Danielle Smith is a proud Albertan. As Leader of the governing United Conservative Party, she was sworn in as the 19^th Premier of Alberta on October 11, 2022. She represents the riding of Brooks-Medicine Hat in the Legislative Assembly.

Ms. Smith has had a lifelong interest in Alberta public policy and finding the right balance between free enterprise and individual freedom, and the role of government. She was previously MLA for Highwood and leader of the Official Opposition.

Before re-entering politics, Ms. Smith worked extensively in the media and in business, most recently as President of the Alberta Enterprise Group. Before that, she was a radio host with Corus Entertainment for 6 years.

Danielle Smith holds degrees in both Economics and English from the University of Calgary. She is married to David and proud stepmom to his son. They live in High River with their dogs, Caine and Buck.

Nik Nanos is the Chief Data Scientist and Founder of Nanos Research, a premier research organization renowned for delivering market, consumer and policy insights globally. Nik has spearheaded numerous projects in Canada, the United States and around the world.

He is the Chair of the Advisory Council of the University of Ottawa’s Positive Energy program which works to bring together senior decision-makers from industry, government, Indigenous communities, local communities and environmental organizations to determine how to strengthen public confidence in energy decision-making.  As a Global Fellow at the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars in Washington DC, he specializes in bilateral energy policy.  He also authored a detailed position paper Canada-Germany Resource Security: Navigating in a Changing World Order, for the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and Atlantik Bruecke Canada.

In 2023, Nik was appointed to the Trilateral Commission, a prestigious global organization that unites senior policymakers, business leaders, media representatives, and academics to tackle the world's most pressing issues. He also leads the team behind the Bloomberg Nanos Canadian Confidence Index, a key economic indicator streamed to Bloomberg terminals worldwide every Monday morning.

As the pollster of record for CTV News, The Globe & Mail, and Bloomberg News in Canada, Nik's insights are highly sought after. His contributions to the field have been recognized with his appointment as a member of the Order of Canada.

Nik Nanos continues to drive innovation and excellence providing invaluable insights to clients.

As Chief Executive Officer, Mark Maki is responsible for the next stages of the strategy for Trans Mountain, which will include finalizing the long-term toll rate, optimizing the company’s capital structure, initiating growth opportunities, advancing Indigenous economic participation, and preparing for the divestment process.

Mark joined Trans Mountain in2020. Previously, Mark spent nearly 34 years at Enbridge where he held several executive roles both in Canada and the US, including President of Enbridge Energy Partners, L.P. in Houston, Chief Accounting Officer and Senior Vice President of Finance and Senior Vice President of Corporate Planning and Sponsored Vehicles.

Mark holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Wisconsin-Superior and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

‍

Jason Sharpe is Chief Operating Officer of ATCO Energy Systems. In this role, Mr. Sharpe leads the operations of ATCO’s natural gas and electric utilities with oversight of Construction, Engineering, Operations, Major Projects, Business Development and Health & Safety. He serves as the Senior Executive of ATCO Gas & Pipelines and ATCO Electric, the legal entities that collectively provide safe, efficient, and reliable energy to millions of homes and businesses in hundreds of communities.

Mr. Sharpe joined ATCO in 2002, bringing his Civil Engineering expertise to lead key pipeline projects and engineering groups. In 2014, he was appointed Vice President of Engineering & Construction, then Senior Vice President & General Manager in 2015 of ATCO’s natural gas pipelines division. Following the 2018 incorporation of the Gas Distribution & Transmission businesses into a single management team, Mr. Sharpe was appointed as the Senior Vice President & General Manager, responsible for leading the new integrated structure.

In 2020, Mr. Sharpe was appointed as President of ATCO’s Gas & Pipelines division, overseeing the strategic and operational direction of the company’s natural gas transmission and distribution business in Alberta. He was promoted to his current role in 2025.

Mr. Sharpe is the Past Chair of the Canadian Gas Association’s Board of Directors, an Advisory Director with the American Gas Association, and a board member with the Canadian Energy Executive Association.  He has served on a number of industry boards including the Western Energy Institute, Canadian Energy Pipeline Association, Pipeline Research Council International and the Van Horne Institute. Mr. Sharpe speaks regularly on energy, utilities, and energy transformation with a passion for the balance between reliability, sustainability, safety and affordability.

Mr. Sharpe holds a degree in Engineering and a Master of Business Administration in Global Energy Management & Sustainability from the University of Calgary and is a member of APEGA. Before starting his career, he was a member of the Canadian Freestyle Ski team and shares his love of skiing with his wife and five children.

