Minister Rebecca Schultz

ABOUT

The Inspiring History of the Alberta Enterprise Group

In 2007 a group of business leaders banded together to create an ambitious new business advocacy organization. The mandate of the group was to make Alberta a better place to live and do business, thereby creating long-term and unprecedented prosperity for every Albertan.

Over the years, both collectively and as individual members of AEG, we’ve succeeded in sharing Alberta’s story with the world. We effectively communicate the benefits of doing business in our province, we positively inform the public and policy makers on complex and challenging issues facing the province and the country, and we create real change as the community requires.

AEG members employ over 150,000 Albertans and generate billions in economic activity each year, stimulating and guiding the business climate to better serve us all.

Why AEG?

Advance your business with the many advantages provided through AEG, an organization that connects Alberta’s business leaders with decision makers and stakeholders across the region. Get in the know and have a hand in influencing the success of your business and others like it. Put your bottom line in focus with a group that has their finger on the pulse.

As Entrepreneurs and Business Leaders we all have to do our part

TESTIMONIALS

Stephen M Gallivan

President, CSC Valves Canada Inc.

“It is with utmost respect and pleasure to submit this note in support of the Alberta Enterprise Group. While I had not been as active in the first year of membership as I had wanted , I have since come to realize the breath and depth of the benefits associated with participation in this organization over the last six months.”

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Steven Kim

Investment Advisor, RBC Wealth Management

“AEG Membership has helped me to connect with top tier decision makers in Alberta business. With that, I’ve gained valuable insight and local market intelligence through Alberta’s business leaders. I have become a member of AEG for business but also because I’ve been a life long member of the Alberta community. AEG has given me a way to contribute in shaping Alberta’s bright future.”

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Brendan Connolly

Owner Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse / Alliance Building maintenance

“I’ve been a member from the early days of the Alberta Enterprise Group. I have traveled on missions,attended meetings and work on projects and platforms. What I always tell people is ‘get involved’ it has turned out to be a great group of connections with great people doing great things. One of the best groups I’ve ever been a part of.”

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THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

AEG is an independent, not for profit organization governed by a board of directors, funded by activities and members. Alberta Enterprise Group Board of Directors:

Catherine Brownlee

CATHERINE BROWNLEE – PRESIDENT

ALBERTA ENTERPRISE GROUP

Catherine Brownlee is the President of Alberta Enterprise Group where she brings over 30 years’ experience in business consulting across all sectors. Her database of over 85,000 contacts demonstrates her capacity to motivate, build and achieve results. She was recognized by her peers for her outstanding leadership with a Women of Influence Award, and a Paul Harris Award through the Rotary Club of Calgary.

Catherine is also the co-author of three bestsellers. Want to Work in Oil and Gas? Cat’s Tips to Get the Job of Your Dreams and How to Sell in Any Economy, the latter of which hit the number one on Amazon, in three categories, on its first day of release.

In her spare time, Catherine is committed to serving the community through the Rotary Club, Stampede Park. Her passion is seen in the areas of business, politics, tech and AI, human rights, serving children, and disadvantaged communities.

You can Email Catherine at Catherine@albertaenterprisegroup.com

Kelley Charlebois

KELLEY CHARLEBOIS – GOVERNMENT RELATIONS LEAD

MANAGING PRINCIPAL, ALBERTA – MAPLE LEAF STRATEGIES

Kelley Charlebois is an accomplished public affair professional with an established reputation in Alberta’s public, private, and non-profit sectors.

Since the early 1990s, Kelley has been involved in public policy development and public relations. Over the years, Kelley has taken a variety of roles in advisory and leadership capacities, both inside and outside government. He has honed his skills as someone with a deep understanding of the development and implementation of policy and the practical elements of communications.

Kelley has worked through the years in government as a Ministerial Chief of Staff, as the role of Executive Director of the PC Party of Alberta, and as a trusted advisor for clients on matters affecting public policy, corporate strategy, and corporate reputation. He is a versatile professional who has brought his skills to the public and private sectors and across a variety of disciplines.

Kelley began his career in the public sector, where he served seven years as provincial Chief of Staff across four portfolios, including Community Development, Environment, Education, and Heath. During his time in government, Kelley helped implement strategies to redesign programs, reinvest in education, advance environmental stewardship, and implement healthcare reforms for greater sustainability.

In the private sector, Kelley has worked with a wide variety of clients, focusing on Healthcare, Post-secondary, Construction, Energy, and Resource sectors. Kelley’s diverse experience enables him to design and implement strategies focused on clients’ individual needs.

Kelley has also worked closely with clients in the Energy sector to engage federal, provincial, Indigenous, educational, forestry and industrial stakeholders. His results-oriented approach was instrumental in generating support for crucial projects.

