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At Best Startup Canada we track over 100,000 Canadian startups and over 500,000 people who hold key positions in these companies. We use this directory of startups to highlight top employees, founders and board members we think deserve more appreciation than they are currently getting.
This list showcases the top Alberta based VP’ operating in the Mining space. If you think a VP’ is missing from this list, feel free to contact our editor on editor@beststartup.ca.
The individuals on this list have been included because of exceptional performance in one of the following categories:
- Innovation – Operating as a key part in an extremely innovative business or startup.
- Growth – Operating as a key figure in the growth and upscale of a market leading business or startup.
- Management – Showing exceptional management skills.
- Societal impact – Putting their business on the map for their positive societal or environmental impact.
Our Data – We source our data from OSINT (open source intelligence) and public directories such as Crunchbase, SemRush and many more. The data from these sources should be treated with a degree of caution and verified yourself.
Roger Howarth
Senior Vice President, Project Oversight of SNC Lavalin
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About SNC Lavalin: SNC-Lavalin is an engineering and construction group.
Peter Henry
Vice President, Finance of Velvet Energy
Peter Henry is a Chartered Accountant with 31 years oil and gas experience. He co-founded Velvet and its predecessor company Oban Energy Ltd. in 2006 as Vice President & CFO and was part of a team that recapitalized Veteran Resources Inc., a TSX listed company. He also spent six years with Velvet Exploration Ltd. and its successor, El Paso Oil & Gas Canada, as CFO. Prior to that he was a senior officer with three other rapid growth TSE listed oil and gas companies. Peter Henry holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of New Brunswick and is a member of the Alberta Institute of Chartered Accountants.
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About Velvet Energy: Velvet Energy is an energy exploration company that explores for, develops, acquires, and produces crude oil and natural gas in Canada.
Patrick Hanna
Chief Financial Officer and VP Finance & Administration of TVI Pacific
Mr. Hanna is a Certified Management Accountant with more than 34 years of professional experience in both the mining and oil & gas sectors as well as management consulting through North America, the former Soviet Union and Asia. Prior to joining TVI in 2010, Mr. Hanna held positions in Kazakhstan as Director of Financial Excellence for Kazakhmys Copper Corporation, Vice-President of Project Finance at Glencore International AG’s lead and zinc facility, Kazzinc, and Finance Director at Hurricane Hydrocarbons’ Hurricane Kumkol Munai. Mr. Hanna has also gained several more years of international experience in Russia as General Director/Finance Director at Neste Oil’s OJSC SeverTek, Finance Director at High River Gold’s Berezitovy Mine, Finance Director at Gulf Canada Resources’ KomiArctic Oil and as a Management Consultant with Ernst & Young (CIS).
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About TVI Pacific: TVI is a Canadian resource company focused on the acquisition and development of resource projects in the Asia Pacific region.
Raymond A. Reipas
Senior Vice President, Energy of Teck
Ray Reipas was appointed Senior Vice President, Energy of Teck in November 2011. He joined Teck Resources Limited in September 2008 as Vice President, Energy. Prior to joining Teck, Mr. Reipas was Vice President of Mining for Total E&P Canada Limited. He has over 32 years of experience in engineering and managing open pit mines in Western Canada and overseas and has held senior management roles with a number of mining and oil sand operations. Mr. Reipas holds a Bachelor of Science in Mining Engineering from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. He has also completed the Queen’s University Executive Program. He is currently a member of the Association of Professional Engineers, Geologists and Geophysicists of Alberta, as well as the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy.
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About Teck: Teck is a diversified resource company with business units focused on copper, steelmaking coal, zinc and energy.
Robert Dion
Vice President, Finance & CFO of Manitok
Mr. Dion has over 20 years of financial experience in the petroleum industry holding various managerial positions during that time. He graduated from the University of Saskatchewan in 1988, with a Bachelor of Commerce degree and has been a member of the Institued of Chartered Accountants of Alberta since 1991. Most recently, Mr. Dion was Finance Manager at Compton Petroleum from September 2003 to January 2010 where he was involved in the issuance of debt and equity securities, corporate acquisitions and restructuring. Prior to that, Mr. Dion held various senior financial positions at Canadian Natural Resources, Rio Alto Exploration, and Nexen.
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About Manitok: Manitok Energy Inc. is a public oil and gas exploration and development company.
Jeff Holmgren
Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer of Kaisen Energy Corp.
Over 15 years of oil and gas experience, prior to Kaisen serving as VP Finance and CFO at WestFire Energy -Previously with ProEx Energy Ltd., Progress Energy Ltd., Rodinia Oil (VP CFO) and PetroFrontier Oil (VP CFO), extensive involvement with capital market development and financial oversight -Began career with Ernst & Young LLP with a focus on domestic and international oil and gas.
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About Kaisen Energy Corp.: Kaisen Energy engages in the exploration, development and acquisition of conventional heavy oil assets in Western Canada.
Andy Kramchynski
Vice President Exploration of Kaisen Energy Corp.
Over 30 years of oil and gas experience, most recently served as president of Tandem Energy, a private E&P company -Mr. Kramchynski has a diverse background within the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin (WCSB) including the heavy oil Mannville sands.
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About Kaisen Energy Corp.: Kaisen Energy engages in the exploration, development and acquisition of conventional heavy oil assets in Western Canada.
Chris McGinnis
Vice President of Operations & Engineering of Kaisen Energy Corp.