‍

As CAOEC President & CEO, Mark helps serve the interests of the Canadian drilling and service rig industries by championing their responsible stewardship and long-term sustainability.

Sharing a passion for the oil and gas industry and the benefits it provides to so many Canadians, Mark uses his position to educate and engage government, the public, and all other stakeholders on its importance and impacts from coast to coast to coast.

Mark is also a director of the Energy Safety Canada Board of Directors, the safety association of the upstream oil and gas industry, and a member of its Governance and Compensation Committee. He is an active member of the Institute of Corporate Directors and has completed the Not-for-Profit Governance Essential Program through the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto. Mark received his ICD.D designation in 2025.

Mark holds a degree in economics and a degree in political science from the University of Calgary. He also earned a Master of Business Administration from the Haskayne School of Business.

Rob Morgan is a Professional Engineer with 40 years of management, technical, and operations experience.  

Prior to joining the Alberta Energy Regulator, Rob was the President and CEO of Strathcona Resources after joining a legacy company in 2017 and leading the organization through a period of dramatic growth and change.

He was Senior Vice President and COO for Crew Energy from 2011 to 2017 and prior to this, COO Upstream for Harvest Operations Corp. He was Vice President Operations and Corporate Development at Viking Energy Royalty Trust which merged with Harvest Energy Trust in 2006. From 1985 to 2004, Rob held various management, senior technical and field positions at a number of upstream energy companies in Western Canada, starting as a field production engineer with Murphy Oil in 1985.  

Rob is a graduate of the University of Saskatchewan with a BSc. in Chemical Engineering and a Professional Engineer with APEGA. He was previously a member of the Board of Directors of the Explorers and Producers Association of Canada and the Alberta Securities Commission Energy Advisory Committee.

Rob is married with two adult children and enjoys playing trombone with the Westwinds gold jazz band and cycling with his wife.

‍

Rebecca Gibbons is the Assistant Deputy Minister of Energy Regulation at the Ministry of Energy and Resources. The Energy Regulation Division regulates the lifecycle activities related to the responsible development of Saskatchewan's oil, gas and associated mineral resources through all phases of development from initial exploration through to decommissioning and site reclamation.

Rebecca has been with the Government of Saskatchewan for more than 18 years and has held senior leadership roles in executive and crown sectors.

Key areas of focus include innovation, environmental policy, sustainability, stakeholder engagement, strategy, and operations.

Born and raised in Ireland, Rebecca holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Public Administration. She also has an MBA, and a postgraduate diploma in Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility.

‍

Stephen Buffalo is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Indian Resource Council of Canada. Stephen is also the Board Chair for the Alberta Indigenous Opportunities Corporation. Mr. Buffalo is a proud member of the Samson Cree Nation. He graduated secondary school from Athol Murray College at Notre Dame, Saskatchewan. Mr. Buffalo holds a B.A. from Medicine Hat College and B.M. from University of Lethbridge. He worked for Peace Hills Trust for 15 years, most recently as the Regional Manager for Southern Alberta.

Mr. Buffalo sits on a numerous boards including being the first ever Indigenous Governor for the Canadian Energy Executive Association, Samson Management 2009 Ltd., University of Calgary ReDevelop Initiative, St. Mary’s University – Calgary, and is the Vice President of the Notre Dame Hounds –National Alumni. Mr. Buffalo is traditionally and culturally connected. He is an avid golfer and enjoys dedicating his free time to coaching hockey.

‍

Cliff Johnson, CAE joined Pipeline Research Council International (PRCI) as President in September 2010. He previously served as Director of Public Affairs at NACE International. Mr. Johnson’s legislative career includes positions with Texas State Senator Gregory Luna, US Congresswoman Connie Morella, US Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, and the Governor of Texas Ann Richards. Under Mr. Johnson’s leadership, PRCI’s membership has grown to over 75 members across the globe. In 2015, he led the creation of the Technology Development Center– a state-of-the-art pipeline research facility in Houston. In 2019, he developed the Strategic Research Priority (SRP) to enable PRCI members to drive the execution of strategic research efforts. In 2021, he launched the Emerging Fuels Institute, a consortium of industry members driving research to enable the energy transition.

Mr. Johnson earned his Master of Public Affairs from the Lyndon Baines Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin, and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Austin College in Sherman, Texas. He has obtained his Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation and is active in the American Society of Association Executives.  He resides in Northern Virginia with his wife, Courtney, and five children (Emma, Oleg, Vivian, Lena, and Hana).

