CIWB Awards

Rona is a dynamic national leader who has received many awards for her advocacy and role in public policy. During her tenure as Leader of Canada’s Official Opposition, she gained the respect of parliamentarians of all political stripes, and led the Conservative Party of Canada to the highest membership in its history and set a new tone by becoming the first leader of the Conservative Party to back equal marriage and march in a gay pride parade.

As a key member of the federal cabinet for a decade, Rona served as a minister across nine departments & agencies.  At the time of her appointment, Rona was youngest female cabinet minister in Canadian history. As a federal minister, Rona created and chaired the federal advisory council for women on boards.

Today Rona is involved in bilateral trade and competitiveness issues. In addition to serving as an independent corporate director on several boards, Rona has also recently partnered with TD Securities. She is a Global Fellow at the Wilson Centre Canada Institute in Washington DC, and serves on the advisory council of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute.

Rona is a passionate advocate for women in Canada and around the world and led the global movement to create the “International Day of the Girl” at the United Nations.  Earlier this year, she was featured in the UN Women’s “She Innovates” campaign. Rona launched “#SheLeads”, a non-profit foundation in Alberta focused on encouraging women to run for office and participate in public life.  She also created and co-chairs the Women’s Economic Council of Alberta, a high-powered group of women corporate leaders who provide non-partisan economic advice to high-ranking government and political officials.

She has spent her life passionately fighting for disadvantaged women and girls. She was one of the champions responsible for ensuring that aboriginal women in Canada were finally granted equal matrimonial rights. She successfully fought for the creation of a Canadian refugee program to bring Yazidi women and girls who have been sexually enslaved by ISIS to safety in Canada, working alongside Nadia Murad who recently won the Nobel Peace Prize.

Community leader and Calgary journalist Deborah Yedlin was elected the 14th chancellor of the University of Calgary, effective July 1st, 2018. Yedlin has been observing, commenting and writing about business and politics for more than two decades. With an undergraduate degree from the University of Alberta in Economics and English in 1984, coupled with her business experience that was augmented with an MBA from Queen’s University in 1991, Deborah built a resume that includes working on Wall Street and Bay Street.

Yedlin has been very active in the Calgary community. She was co-chair of the 2016 United Way Campaign, has served on the board of a number of arts and community organizations, including the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, Calgary Opera, YMCA Calgary, United Way Calgary, and Winsport. She was previously a member of the President’s Advisory Council at the University of Alberta and served on the Deans’ Advisory Council for the Faculty of Science at the University of Calgary.

Arun Chandrasekaran has 17+ years of experience in industry. Mr. Chandrasekaran re-joined National Bank as Head of Energy, Investment Banking in August 2016. Prior to re-joining National Bank, Mr. Chandrasekaran worked as a Principal with Stream Asset Financial Management. Mr. Chandrasekaran graduated from the University of Alberta with a Bachelor of Commerce Co-operative Education degree where he graduated with Distinction.

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As Executive Vice-President, Corporate Services, Mrs. de Lima provides strategic and functional leadership for human resources, information systems, aviation and facilities services. She also serves as the Chief Inclusion and Diversity Officer for the Company. 

Prior to joining TC Energy, Mrs. de Lima served as Chief Shared Services Officer on the executive leadership team with TransAlta Corporation, responsible for leading Business and Operational Services, Information Technology, Data & Innovation, Supply Chain Management, Corporate Security and Facilities. Mrs. de Lima has also held progressively senior positions in Human Resources, overseeing Executive Compensation, Talent and Culture, Leadership Development, Corporate Communications and Stakeholder Relations. 

Mrs. de Lima currently sits as the Chair of the Board for Junior Achievement Canada and the Co-Chair for SHEInnovates Alberta, a United Nations project to advance the progress of women in innovation. 

She holds a Master of Business Administration from Queen’s University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Calgary.

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Byron Neiles was appointed Executive Vice President, Corporate Services in May 2016. Mr. Neiles has oversight of the Company’s Information Technology, Human Resources, Real Estate & Workplace Services, Supply Chain Management, Safety, Environment, Land & Right-of-Way, Public Affairs, Communications and Sustainability teams.

Mr. Neiles had previously held the role of Senior Vice President, Major Projects, Enterprise Safety and Operational Reliability at Enbridge, and had been Senior Vice President of Major Projects since November 2011, after joining Enbridge’s Major Projects group in April 2008.

Mr. Neiles is co-Chair of the annual Global Business Forum at Banff, and a trustee of the Makadiff Sports Foundation and Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra Foundation. Additionally, he has been an active volunteer with numerous community organizations.