Kelley brings his high level of professionalism, solid strategic advice, and years of expertise to deliver results for Maple Leaf’s clients. His substantial knowledge base and proven skills help Maple Leaf’s clients navigate an evolving political landscape.

Herve Faucher

HERVE FAUCHER – CHAIR

PRESIDENT GMS AGGREGATES

Mr. Faucher is an entrepreneur with diverse business interests. He is President of GMS Aggregates Inc., an aggregate business located north of Fort McMurray in the heart of the oil sands deposits. GMS Aggregates is the sole owner of the Glacier Outwash gravel deposit. GMS Aggregates is also the owner of gravel deposits in Peace River, Westlock, and Clyde, Alberta.

Mr. Faucher was appointed as a director of the Company as of 2012.

Shane Wenzel

SHANE WENZEL – BOARD MEMBER

PRESIDENT SHANE HOMES GROUP OF COMPANIES

Shane Wenzel followed his father into the home building industry at a young age, learning the inner workings of the company with a hands-on perspective at job sites. He moved into sales and marketing, ultimately taking on the role as senior vice-president of sales and marketing.

Shane is hard-wired into new technologies, and has crafted a high profile for the company on social media and online as well as introduced leading edge innovations to the Shane Homes Group of Companies product line based on customer input. In 2010, he became the company’s president, sharing Cal’s passion of putting customers first, with honesty and integrity. Shane serves on the board of directors of BILD Calgary Region.

Terry O'Flynn

TERRY O’FLYNN – PAST CHAIR OF THE BOARD

PRESIDENT PRISM FLOW PRODUCTS

Mr. O’Flynn is President and Co-owner of Prism Flow Products Inc. Prism is a wholesale valve manufacturers’ representative since 1995. Mr. O’Flynn has served on several boards and fundraising initiatives. He has served as the Chairman of Alberta Alpine Ski Association, as a board member of Alpine Canada Alpin (Canadian National Ski Team), and on the Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation.

Mr. O’Flynn currently serves on the Boards of the Edmonton Eskimos, and the Jerry Forbes Centre for Community Spirit. Mr. O’Flynn is the long-time Co-Chair of the Mustard Seed golf tournament, the charity’s largest annual fundraiser. Mr. O’Flynn is active in the community of Beaumont, Alberta where he has been a resident for 32 years.

Tim Shipton

TIM SHIPTON – BOARD VICE CHAIR

SR. VICE PRESIDENT – OILERS ENTERTAINMENT GROUP

Tim Shipton is the Vice President of Corporate Communications & Government Relations for the Oilers Entertainment Group (OEG), the parent company of the Edmonton Oilers Hockey Club. OEG is focused on expanding a broad range of sports and entertainment offerings, delivering outstanding fan experiences, securing major new sponsorships and events, and operating the new home of the Edmonton Oilers, Rogers Place. Tim has a wealth of experience that spans the private, government and not-for-profit sectors.

In his role at Oilers Entertainment Group, Tim oversees all aspect of external relations for the company including public relations, media, community and government relations. Tim also acts as the lead liaison with Canadian news media on behalf of OEG.

Tim also works closely with the Katz Group on planning and communications related to the Ice District, Canada’s largest mixed use development. A native of Oil Country, Tim is known for his highly entrepreneurial and collaborative leadership style and has successfully led teams to deliver results. His work in telling the Alberta story across Canada and around the world has earned him Top 40 Under 40 honours from Avenue Magazine and he was named a Rising Star by Oilweek Magazine.

Steven Kim

STEVEN KIM – BOARD EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

VICE PRESIDENT & PORTFOLIO MANAGER, RBC WEALTH MANAGEMENT

Steven is an Investment Advisor with RBC Wealth Management, Dominion Securities. Mr. Kim is a graduate of the University of Alberta, where he obtained a Bachelor of Commerce Degree with a major in Finance. A firm believer in ongoing education, he has acquired the advanced industry designations of  Financial Management Advisor (FMA), Canadian Investment Manager (CIM) and Fellow of the Canadian Securities Institute (FCSI).

Mr. Kim harnesses his knowledge and 19 years of experience to develop comprehensive wealth management solutions for his clients.

Branko Culo

BRANCO CULO – BOARD MEMBER

VICE PRESIDENT & PORTFOLIO MANAGER, RBC WEALTH MANAGEMENT

Branko Culo began a career in Oil & Gas, that led to gaining valuable experience in the areas of team and project management. Following a desire to pursue entrepreneurism, he became a partner at Express Employment Professionals and the Specialized Recruiting group in 2008. In his role with EEP; SRG he is responsible for overseeing recruiting divisions in Office/Administration, Accounting/Finance, Technical Search, Executive Search & Contract Placement (Engineering/Skilled Trades/Manufacturing/Construction Leadership/Management/Sales, IT, etc.), that support 400+ individual Albertan companies annually.