‍

The Hon. Gary Mar, KC, was named President and CEO of the Canada West Foundation in April 2020. An accomplished and respected leader, Gary brings deep experience in government and business, and established expertise in CWF’s key policy areas in resources, environment and economy; trade and trade infrastructure; and skills, innovation and productivity.

Prior to joining the CWF, Gary served as President and CEO of the Petroleum Services Association of Canada (PSAC), the national trade association representing the service, supply and manufacturing sectors within the upstream petroleum industry.

Gary has broad experience in government having served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly in the Province of Alberta from 1993-2007. During his time as an elected official, Gary held several Cabinet portfolios – Community Development; Health and Wellness; Education; Environment; and International and Intergovernmental Relations.

Gary then served as the Official Representative (Minister-Counsellor) of the Province of Alberta at the Canadian Embassy in Washington D.C., from 2007 – 2011. He worked extensively with the Alberta energy sector on advocacy issues in Washington DC and many U.S. States. Gary next served as the Province of Alberta’s Representative in Asia from 2011 to 2015. He led the province’s strategic outreach efforts from his post in Hong Kong and worked with Alberta’s offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Tokyo, Seoul, and Taipei.

Following his government service, Gary was an independent consultant working for both Chinese and Canadian companies seeking assistance with trans Pacific trade and investment. In 2016, he co-founded Canadian Advantage Petroleum Corporation which has successfully purchased heavy oil in Alberta and sold it directly to refineries in China.

Gary has been appointed as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Alberta School of Business in Marketing, Business Economics and Law beginning July 1, 2020. He is also an Adjunct Professor at the University of Calgary’s Haskayne Business School and is a public speaker at energy related conferences. In 2022, he was appointed as a member and chair of the Council of the Alberta Order of Excellence.

Gary completed a Law degree at the University of Alberta and practiced criminal, civil, corporate, commercial and real estate law in Calgary prior to entering politics.

‍

Dr. Jack M. Mintz is a Senior Fellow of the C.D. Howe Institute. He is also the President’s Fellow of the School of Public Policy at the University of Calgary, after serving as the Palmer Chair and founding Director from January 1, 2008 to June 30, 2015.

He also serves on the boards of Imperial Oil Limited and Morneau Shepell and is the National Policy Advisor for Ernst & Young. He has also become a Distinguished Senior Fellow, Macdonald-Laurier Institute and Senior Fellow at Massey College.  He is also a regulator contributor to the Financial Post and is a member of the editorial board of International Tax and Public Finance and the Canadian Tax Journal.

Dr. Mintz held the position of Professor of Business Economics at the Rotman School of Business from 1989-2007 and Department of Economics at Queen’s University, Kingston, 1978-89. He was a Visiting Professor, Columbia Law School, 2015; New York University Law School, 2007; President and CEO of the C. D. Howe Institute from 1999-2006; Clifford Clark Visiting Economist at the Department of Finance, Ottawa; and Associate Dean (Academic) of the Faculty of Management, University of Toronto, 1993 – 1995. He was founding Editor-in-Chief of International Tax and Public Finance, published by Kluwer Academic Publishers from 1994 – 2001.

He chaired the federal government’s Technical Committee on Business Taxation in 1996 and 1997 that led to corporate tax reform in Canada since 2000. He also served on numerous panels and boards at the federal and provincial levels including Vice-President and chair of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council 2012-2018 and chair of the Alberta Financial Investment and Planning Advisory Commission 2007.

Dr. Mintz has consulted widely with the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, federal and provincial governments in Canada, and various businesses and non-profit organizations in Canada and abroad.

Dr. Mintz became a member of the Order of Canada in 2015 as well as receiving the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012 for service to the Canadian tax policy community. He has been recognized by Who’s Who Legal as one of the top global experts on corporate taxation since 2016.  

‍

Abby Dorval is an environmental and regulatory specialist with more than 35 years diverse experience in areas such as energy and pipeline development and operations, environmental management and impact assessment, and regulatory policy and strategy.

Beginning her career in Thunder Bay, Ontario with the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Abby spent subsequent years in Vancouver, BC and Winnipeg, MB as an environmental impact and site assessment specialist.

Upon moving to Calgary, Abby worked for Unocal Canada Ltd. before joining the National Energy Board (NEB). At the NEB, Abby’s roles included Director, Applications Business Unit, Environmental Auditor and Regulatory& Policy Specialist. After eight years with the NEB, Abby joined Enbridge Pipelines Inc. as Director, Regulatory Affairs. Over the next 14 years, she would gain extensive experience securing federal and provincial/state approvals for large-scale, complex oil pipeline projects in Canada and the U.S., as well as managing operational compliance programs and providing expert input and advice into federal and provincial policy, legislation and regulation changes.