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Katherine Emberly has over nineteen years of fast-paced telecommunications experience and has worked across a wide variety of progressive leadership roles into her current role of President, Business at Shaw Communications.  Katherine is responsible for the divisional performance and leads a powerful team across the country who support business of all sizes from Small/Medium to Enterprise. With a strong background inMarketing, Katherine has pivoted to lead Operations, Focus toDeliver/Transformation, Corporate Communications and Public Relations functions at Shaw.

Prior to joining Shaw, Katherine worked at several top Advertising Agencies in Canada and holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Alberta, completed the CTAM Executive Leadership program at Harvard Business School, is aCertified Advertising Agency Practitioner by the Institute of CanadianAdvertising, and a graduate of the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD)Directors Education Program (DEP).  Katherine sits on the boards of Alberta Blue Cross (ABC) and CalgaryEconomic Development (CED) and chairs the Performance and CompensationCommittee at CED.

Katherine is passionate about women in leadership and spends time speaking to and mentoring the next generation of female leaders in Canada.

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John Kousinioris is responsible for overseeing operations, shared services, commercial, trading, customer solutions, hedging and optimization at TransAlta. He is also the President of TransAlta Renewables Inc.

Prior to joining TransAlta, John was a partner and co-head of the corporate commercial department at Bennett Jones LLP. He has 30 years of experience in securities law, mergers and acquisitions and corporate governance matters, and has represented clients in some of Canada’s largest public offerings and merger transactions.

John has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Western Ontario, a Master of Business Administration degree from York University and a Bachelor of Laws degree from Osgoode Hall Law School at York University. John has also attended the Advanced Management Program at Harvard University.

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Judy is a corporate board director and Creative Destruction Lab Fellow who successfully bridges the worlds of tech venture finance, industry, ESG, and public policy. She has C-suite business experience, recently as Chief Digital Officer and EVP Business Innovation. A pioneer in corporate/ entrepreneurial open innovation, she co-founded a $100 million digital/cleantech venture fund. Judy also led substantial change as the first Chair of the consolidated Alberta Innovates, enabling innovation across the health, energy, agriculture and digital sectors.

Recently named as the Lifetime Achievement Award winner at our inaugural Calgary Influential Women in Business Awards, she is also a previous Canadian Clean16 award winner. Judy has a proven track record in building "ahead of the curve", low carbon economy business ventures and providing sage advice to CEOs as a board director (energy, tech, public policy). As a director / investor and avid CEO mentor/angel (The51, Creative Destruction Lab Fellow), she enables businesses to maximize value and be "future-relevant". Judy is also a Board Director for MEG Energy Corp., VEERUM, and Tundra Oil & Gas.

If there's one thing that 30-plus years in the financial industry in Canada has taught Curtis Stange, it's that people are at the heart of everything. It's with courage, disciplined thought and precise action that Curtis leads 5,500 team members at ATB Financial as President & CEO. ATB is Alberta’s largest financial institution and provides personal, business, agriculture, corporate, investment banking, and wealth management services to more than 775,000 customers.

Curtis has led teams across diverse geographic markets and through various economic cycles. He has touched every major province in Canada—always with an inquisitive nature and a desire to get to know the people and places around him.

Alberta, with its broad diversity in both people and landscapes, is where Curtis calls home. Here, at ATB, he created a new line of business focused on Alberta entrepreneurs and played a key role in the transformation of ATB's banking systems—the company's biggest technology challenge in a generation.

Curtis is piloting ATB into Alberta's banking future—a future where he sees people and technology as equally as important. Because he believes behind every new technology disruption is a person with a bright idea to grow and develop and a customer who is expecting a remarkable experience.

Dr. Elizabeth Cannon is an expert in Geomatics Engineering and President Emerita of the University of Calgary. She served as the university's eighth president and vice-chancellor, the first alumna to hold that position. Prior to her appointment as president, Cannon was the dean of the Schulich School of Engineering. Her research has been on the forefront of Global Positioning Systems (GPS) since 1984 and she has commercialized technology to over 200 agencies worldwide. She previously held the NSERC/Petro-Canada Chair for Women in Science and Engineering for the Prairie Region. Her support for advancing women has spanned decades and taken many forms including raising public awareness about science and engineering careers for women and developing programs to encourage women to explore careers in STEM fields (Women in STEM), mentoring programs and as a community role model.  She is a business leader, independent board member and vested in Calgary’s economic diversification.

Marcos began his career by teaming up with a fellow UofC alumni and starting his own company, Bitonic, shortly after graduating. Calgary-based Solium acquired Bitonic in 2002; with Marcos taking on the role of Chief Technology Officer, and what had begun as a bit of contract work became the beginning of a lifelong passion. Over the past 19 years, he has been on the Board of Directors and has held several leadership roles at Solium, most recently the role of CEO.