Branko, also, served as a consultant to Express’s international headquarters from November 2019-2022 as a member of their Innovations Committee to identify and experiment with turnkey and future based technology solutions that included Blockchain, AI/ML, Virtual Reality and Power BI data solutions. Believing in giving back to the community, Branko, served as a proud Rotarian from 2016-2022 and maintains a “Friends of Rotary” standing today.

Bruno Muller

BRUNO MULLER – BOARD MEMBER & PAST CHAIRMAN

PRESIDENT CARON TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS

Mr. Muller is President and Co-Owner of Caron Transportation Systems, Caron Transportation Systems USA and Interload Services Ltd. These three companies provide safe, dependable, trusted service to the mining, oilfield, petrochemical, pulp/paper, water treatment, manufacturing and construction industries.

The main Canadian service area covers a large portion of Western Canada.Recently the service area has grown to include Northwest and Southwest United States.The fleet includes over 350 tractors and 750 liquid tankers, aggregate, pneumatic and cryogenic trailers.

Mr. Muller is a Past Chairman of the Canadian Trucking Alliance, a Past Board Member of the Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation and a supporting member of several charitable organizations.

Mr. Muller was appointed as a director of the Company as of 2009.

PETER KISS – BOARD MEMBER

PRESIDENT OF MORGAN CONSTRUCTION AND ENVIRONMENTAL

Peter Kiss is the President and Chief Executive Office of Morgan Construction and Environmental Ltd. (“Morgan”), a heavy civil construction company that he has nurtured and grown for over 20 years. Morgan has had significant success as a major competitor in Western Canada, with over 700 employees, four branch offices, and plans for expansion when the time is right.

Peter served as Co-chairman (2015) and Chairman (2016) following directorship with the Canadian Energy Executive Association. In addition, Peter sat on the Board of YPO and Edmonton Economic Development Corporation.

Peter is involved in a number of other businesses providing investment and advisory level support to privately held companies including: waste removal and transfer, timber and land clearing, and commercial and industrial demolition.

Mr. Kiss is new to the board of directors of the Company in of 2019.

Terris Chorney

TERRIS CHORNEY – BOARD MEMBER

EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT PIC INVESTMENT GROUP

Terris brings a strong business management track record to PIC. He has over twenty years of Executive experience, starting with more than a decade in senior Investment Banking roles – where he helped raise $17.5B in capital, and advised on $21.0B in completed M&A transactions.

More recently, he’s worked in operating business management and Board leadership – including serving as President of CanGas Propane (a propane distribution business with operations in 23 locations across western Canada, serving ~12,500 customers).

At PIC, he is mainly focused on working its Op-Co’s – helping them operate more efficiently and achieve their strategic goals. He is also responsible for transacting broader opportunities for PIC to acquire more businesses (new Op-Co’s), and chairs the Boards of both Panther Industries and CanGas Propane.

Prior to his time in finance and Management, Terris practiced as an Engineer (1993 – 2000) – and played football for the Edmonton Eskimos (1993 – 1995) and the Nebraska Cornhuskers (1988 – 1992). Terris earned his P.Eng (APEGA) as well as ICD.D (Rotman) designation, and holds an M.B.A. (University of Alberta) and B. Sc. – Civil Engineering (University of Nebraska).

Terris was born and raised in small-town Saskatchewan and now resides in Edmonton with his wife, Chana, and their four children.

Mr. Chorney is new to the board of directors of the Company in of 2024.

Website: https://picgroup.ca/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pic-investment-group/

Chris Heubner

CHRIS HEUBNER – BOARD MEMBER

LLOYD SADD

Chris Huebner came to Lloyd Sadd in 1995 as a recent graduate from the University of Alberta. Originally thinking this would be a stepping stone to another career, he became intrigued with insurance and risk management and has worked hard to become a partner and an integral member of the Lloyd Sadd team. In 2015, Chris was named President of Lloyd Sadd. He believes the success of Lloyd Sadd is based on their desire to support initiatives to enhance customer service at all levels and by providing an exciting work environment for employees.

Chris thrives on knowledge and continuous improvement and has achieved his Fellow Chartered Insurance Professional and Canadian Risk Management designations. He is very active with family, fitness, and volunteering for mental health and his kids’ sports. He is an active runner and cyclist and has competed in numerous triathlons and marathons. He is also a member of TEC Canada.

Mr. Huebner is new to the board of directors of the Company as of 2024.

Website: https://www.lloydsadd.com/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lloydsadd/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lloydsaddinsurance/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lloydsadd
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lloydsaddcanada

John Liston

JOHN LISTON – BOARD MEMBER

CEPA

John Liston is a highly experienced business consultant with over 35 years of involvement in the financial world. For the last decade, he has been dedicated to helping business owners achieve their goals and maximize the value of their businesses. He by all definitions, is a coach. Our clients joke that he is a people whisperer!

