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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 CEO’ operating in the Mining space. If you think a CEO’ 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.
Ken Woolner
CEO & President of Velvet Energy
Ken Woolner is a professional engineer with over 35 years of oil and gas experience. Prior to starting Velvet Energy Ltd. in 2011, he served on the Board of Directors for both public and private oil and gas companies including Oban Energy Ltd. (Chairman), White Fire Energy Ltd. (Chairman), Sequoia Oil & Gas Trust (Trustee) and El Paso Oil & Gas Canada Inc. He led a team of Executives that built and sold three highly successfully companies including Velvet Exploration Ltd., Lightning Energy Ltd. and Veteran Resources Inc. He currently serves on the Board of four private energy companies in Canada and the USA. Ken Woolner holds a Bachelor of Science in Geological Engineering from the University of Toronto and is a member of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta.
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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.
Tim Gallagher
Director, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of Excalibur Resources
Mr. Gallagher is a graduate in commerce from McMaster University, holds a Master of Business Administration from York University and is a Chartered Financial Analyst. He has been a director or senior officer of a number of public and private companies including Inflection Capital Inc., Xmet Inc. and Xtierra Inc. Previously he was in institutional sales for Loewen Ondaatje McCutcheon and Union Bank of Switzerland (Canada). Mr. Gallagher has assisted a number of companies implement their growth plans primarily through the TSX Venture Exchange Capital Pool Program since 1997.
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About Excalibur Resources: Excalibur Resources Limited is a mineral exploration and production company.
Clifford M. James
President & Chief Executive Officer of TVI Pacific
Mr. James is a geologist and business executive with over 40 years of technical and financial experience in the natural resource sector throughout North America, Africa and Asia. He has spearheaded TVI’s activities in the Philippines since 1993 and was responsible for bringing on stream the Canatuan gold-silver mine – the first foreign-funded, modern, full-scale producing mine in the Philippines since the passage of the Mining Act in 1995. His tireless efforts continue to drive TVI’s commitment to transparent, environmentally and socially responsible mining practices that bring sustainable development to the company’s host communities. Mr. James currently serves as a Director for Foyson Resources Limited, a Papua New Guinea-focused mineral exploration company, and Mindoro Resources Ltd., an Alberta incorporated company engaged in mining exploration in the Philippines.
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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.
Martin R. Ferron
President & CEO of North American Energy Partners
Martin Ferron joined the Company as President and Chief Executive Officer and a Director of the Board on June 7, 2012. Previously, Mr. Ferron was Director, President and CEO of Helix Energy Solutions Inc. (Helix), an NYSE listed international energy services company, at which he successfully refocused the company on improved project execution, asset utilization and profit performance. He also transformed Helix through a combination of measured organic growth, acquisitions and divestures, achieving a compound annual EBITDA growth rate of approximately 38% during his tenure with the company. Prior to joining Helix, Mr. Ferron worked in successively more senior management positions with oil services and construction companies including McDermott Marine Construction, Oceaneering International and Comex Group. He holds a B.Sc. in Civil Engineering from City University, London, a M.Sc. in Marine Technology from Strathclyde University, Glasgow, and an MBA from Aberdeen University.
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About : North American Energy Partners Inc. (NAEPI) provides a range of heavy construction and mining and pipeline installation services
Cameron King
President & CEO of Kaisen Energy Corp.
29 years of oil and gas experience, prior to Kaisen serving as VP Operations at WestFire Energy -Prior thereto was Senior Manager of Operations with Penn West, responsible for operating activities averaging 70,000 boe/d of production -In addition, Mr. King has worked in various capacities for Northrock Energy and Husky Energy with a focus on heavy oil.
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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.
Max Wang
President and CEO of Grande Cache Coal
President and CEO since January 2013. Before joining GCC, Max was the Director of Engineering, Major Projects, for Suncor Energy Inc, and Engineering Manager at Petro-Canada Inc (before its merger with Suncor) since 2005. Prior to that, Max worked in various oil & gas project and technical and function management positions, including the Chief Engineer and Department Manager for the Civil/Structural/Architectural Department at Bantrel Corp – an Oil and Gas EPC company in Calgary, Canada. Max is the current chairman of the board for the Coal Association of Canada. .
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About Grande Cache Coal: Grande Cache Coal is engaged in the production and sale of metallurgical coal.
John J. Komarnicki
Chairman, CEO and Director of Alhambra Resources
Mr. Komarnicki holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Toronto and has 37 years of experience in the resource sector. He is currently Director, Chairman and CEO of Alhambra Resources Ltd. He has been Chairman of Alhambra Resources Ltd. since 2001. Between 1999 and 2005, Mr. Komarnicki was President and CEO of Tartan Energy Inc., a Canadian based oil and gas exploration and development company focusing its activities on California, USA and Central Asia. The company was sold in 2005 to a private international energy company. From 1989 to 1998, Mr. Komarnicki was President and CEO of Hurricane Hydrocarbons Ltd., a junior Canadian oil and gas exploration, development and production company doing business in Kazakhstan. Hurricane Hydrocarbons, later called PetroKazakhstan, was successful in winning the first major state energy privatization tender in 1995. From 1973 to 1988, Mr. Komarnicki held positions of increasing responsibility in technical and management positions in the Canadian oil and gas industry. Mr. Komarnicki is a member of the Association of Petroleum Engineers, Geologists and Geophysicists of Alberta, and a past president of the Canadian Gas Processors Association. In 1998, he was recognized as the Prairie Region Entrepreneur of the Year for his achievements in developing Hurricane Hydrocarbons from a junior energy company into a significant oil producer in Kazakhstan.
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About Alhambra Resources: Alhambra Resources Ltd. is a Canadian based exploration and gold production corporation.
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