Under his leadership Solium’s Shareworks platform has evolved into a world class suite of products and services, used by more than 3,000 companies spanning the globe – heavy hitters like Uber, Levi’s, Shopify, RBC, SpaceX, GM all use the Shareworks platform and it’s many features to simplify their equity plan management.

Marcos holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science from the University of Calgary, and was the winner of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award for the technology sector, Western Canada.

Sean Brown is Gibson Energy's Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer. In his role, he oversees the financial management of the company including, finance, accounting, tax, treasury and capital market financings as well as corporate planning and development, investor relations and enterprise risk management. Prior to joining Gibsons, Sean spent fifteen years in investment banking where he provided strategic, financial and capital raising advice to companies in the energy infrastructure sector across North America. Most recently he was a Managing Director in the Power & Energy Infrastructure Group at BMO Capital Markets, based in Calgary, and prior to that was with J.P. Morgan Securities Inc., based in New York. Sean holds a Business degree from Acadia University, an MBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business and is a CFA charterholder.

Jim is a founder, entrepreneur and highly respected Corporate Director, most recently acting as the Deputy Chairman of GMP FirstEnergy. He is the Co-Founder of FirstEnergy Capital, a G7 Founder of Creative Destruction Lab – Rockies, Board Director of ATB Financial and Topaz Energy, and a member of the Business Council of Alberta, the Economic Futures Council of Junior Achievement, the Fraser Institute and the Modern Miracle Network. Jim is an advocate for gender parity and a tireless supporter of women across all stages of their careers (board service, executive leadership and entrepreneurs). His leadership and conviction that women play an integral role in the success of companies and nonprofits is evidenced by his actions and the women whose careers Jim has made a direct impact on.

Trent joined Brookfield in 2001 as corporate controller and took on various roles as the company grew. These included vice president of finance with Brookfield Residential Alberta (nee Carma) and chief operating officer in Australia. Trent is committed to taking an even more collaborative and informative approach with all stakeholders and is excited to be part of a vibrant industry in a growing, lively province.

Trent gained a Bachelor of Commerce degree at the University of Alberta followed by his Chartered Accountant designation. He is actively involved on the boards of Calgary Economic Development, the Haskayne School of Business and Westman Centre for Real Estate studies.

Janet Annesley is the Chief Sustainability Officer at Kiwetinohk Energy Corp., (TSX: KEC) an energy transition company focused on the development of low- and no-carbon energy.

A former senior executive at one of Canada’s largest energy companies, and a former chief of staff to Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources, Janet has led ESG, investor relations, policy and communications on some of the most complex energy business matters in the last decade.

Janet holds a MBA from Queen’s University. She was named to The Hill Times Top 100 in Power and Influence List in 2017 and is a Public Policy Forum Fellow. An award-winning, accredited business communicator, she sits on the advisory board for Clean Prosperity and on the boards of the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology and the City of Calgary Green Line LRT Project.

Scott founded the Calgary office of Hugessen. He has been a lead advisor to Compensation Committees across Canada as a Hugessen Partner and as a National Partner and leader at another national firm.

While advising boards and executive teams over the past 25 years, Scott has been involved in all aspects of executive compensation, performance goal setting /evaluation and governance. His clients include large and midsized publicly traded companies as well as larger private and public sector organizations. He is a frequent speaker and contributor of intellectual capital on a broad range of topics around governance, compensation program design, pay and performance linkage and measurement. Scott is a long-standing faculty member for the Institute of Corporate Directors’ Director Education Program.

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Kate joined CMLC in January 2013 to lead the Construction & Development division in delivering the master plan vision for East Village and the Rivers District. Kate works closely with Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation and the Calgary Stampede, project consultants and stakeholders.

A registered member of the Alberta Architects Association (AAA) and active Member of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (MRAIC), Kate manages architectural controls for East Village, ensuring all plans for new development align with CMLC’s vision for the neighbourhood. Kate is active in the community through her role as Board Chair of the YWCA Calgary Board of Directors and as a member of the Dean’s Circle of Environmental Design (EVDS) at University of Calgary, where she has been an Adjunct Professor since 2014. In both teaching and practicing architecture, she continues to highlight the importance of a well-built urban fabric and support projects that strengthen Calgary’s urban spaces.

Keith oversees Cenovus’s two wholly-owned U.S. refineries, three U.S. refining joint ventures and its Canadian upgrading and refining complex at Lloydminster. He is also responsible for Cenovus’s asphalt terminals, ethanol plants and wholly-owned Bruderheim rail terminal. Keith is also the executive sponsor of Cenovus’s Stronger Together with Women@CVE employee network. 