In 1997 John was on the due diligence team for the $2.9 Billion purchase of a publicly traded organization, which whet his appetite for the M&A world.  In 2013 John left the corporate world of middle leadership after 25 years, to begin coaching and consulting to businesses of all sizes. When many of those businesses identified as ready to exit, Mr. Liston partnered with Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Tony D’Andrea to take them through the sell side M&A process.

From 2018 to 2022, John worked at the Alberta Enterprise Group (AEG), where he played a key role in influencing policy on behalf of business owners. AEG is an advocacy group that believes in a free enterprise culture, recognizing that when businesses thrive, there is prosperity for all Albertans. In his time at AEG, John worked closely with thousands of business leaders, gaining invaluable insights into the challenges they face in the ever-changing business landscape. John worked side by side with now Premier Danielle Smith running AEG through 2021 and 2022 before her return to politics.

John has returned to his consultancy to help business leaders navigate the complexities of today’s market. As a certified Valuebuilder® based on the teachings of John Warrilow’s book “Built to Sell”, John works with business owners to identify the eight levers that will drive the multiple they can sell for. He also provides sell-side M&A advisory services to business owners when they are ready to transition their businesses.

Cal Nichols

CAL NICHOLS – CHAIRMAN EMERITUS

CHAIRMAN GASLAND/PARADISE ESTATES

Cal Nichols started his career in oil and gas as a commission agent for Esso and has spent most of his life in petroleum marketing and related industries as well as real estate development. In 1984, as a result of deregulation, Cal was a founding partner in Northridge Petroleum Marketing Inc. which was the first privately owned company in crude oil and gas marketing in Canada.

He created Gasland Oil Ltd. in 1985, which grew to over 50 branded independent petroleum outlets in Western Canada. Nichols is best known for spearheading a group of local investors in 1998 to purchase the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers Hockey Club and prevent them from leaving the City. Cal went on to serve as Chairman and NHL Governor for ten years.

Cal has been inducted into the Alberta Business Hall of Fame and has been recognized by many other organizations for his continued efforts in his community.

Bruce Pennock

BRUCE PENNOCK – AUDITOR

PARTNER – PENNOCK ACHESON NIELSEN DEVANEY

Bruce has extensive experience in providing audit, accounting and business advisory services to large family-owned enterprises, private equity-backed organizations and publicly traded entities. In recent years, he has led several due diligence teams assisting clients with strategic business acquisitions. Prior to founding the Firm in 1995, Bruce was a partner with the international accounting firm of Deloitte, where he served as director for 15 years, served on three of the firms strategic planning committees and chaired the Canadian firms Consumer Products Committee.

As a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Alberta, Bruce has sat on both the Canadian Institute’s Auditing Standards Committee and the Provincial institute’s committee dealing with financial reporting for Credit Unions. He is also very involved in the Edmonton community, having chaired the professional section of the United Way Collection Campaign, the Finance Committee of OLPH Catholic Parish, the Klondike Chuckwagon Derby Committee and the fundraising committee for an Alberta cabinet minister. Bruce currently is a Director of the Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation and is a trustee for the Franciscan Friars of Western Canada.

James Rajotte

JAMES RAJOTTE – PAST BOARD MEMBER

ALBERTA’S WASHINGTON ENVOY

Mr. Rajotte, recently stepped down from the AEG board to assume a key role as the senior representative for Alberta in Washington DC.Former Rogers Communications vice-president and former Edmonton MP Mr. Rajotte will play a key role, “The crisis in our energy industry underscores the need for Albertans to have strong relations with policy makers and business leaders in the United States,”Premier Jason Kenney said.
James Rajotte was a member of the House of Commons for 15 years.He was elected to the House of Commons in 2000 as the Member of Parliament for Edmonton-Southwest, and was re-elected as the Member of Parliament for Edmonton-Leduc in 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2011.

He served as the Chair of the Standing Committee on Finance during the 40th and 41st Parliaments (2008-2015), and was Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Industry Science and Technology in the 39th Parliament (2006-08).

Congratulations James, and thank you for your work with Alberta Enterprise Group, and now serving Alberta and Canada in Washington.

Knelsen Sand & Gravel Ltd

SPIKE MARTENS – BOARD MEMBER

SPECIAL PROJECTS – KNELSEN SAND & GRAVEL

David Martens is a successful entrepreneur based in a Grande Prairie. David has a long history of business development and innovation in many sectors including construction, real estate and the beverage industry.

David is an engaged and vocal advocate for reducing unnecessary regulatory red-tape at the municipal, provincial and federal level and competitive tax rates for Alberta businesses. In their free time David and his wife Gert enjoy traveling, cycling and advocating for Alberta’s oil and gas industry.