to work with the members of the IRC, to maintain a strong relationship with Indian Oil and Gas Canada (IOGC) and to work together on our mandates to ensure that First Nations are protected and maximize their benefit on their natural resources. Looking ahead the sky is the limit.”
Susannah Pierce
Director of Corporate and External Affairs, LNG Canada.
Susannah leads the Environmental, Regulatory, First Nations and External Affairs functions for the project. Roles prior to this included Vice President, Value Chain Integration, Shell Canada; Vice President, Communications, Upstream International, Shell Canada; and before joining Shell in 2009, Susannah was head of US Public Sector Affairs for TransCanada Pipelines.
Susannah has a Masters from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and a B.A. from The George Washington University. Born in Canada but living the balance of her life in the US and Europe, Susannah now considers BC home for the long term with her two children.
Tim McMillan
President and CEO, CAPP - Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers
Tim McMillan was appointed President and CEO of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) on October 1, 2014. The Saskatchewan native is responsible for leading activities in education and communications as well as policy and regulatory advocacy on behalf of CAPP member companies, which represent over 90 per cent of Canada’s upstream oil and gas production.
Mr. McMillan has an economics degree from the University of Victoria, he traveled and worked overseas as an Information Technology professional. He later returned to the family farm and founded and operated an oilfield services company. His solid understanding of the oil and gas industry from both a business and landowner perspective, coupled with his background in economics, propelled his desire to seek a seat within the Saskatchewan Legislature.
In 2007, Tim was elected as a Saskatchewan Party MLA in the riding of Lloydminster. From 2010 until his appointment as President of CAPP, Tim held several strategic cabinet portfolios in the Government of Saskatchewan, including minister of energy and resources and minister of rural health.
Timothy M. Egan
President, CGA - Canadian Gas Association
Timothy M. Egan became President and Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Gas Association in September 2010. Since joining CGA Mr Egan has been a strong supporter of the IGU, serving as Canada’s representative, sitting on the Executive Committee, and serving as the Regional Coordinator for North America. He is currently active in the sub-committee working on the “Building For The Future” initiative, looking at the long-term strategic direction of the organization. Mr. Egan is publisher of the Energy Regulation Quarterly, and editor of the magazine Energy. Prior to his appointment he was President of High Park Group (HPG), a public affairs consulting firm. He has an undergraduate degree in history from the University of Ottawa, and common and civil law degrees from McGill University. He was called to the Ontario bar in 1995. He is married to Patricia (nee Armstrong) and they have five daughters.
Tonja Leach
Executive Director Quest
Tonja Leach became Executive Director of QUEST on October 18, 2019, having been with QUEST since its inception in 2007 in a number of roles of increasing responsibility. She has been instrumental in establishing QUEST’s extensive national network and ensuring that QUEST is known as the Canadian organization that accelerates the adoption of efficient and integrated community-scale energy systems in Canada by informing, inspiring, and connecting decision-makers.
Having spent the past 15 years in the downstream energy industry, Tonja is highly regarded as a strategic thinker and a doer with a passion for finding solutions to complex energy issues at the local level. Most recently, having been the Interim Executive Director and prior to that the Managing Director, Operations and Services, Tonja has taken a leading role in the operations of the organization, developing and implementing the infrastructure, systems and human resources required for QUEST to grow and support the Smart Energy Communities marketplace.
Prior to QUEST, Tonja worked for the Canadian Gas Association in communications since 2003. During that time Tonja acted as the secretariat for a coalition of 19 energy industry associations known as the Energy Dialogue Group, who came together to encourage the establishment of a national energy framework for Canada.
Tracy Robinson
Executive Vice-President and President, Canadian Natural Gas Pipelines
As Executive Vice-President and President, Canadian Natural Gas Pipelines,
Tracy Robinson has overall accountability for the growth, operation and
profitability of TC Energy’s federally and provincially regulated natural gas
pipeline assets in Canada.
Since joining TC Energy in 2014, Ms. Robinson has served as Vice-President,
Transportation for the Liquid Pipelines business unit; Vice-President, Supply
Chain; and Senior Vice-President and General Manager, Canadian Natural
Gas Pipelines.
Prior to joining TC Energy, Ms. Robinson spent 27 years at Canadian Pacific,
including executive roles spanning Operations, Finance and Commercial.
Ms. Robinson has held a number of industry and private board positions,
currently serving as a member of the Business Council of British Columbia
and a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council at the Edward’s School of
Business of the University of Saskatchewan. She also represents TC Energy on
the Board of the Canadian Energy Pipeline Association (CEPA) and on the
Board of the Canadian Gas Association.
Ms. Robinson holds a Masters of Business Administration from the University
of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business and a Bachelor of Commerce
Degree from the University of Saskatchewan. She received her Institute of
Corporate Directors designation in 2015.
Wayne Hillier
Vice-President - Modern West Advisory
Wayne Hillier has more than 30 years of experience in Canada's oil and gas industry. He has worked for Husky Energy and COSIA (Canada's Oil Sands Innovation Alliance), and joined CAPP as Alberta Manager in June 2017. Wayne holds a Bachelor degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Waterloo.
