Edmonton-based Alberta Research Council has appointed Phillip Murray as the new executive vice-president, southern Alberta, responsible for energy technologies. Murray will also serve as CEO of ARC’s wholly owned subsidiary, C-FER Technologies.
Murray, who will be based in Calgary, will be responsible for the activities of the Petroleum Recovery Institute, fuels and lubricants, and C-FER Technologies. Prior to joining the research council, Murray was vice-president of operations with BC Gas International and was seconded for two years to the oil and gas unit of the World Bank in Washington, D.C.
Darrell Ibach has been named president of Calgary-based National Fuel Gas Company.
Ibach was most recently vice-president of exploration with Avid Oil and Gas Ltd. and has held other senior positions during his 20 years in the industry.
Ibach succeeds Bernie McCashin, who has resigned to pursue other interests in the oilpatch.
National Fuel is an integrated energy company and Canadian subsidiary of Houston-based Seneca Resources Corporation.
Westminster Resources (WML-TSE) has announced that company founder and chairman of the board John Woods has retired from the company and resigned as chairman.
Robb Waldner, president and CEO, has been appointed a director of the company. Westminster Resources Ltd. is a Canadian company engaged in exploration, development and production of oil and natural gas.
Robert (Bob) Normand has been appointed president and chief executive officer of Edmonton-based Alberta Treasury Branches.
Normand joined the ATB in mid-1997 as executive vice-president of sales. He previously held senior executive roles with the Bank of Montreal in Quebec, Ontario and Alberta.
Keith Dundas has been appointed marketing vice-president of Rare Method of Calgary.
Dundas joins the interactive marketing firm from Gettyworks, where he was director of marketing communications.
He also previously worked in senior roles at EVA Sports and Street Smart Strategic Planning.
Equatorial Energy Inc. (OZ-TSE) has appointed John R. Rooney as president and chief executive officer.
Rooney has been chief financial officer of Equatorial for the past two years. He is a chartered accountant with 20 years experience in the oil and gas business.
Equatorial also announced that G. Marshall Abbott has resigned as chairman of the board of the company, but will continue as a director.
Canadian business law firm Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP has added some new faces to its Calgary office.
The company, which specializes in oil and gas, tax and energy law, has appointed Craig Spurn to head up its oil and gas group. Spurn has exclusively practised energy law for the past decade in western Canada.
As well, Doug Richardson will join the firm as a senior tax practitioner. Richardson was most recently the primary tax counsel for Conoco in its $6.7-billion takeover of Gulf Canada Resources.
Also joining the company is Paul Jeffrey, who was responsible for Canadian regulatory law at TransCanada Pipelines Ltd. Jeffrey will focus primarily on the areas of rates, facilities, environmental and ancillary regulatory hearings.
Wi-LAN Inc. (WIN-TSE) has announced the appointment of Henry A. (Hank) Macchio as chief sales and marketing officer. Graham Smith has stepped down from the post to aid the transition to a single sales organization.
Wi-LAN is a Calgary-based high-speed wireless data and Internet communications company.