-Mr. McGinnis joined Kaisen as Vice President, Operations & Engineering, in April 2013. He has over 15 years of oil and gas experience, where prior to Kaisen, he held Development and Production Engineering Manager roles at PennWest. In addition, Chris hel
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About Kaisen Energy Corp.: Kaisen Energy engages in the exploration, development and acquisition of conventional heavy oil assets in Western Canada.
Arpad Koltai
VP, Technical Services of Grande Cache Coal
Arpad Koltai joined Grande Cache Coal in February 2014. His experience prior to joining GCC includes 18 years in surface coal mining in British Columbia, working for Teck Coal and its predecessors, where he was holding senior roles in engineering and operations management, as well in business and operations improvement. In the first 5 years of his career he worked in underground coal mining in Hungary and in tunnel construction in Germany Mr. Koltai holds a M.Sc. degree in Mining Engineering from the University of Miskolc in Hungary and an MBA from the University of Leicester. He is a registered P.Eng. in Alberta and British Columbia
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About Grande Cache Coal: Grande Cache Coal is engaged in the production and sale of metallurgical coal.
James Frederick Jones
VP, Human Resources of Grande Cache Coal
Jim has extensive executive experience in the mining industry having spent over twenty years with Teck Coal Limited and its predecessors, Elk Valley Coal and Fording Coal Limited where he was Vice President responsible for human resources, legal affairs, corporate communications, government and community relations and corporate governance. Jim was also Vice President and Secretary of Fording Canadian Coal Trust from 2004 to 2008 and its predecessor Fording Inc. Since his retirement from Teck Coal in 2011, Jim has been a management consultant. He has served as Vice President of Human Resources for Grande Cache Coal since July 2012. Prior to pursuing his corporate career, Mr. Jones practised law focusing on labour and employment law. Jim holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Saskatchewan and a law degree from the University of Victoria. He serves as a Chair of SkillSource, a British Columbia based training organization and is past chair of its predecessor, the Resource Industry Training Organization. Jim is a past Director of the Mining Association of British Columbia, the Mining Association of Canada and a past Chair and Director of Neptune Bulk Terminals (Canada) Limited. Jim is a retired member of the Law Society of British Columbia.
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About Grande Cache Coal: Grande Cache Coal is engaged in the production and sale of metallurgical coal.
George Gorzynski
Executive Vice President & Director of Fireweed Zinc
Mr. Gorzynski is co-founder of the Company and a geological engineer with 35 years’ experience in exploration and mining company management. He has strong technical, management and leadership skills, and was a key person in the building and managing of several successful international junior mining and exploration companies. His technical experience ranges from management of large exploration projects in challenging settings to geology field work in isolated locations to oversight of mining operations. Mr. Gorzynski has geological engineering degrees from the University of Toronto (Honours) and University of British Columbia and has worked on a number of zinc projects in British Columbia and Yukon.
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About Fireweed Zinc: Fireweed Zinc is a Canadian mining exploration and development company.
Nancy Schlepp
VP Communications and Corporate Secretary of Sandfire Resources America
Nancy recently became the VP of Communications and Corporate Secretary for Sandfire Resources America after serving as their Public Relations Director since 2013. With a Bachelor of Science from Montana State University, Nancy Schlepp has over 15 years of experience in legislative relations, public policy and public relations at the local, state and federal level. Prior to joining Sandfire Resources America, Nancy was the Executive Director of the Montana Taxpayers Association and previous to that was the National Affairs Director for the Montana Farm Bureau Federation working on international trade and federal policy issues. She serves on many boards and committees and is currently the Past President of the Montana Business Assistance Connection, an economic development organization and sits on Governor Bullocks Main Street Advisory Key Industry Network Committee for Natural Resources. Before joining Sandfire, Nancy served as a Meagher County Commissioner for 4 years. Nancy and her husband Chris own and operate the family ranch near Ringling with their 3 children.
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About Sandfire Resources America: Sandfire Resources America is a company focused on the development and mining of its 100% owned flagship property.
Dean Hill
Vice President, Finance & Chief Financial Officer of Canadian Spirit Resources
Dean Hill, BComm CA, is the Vice President, Finance & Chief Financial Officer. Dean, a Chartered Accountant, holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Alberta and brings to CSRI a depth of financial and accounting experience in the oil & gas, heavy equipment and financial services industries. Prior to joining CSRI, Dean was VP, Finance & Administration for a private heavy equipment supplier with cross border operations. Other experience included roles as Compliance Manager with an accounting & consulting firm, and Financial Controller of a multi-national natural resource/financial company. Dean achieved his CA designation in Alberta followed by extensive audit and consulting assignments in the oil & gas industry as well as in the financial services industry, both in Calgary and internationally.
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About Canadian Spirit Resources: company focused on the exploration and production of natural gas in the Montney Formation of Northeast British Columbia.
Donald D. McKechnie
Vice President of Finance and Chief Financial Officer of Alhambra Resources
Mr. McKechnie is a Chartered Accountant with 35 years of senior financial and management experience 32 of those being in the resource sector involved with oil and natural gas projects in Canada, Indonesia and Ukraine and in the mining sector in Kazakhstan. The majority of his career was spent with North Canadian Oils Limited, a natural resource and electrical cogeneration company headquartered in Calgary. Mr. McKechnie was the president of North Canadian’s electrical cogeneration subsidiary at the time that company was sold. Mr. McKechnie joined Alhambra in 2003.
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About Alhambra Resources: Alhambra Resources Ltd. is a Canadian based exploration and gold production corporation.
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