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Suncor Energy Inc. (SU-TSE; SU-NYSE) is making changes at the top. Steve Williams, chief financial officer and executive vice-president of corporate development, will move to Fort McMurray in July 2003 to lead the company’s oilsands operations through its next stage of growth.

Williams, who joined Suncor last year, has 24 years of management experience including roles with Esso and Octel in Great Britain. A search is under way for his successor.

Meanwhile, Mike Ashar, executive vice-president of oilsands for the Calgary-based firm, will move to Denver to lead Suncor’s new U.S. downstream business, Suncor Energy U.S.A. He will oversee the operation of a prospective U.S. refinery, pipeline and retail assets and continue the company’s search for downstream assets south of the border.

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Commercial Solutions Inc. of Edmonton has promoted Keith Thomaser to the post of executive sales manager.

Thomaser has more than three decades of experience in industrial products distribution, including senior roles at the manufacturer, distributor and end-user level.

Commercial Solutions Inc. (CSA-TSXV) is a national distributor of bearing and power transmission supplies, industrial safety products and resource management equipment.

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The Calgary Herald is on the hunt for a new publisher and president.

Dan Gaynor, who joined the CanWest Global Communications company four years ago from the St. Catharine’s Standard, announced last week he was resigning effective April 30.

He replaced former publisher Ken King, who is now president and CEO of the Calgary Flames.

Gaynor said he is seeking new career opportunities in Calgary’s business community. Previously, he held senior roles at newspapers including the Edmonton Journal and Kingston Whig-Standard.

Also last week, the Herald cut loose a handful of other staff in what industry sources say is part of a chain-wide downsizing initiative by the Winnipeg-based CanWest.

The company owns Canada’s second-biggest private TV network and a chain of big-city newspapers including the Journal, Herald and the National Post.

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Don Farnell has stepped down as president of CTI Diversified Holdings.

He will continue as a consultant with the Edmonton-based firm.

Board director John Anderson has assumed the president’s chair until a replacement is found.

As well, Terry Mereniuk has been named the company’s chief financial officer.

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Calgary-based NewNorth Projects Ltd. has named Greg Herndier as president and chief operating officer, effective immediately.

Herndier has spent 12 years as senior vice-president of Urbco Inc, which last year was reorganized into NewNorth Projects (NNP-TSXV) and Northern Property Real Estate Investment Trust (NPR.UN-TSX).

He has been vice-president of acquisitions and business development for the two enterprises since last May. Herndier succeeds B. James Britton, who will continue to work with both companies as chief executive officer.

NewNorth Projects is a construction, land and building development business with operations in the Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Greenland as well as Fort McMurray and Okotoks.

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