Alison Gray has been appointed executive director of the Alberta Women’s Enterprise Initiative.
She will oversee the advancement of the Calgary-based non-profit corporation’s services for women entrepreneurs, which include one-on-one business coaching, access to start-up and advancement loans, workshops and networking events.
Gray previously worked as director of marketing and communications for SAIT, director of economic development for the City of Airdrie and manager of a variety of regional shopping centres in Western Canada.
Bill Churchward is the new manager of the Alberta Research Council’s BioProducts business unit.
He will spearhead the Vegreville-based council’s efforts to develop and commercialize new bioproducts. Prior to joining the organization, Churchward led a manufacturing facility in the malting industry.
Three new executives have joined Calgary-based MEDIchair.
Bas van Lankvelt has been named western regional manager, while Susan Tarrant takes the post of eastern regional manager. Kathlene McCuaig will be the company’s co-ordinator of franchisee development. Van Lankvelt joins the firm from the Red Deer franchise, where he served as territory manager.
Tarrant previously worked as co-ordinator of the Central Equipment Pool, which is operated by Shoppers Home Health Care.
McCuaig joins MEDIchair from Shoppers Home Health Care. Prior to that, she was territory manager of Alberta and Saskatchewan for Dolomite9 Home Care Products.
MEDIchair is a home medical equipment franchise company with 59 stores across Canada.
Rhoda Lemay has joined the David Green Organization (DGO) as national sales manager in Calgary. Lemay joins the Chicago-based company from the Coast Plaza Hotel and CHIP Hospitality. DGO provides hotel representation and meeting planning support service.
John Krpan is the new chairman of InfoTech Alberta. Krpan joins the Calgary-based organization from RightsMarket, where he is president and CEO.
Previously, he held senior roles with companies including Telus, Cell-Loc, CGI and the World Bank.
He replaces John Pinsent, who served as acting chairman since May while continuing his duties as treasurer of the InfoTech board. Pinsent is a senior manager for Ernst & Young LLP in Edmonton InfoTech Alberta is the Alberta node of the Information Technology Association of Canada (ITAC).
Provident Energy Trust has made two key appointments.
Andrew Gruszecki has been named vice-president of the NGL Services division, while Gary Kline is the new vice-president of commercial development and risk management.
Gruszecki has more than 25 years of experience in oil and NGL marketing, business development and planning. Prior to joining Provident (PVE.UN-TSX), he was senior manager of commercial operations at Williams Energy (Canada).
Kline has more than 20 years of industry experience including senior roles with GRK Energy Consulting, Reliant Energy Canada, U.S. Generating Canada and CanStates Gas Marketing.
Provident is a Calgary-based energy income trust that owns and manages an oil and gas production business and a midstream services business.
Bill Rabatich is the new CFO and vice-president of finance for Predator Exploration Ltd. Rabatich has more than two decades of industry experience, including senior management positions with Canadian junior and major U.S oil and gas exploration companies.
Predator is a Canadian junior energy firm.
Delphi Energy Corp. has named Brenda Mawhinney as vice-president of finance and chief financial officer.
Mawhinney has 21 years of professional experience in the oil and gas industry, including more than a decade in senior positions with several Canadian independent oil and gas exploration and production companies.
Delphi is a junior oil and natural gas production company.
Bashir Virji has been named chief financial officer of Calgary-based Genesis Land Development Corp. He replaces Reiley Watterston, who is retiring.
Virji has more than 20 years of financial and administration experience.
Aquest Explorations Ltd. (AQZ-TSXV) has put Nancy Dundas in the controller’s chair.
Dundas has 23 years of oil and gas industry experience including senior roles at Cabre Exploration Ltd., Ascot Energy Resources Ltd. and Rider Resources Inc. Most recently, she provided accounting services on a consulting basis to various oil and gas companies.
Aquest is a Calgary-based energy company.
Thomas Boudakian has joined Aurado Energy Inc. as chief financial officer.
Boudakian was previously senior vice- president in charge of international activities for Jefferies & Co., a major U.S.-based investment banking firm. He has more than 25 years of experience in raising capital for public firms.
Celtic Minerals Ltd. (CME-TSXV) has named John Steele as president.
Steele has more than 35 years of international mining exploration experience, including roles as head of corporate finance (Asia) for Yorkton Securities and as a director of London-based Griffin Mining and Australia-based Westgold Incorporated. He was also acting exploration manager for the Atomic Energy Association of Iran.
As well, Steele served as president of the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada from 2000 to 2002.
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