Since retiring from Enbridge, Abby was a member of the multi-disciplinary Assurance Advisory Team which provided strategic advice and independent evaluation on regulatory and compliance matters with respect to performance of the Trans Mountain Expansion Project.

Abby has a Bachelor of Science (Chemistry) fromMcMaster University and an M.B.A. from Queen's University. She continues to live in Calgary.

Andrew Parke joined BMO Capital Markets in 2009 and has progressed to his current role as Director & Head of the Corporate Carbon Sales team. Andrew has been providing risk management solutions across multiple asset classes to Canada’s largest emitting sectors over the last decade. His team focuses on providing market fundamentals and scenario analysis to assist the decision making and transaction strategies for its clients. Andrew has a Bachelor of Commerce from Dalhousie University and obtained his CFA Charter designation in 2012.

After completing his studies in mechanical engineering, he first worked for a municipal energy supply company in southern Germany and subsequently for an international management consulting firm. He has held various leadership positions at Creos Deutschland GmbH for around 20 years. His responsibilities have also included managing an underground natural gas storage facility. Today, he is the Managing Director of Creos Deutschland GmbH and the Managing Director of the service company Creos Deutschland Services GmbH.

Jon is Vice President of System Operations at the Canada Energy Regulator (CER), Canada’s national pipeline and international power-line regulator for safety and environmental protection.

Prior to this, Jon served in various other Vice President roles, including: Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation (where he built a new unit focused on Reconciliation and led the regulator's Reconciliation Strategic Priority), Projects (where he led the transition from the National Energy Board to the CER); and Energy Adjudication (where he led a unit of 100+ professionals providing technical advice and hearing management expertise relating to major pipeline project applications). He has executive responsibility for Board priorities, and works closely with the regulator’s CEO, Board of Directors, Commission, and Indigenous Advisory Committee.

In 2023, Jon was on assignment with Natural Resources Canada in Ottawa, where as Director General for policy and planning he helped to build the department's new Fuels Sector.

Jon has also served as the regulator's Director of Regulatory Policy and Director of Energy East, and in 2015 Jon established the regulator's Pacific regional office.

With extensive experience leading large teams and budgets, issues, crisis and change management, and presenting to Parliamentary Committees, he also frequently (and perhaps long-windingly) speaks at conferences and other events. Jon also works with the Canada School of Public Service to help support career development and public service diversity.

Volunteering is important to Jon. He has served as the federal government’s United Way champion in Calgary and the CER’s mental health champion. He previously served as a member of the Ottawa Hospital Foundation’s marketing committee.

Prior to moving to Calgary, Jon was a policy advisor in Ottawa at Natural Resources Canada and Transport Canada. He has also worked in the private sector in the electricity industry and for a Cabinet Minister on Parliament Hill. A graduate of Mount Allison University in New Brunswick, Jon is a recipient of the Public Service Award of Excellence in Policy, the NEB Chairperson's Award, and the CER's Health and Safety Award (for mental health promotion). He is also an alumnus of the United States Visitors’ Leadership Program. Jon is a graduate of the federal Executive Leadership Development Program.

Jon lives in beautiful Calgary, Alberta with his partner Alex and their Alaskan Husky, Billie. Jon is the fifth kid of five, which means he will generally answer to any name, both human or canine.

Patrick Chabot is Managing Director at CGFIM, where he leads the sourcing, execution, and management of its investments in alignment with the Canada Growth Fund's mandate, which is focused on accelerating efficient emission reduction projects, helping Canadian clean technology companies scale up successfully, and capitalizing on Canada's abundant natural resources and strengthening low-carbon supply chains.

Patrick has over 12 years of experience in the energy sector, with a currentfocus on investments to efficiently reduce emissions across the Canadianeconomy, including CCS, electrification and low-carbon electricity, industrialprocesses, hydrogen, and biofuels. Patrick brings a wealth of experience instructuring intricate, bespoke legal transactions, adeptly coordinating withdiverse and complex stakeholders to ensure seamless execution.

Prior to joining CGFIM, Patrick Chabot was Senior Director in PSP'sinfrastructure group, where he led investments in the North American power andutility sector. During his tenure, Patrick played a pivotal role in evaluatingand acquiring stakes in significant renewable energy projects and regulatedutility assets, which has been instrumental in advancing PSP's strategicinitiatives.

‍