Keith joined Cenovus in 2016 to lead oil sands production operations. He’s a mechanical engineer with more than 25 years’ experience in the oil industry, primarily with Imperial Oil and ExxonMobil. Keith has led various operational teams both locally and internationally, focused on safely improving efficiencies and driving increased value. He also offers global perspective through his experience as Planning and Business Analysis Manager for ExxonMobil and has experience in project management and internal audit. 

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Michelle is a leader of KPMG’s Global Transfer Pricing Services practice in Calgary and has specialized in transfer pricing for over 20 years. Michelle is a CPA and holds a Bachelor of Commerce with distinction from the University of Alberta. Michelle is a passionate advocate for women in business and leads KPMG Calgary’s Women in Line for Leadership Program and Women’s Interchange Network. She also leads KPMG’s sponsorship in and is an active member of the Women’s Energy Council.

She was recently short-listed for Expert Guides’ America’s Woman in Business Law Awards and has also been recognized by the International Tax Review for numerous years as a Women in Tax Leader. Michelle is a frequent speaker at seminars and conferences including the Canadian Tax Foundation and is a former director of the Canadian Petroleum Tax Society.

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Entrepreneur. Dreamer. Scientist. Kevin has spent 20 years on the front lines of the energy transition in numerous executive leadership roles across the industry. Starting his career in as a roughneck on the oil rigs of Northern Alberta, he grew through the ranks until he was Chief Executive of Canada’s oldest drilling company. Accomplished incorporate strategy and governance, capital planning, marketing, technology and intellectual property management, Kevin’s leadership has led to the creation, financing and execution of the first fully computerized drilling rig in Canada, the first long-reach horizontal well in the Canadian arctic, numerous joint ventures with Canada’s Indigenous peoples fostering Economic Reconciliation in remote communities and the creation of the Calgary Energy Transition Center. Having led a major corporation through the disruption of the Canadian energy industry, Kevin is uniquely positioned to lead Avatar Innovations’ ambitious plan unlocking energy transition solutions inside oil and gas for investment, commercialization and scale. Kevin holds a Bachelor of Science from McGill University and a Masters of Business Administration from the Haskayne School of Business and serves on the steering committees of both the Clean Resource Innovation Network(CRIN) and the Energy Futures Lab (EFL). His previous board experience includes Chairman of the Board of the Canadian Association of Oil well Drilling Contractors (CAODC) and the Alberta Ballet.

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Leslie O’Donoghue, Q.C. is a visionary leader who has been recognized for her business acumen, commitment to our community and passion for diversity and inclusion. 

Leslie is a corporate director (Pembina Pipelines, Methanex and Richardson International) and former Executive Vice-President, Chief Strategy and Business Development Officer of Nutrien, the largest globally integrated agricultural solutions provider. During her 20 years at Nutrien (and predecessor Agrium), Leslie held various executive roles leading global operations, strategy, business development, mergers, acquisitions and divestitures, corporate governance, legal affairs, enterprise risk management and corporate social responsibility. 

Leslie sits on the strategic advisory committee to the President of the United Way of Calgary, having served the United Way as a board member for many years and as past chair of their Calgary campaign. 

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Jim Dewald is the dean of the Haskayne School of Business and a professor in the strategy and entrepreneurship. A business leader who can provide an effective bridge between strategy theory and on-the-ground practice, his research interests are related to the micro-foundations of strategy formulation and implementation. Specifically, his work has contributed to the constructs of cognitive resilience, entrepreneurial thinking and strategic response to disruptive innovations, most specifically business model innovations.

Reynold has been working at PwC for over 28 years, and is currently the Vice-Chair and Managing Partner for the Alberta and Prairies Region. As a current member of the PwC Canada extended leadership team, Reynold is active in setting and implementing the overall strategy and digital transformation for PwC Canada.

Reynold is known for his down-to-earth approach to leadership, and building relationships within his community. He believes in creating a positive impact by working together and encouraging diversity in all aspects.

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Ibrahim Gedeon is one of the telecommunications industry’s eminent thought leaders. He has carved out an international career by combining insight and skill as an applied scientist with a collaborative lighthearted approach to leadership. As Chief Technology Officer for TELUS, a leading telecommunications company in Canada,Ibrahim is responsible for innovation, technology development and technology strategy. He has been awarded many accolades for his industry contributions, has developed TELUS’ Graduate Technology Leadership Program, and under his leadership, the TELUS broadband network has been independently awarded the fastest in the world.

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