february 2009 issue
NEWSMAKERS
U of c honours industry titans
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GREAT LEADER |
Compiled By CHRISTINE COTTRELL
The PEGG
The Schulich School of Engineering has named Gwyn Morgan, P.Eng., former president and CEO of EnCana Corporation, as the winner of its Canadian Engineering Leadership Award.
Also taking the podium Dec. 4 at the Fairmont Palliser Hotel was Hal Kvisle, P.Eng., president and CEO of Trans-Canada Corporation. On behalf of his company, Mr. Kvisle accepted the 2008 Dean’s Award for Corporate Leadership.
Both awards were presented during the Dean’s Holiday Reception, hosted by Dr. Elizabeth Cannon, P.Eng., of the University of Calgary’s engineering school.
Mr. Morgan of Calgary led the elevation of his corporation to global status, establishing it as the largest natural gas producer in North America. APEGGA honoured Mr. Morgan in 2006 with the Centennial Leadership Summit Award.
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HAL KVISLE, P.ENG. |
The award won by TransCanada goes to Canadian corporations that show leadership in support of research and education. TransCanada has made many financial contributions to the faculty over the years, and it was also an inaugural member of the Engineering Associates Program. The company has placed nearly 100 students through U of C’s Engineering Internship Program.
Meanwhile, Mr. Kvisle has won a University of Alberta award. The School of Business named him winner of the 2009 Canadian Business Leader Award.
Since Mr. Kvisle’s appointment as CEO in 2001, TransCanada has regrouped from a merger with NOVA to transform itself from a Canadian pipeline company into a major North American player in energy infrastructure.
Schulich Professor
Elevated to IEEE Fellow
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers has made Dr. Michal Okoniewski, P.Eng., a fellow for his contributions to computational electromagnetics. The University of Calgary professor is with the Schulich School of Engineering’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
The institute bills itself as “the leading professional association for the advancement of technology.”
Along with his team, Dr. Okoniewski has helped develop a microchip with the same functional capacity as nuclear magnetic resonance devices, known for their use in MRI diagnostics.
His is the Alvin Libin Ingenuity Chair in Biomedical Engineering, which is a partnership of the school of engineering and Alberta Ingenuity.
APEGGA Geoscientists
Named in CSPG Awards
Every year the Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists presents a variety of awards to recognize technical achievements and excellence in volunteerism. This year on the CSPG list of winners is Dr. Ian McIlreath, P.Geol., of Calgary, a former APEGGA councillor who is the the Alberta director on the Canadian Council of Professional Geoscientists.
Dr. McIlreath was presented with the CSPG President’s Special Recognition Award at a recent ceremony in Calgary.
Members listed in the President’s Award category are Bruce Shultz, P.Geol., and Anthony Fink, P.Geoph. The H.M. Hunter Award went to Gerald Reinson, P.Geol. All three are from Calgary.
Prominent Engineer
Leads Economic Authority
Robert (Bob) Brawn, P.Eng., began a two-year term Jan. 1 as chair of the Alberta Economic Development Authority. In announcing the appointment, Premier Ed Stelmach said: “Bob brings an incredible amount of expert economic counsel to this role. His experience in the private sector will help guide AEDA through the economic challenges and opportunities Alberta faces.”
The oft-lauded Mr. Brawn is a member of Penn West Energy Trust and of Parkland Industry Trust, and is also the chair and a director of Grande Cache Coal Corporation and several private corporations. He has served as chair of the Calgary Chamber of Commerce and the Independent Petroleum Association of Canada, co-chair of the Calgary Economic Development Authority, and a director of the Calgary Olympic Games Committee.
An avid supporter of the community, Mr. Brawn received the Community Service Summit Award from APEGGA in 2001.
Petroleum Hall
Welcomes Additions
Suncor Energy CEO Rick George has steered his major APEGGA permit holding company through phenomenal growth, making it the highest valued integrated oil company in Canada. The Canadian Petroleum Hall of Fame has noticed making him a 2008 inductee.
Calgary’s Robert (Bob) Brawn, P.Eng., who began his career in 1958 as a chemical engineer, is a major player in the energy industry. He, too, has been added to the roll, the hall of fame announced.
Suncor, meanwhile, was also voted the 2008 Producer of the Year by readers of the magazine Oilsands Review. The main feature of the nomination was Suncor’s Voyageur project, which aims to responsibly increase oil production to 550,000 bbl/d in coming years.
Permit Holders Make List
Of Top Workplaces
ISL Engineering and Land Services Ltd. and Stewart, Weir & Co. Ltd. are among the 50 best small and medium-sized employers in Canada, The Globe and Mail reported. The ratings mean the two businesses are great places to work — because they’re generated through surveys of employee engagement and human resources practices.
ISL placed fourth and Stewart, Weir & Co. placed 21st in the nationwide competition, undertaken by the Queen’s Centre for Business Venturing at the Queen’s School of Business, along with Hewitt Associates and in partnership with the newspaper.
ISL is a Western Canadian company with eight offices throughout Alberta and British Columbia. Since moving to Sherwood Park in 2006, Stewart, Weir & Co. Ltd., an employee-owned Alberta consulting firm, has seen its staff numbers grow to over 300 from about 150.
This listing recognizes employers with between 50 and 400 employees.
Magazine Honours
Our TV Dragon
Alberta Venture magazine has named fledgling TV personality W. Brett
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W. BRETT WILSON, P.ENG. |
Wilson, P.Eng., its 2008 Business Person of the Year. The Calgary resident and APEGGA life member is co-founder and chair of one of Western Canada’s most successful private banks, FirstEnergy Capital.
Producers of Dragons’ Den, a CBC reality TV show, recently placed the non-practicing member on their panel of high-achieving business people. In the show, Canadians pitch their business plans in front of four successful entrepreneurs, in the hopes of selling stakes while picking up talented partners.
Charity and personal achievement are big in Mr. Wilson’s life. In 2002, he combined both passions by climbing Mount Kilimanjaro to raise money for the Alzheimer Society.
SAGE Honours
Noted Edmonton Researcher
Dr. William D. Gunter, P.Geol., has received the 2008 Science and Technology Award at the third annual Seniors Association of Greater Edmonton Awards. Chi Loo, Alberta Assistant Deputy Minister of Seniors and Community Support, presented the award.
A distinguished scientist with the Alberta Research Council, Dr. Gunter also won an Emerald Award last year in research innovation for his pioneering work on the capture and storage of carbon dioxide.
Who’s Moving Where
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Twin Butte Energy Ltd. of Calgary announces that David Fitzpatrick, P.Eng., has joined the company as a director and chair of the board. Mr. Fitzpatrick holds a bachelor of science degree from Queen’s University, Kingston.
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Acclaro Management Corporation has appointed Frank Thede, P.Eng., as senior engineer in the Edmonton office. Mr. Thede joins the company’s reliability engineering team.
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Compton Petroleum Corporation of Calgary has appointed Tim Granger, P.Eng., president and CEO. Mr. Granger will also sit on the board of directors.
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Dale Friesen, P.Eng., has been appointed vice-president, environmental and regulatory affairs, with ATCO Power Ltd. Mr. Friesen will work with governments on environmental regulation. In addition to APEGGA, he is a member of the
Institute of Engineers (Australia).