Board of Directors
Heather Culbert
Board Chair / President
With over 27 years of experience in the oil and gas sector, Ms. Culbert has held senior positions in the oil and gas sector and was formerly the Senior Vice President of Corporate Services at Enerplus, a mid-sized oil and gas company.
Heather serves as Vice Chair on the Board of Export Development Canada (EDC) and Chairs the HR Committee. She was recently appointed the to the Board of The Fraser Institute. She is a Board member of Whitecap Resources Inc., Chair of the United Way World Leadership Council, a member of the She Leads Economic Council of Alberta and is past Chair of the Alberta Research and Innovation Advisory Council (ARIAC). She recently completed two terms as Chair of the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology.
Heather has been an active volunteer and philanthropist for many years and has co-founded both the Board Ready Women and Axis Connects not-for-profit organizations in Alberta. She is now the Co-Chair of the Calgary Cancer Centre campaign with the goal of raising $250 million. Heather has served as Board Chair of United Way of Calgary and Area, as a trustee of the Alberta Cancer Foundation, as a founder of C5 (Concerned Citizens for the Calgary Cancer Centre), Board Chair of the Alliance to End Violence, and Campaign Chair of the SAIT Promising Futures Campaign (phase II).
Ms. Culbert has been recognized for her leadership and community service and most recently is the recipient of the 2021 Women’s Energy Council Female Executive of the Year Award. In March of 2019, she proudly received the Governor General’s Sovereign Volunteerism Medal to recognize her exemplary philanthropic efforts in Canada. Heather has received numerous other awards and include; the BMO Celebrating Women 2016 Community and Charitable Giving award, a SAIT Honorary Bachelor of Science Degree in 2014, the Doc Seaman Generosity of Spirit Award as an individual philanthropist in 2013, the Alberta Centennial Medal for Community Service in 2005, and in 2003 she was recognized as SAIT’s Distinguished Alumna.
Heather recently completed her ICD.D certification through the Haskayne School of Business ICD program.
Jennifer Koury
Director
Ms. Koury has more than 35 years professional experience including C-suite leadership roles and international experience, with the world’s largest mining Company, BHP Billiton, as well has worked with Enerplus Resources and Exxon Mobil as a senior executive.
Although her core skill is in the Human Resources discipline, she also has extensive business leadership, management and governance experience working with large global organizations as well as mid-size and early-stage companies which has developed her broad range of business acumen skills.
Currently, Ms. Koury sits on the Board of Directors for Crescent Point Energy, chairing their HRC and member of the Governance Committee; Bird Construction in Toronto, serving on the HR and Governance Committee; the Calgary Zoo as Vice-Chair of the Board and one of the Co-Founders of Board Ready Women, a non-profit, Calgary grassroots organization whose sole purpose is to ensure more women serve on Boards. Ms. Koury serves as one of the instructors in Western Canada for the Board Effectiveness and Human Capital Management modules for the Directors Education Program (DEP) for the Canadian Institute of Corporate Directors, Rotman School of Business, Toronto.
From September 2017 to December 2019 Jennifer was the Co-Chair of the first public/private partnership for the UN Women Global Innovation Coalition for Change (GICC), a branch of the United Nations. Based in New York, the GICC consisted of a group of twenty-five global companies and institutions supporting and empowering women and girls in innovation. Ms. Koury was also the past Co-Chair of Women in Mining Canada Board in Toronto.
Ms. Koury holds a Bachelor of Commerce Degree (honors) from the University of Alberta and has her Directors Designation, ICD.D, from The Rotman School of Business, University of Toronto.
Catherine Samuel
Director / Corporate Secretary
Cathy is a partner in the Business Law and Technology Groups of McCarthy Tétrault LLP where she currently leads the national Procurement Group and is Alberta Chair of the Inclusion Now PRIDE Committee. With over 20 years’ experience, Cathy’s practice focuses on complex M&A and commercial transactions, acting for early stage and mid-market companies as well as large Canadian and international clients in the energy, telecommunications, technology, retail, cannabis, financial services and healthcare industries. Cathy is recognized as a Leading Lawyer by Chambers Canada in the area of Corporate/Commercial (Alberta) and by Lexpert in the areas of Corporate Mid-Market, Computer & IT Law and Technology Transactions.
Cathy currently serves on the board of Theatre Calgary, where is she is Chair of the HR Committee and a member of Governance & Nominating Committee. She is also a director of Apollo Endosurgery Canada Ltd. She is the Corporate Secretary for Pulse Seismic Inc. (TSX: PSD) and Baby Gourmet Foods Inc.
Sippy Chhina
Director / Treasurer
Sippy is a Senior Partner in Deloitte’s Calgary Practice who, in addition to her client responsibilities, serves as a member on the Board of Deloitte Canada and is a Vice Chair of the Firm. Sippy’s practice is primarily focused on growth oriented companies in the energy and related services sector. She has extensive industry and professional services experience, deep technical expertise in financial reporting matters and has served as strategic advisor to many of her clients. Her diversified experience coupled with her keen interest in business and a commitment to success of her clients enables her to bring value added insights to her clients.
She has a track record of leadership excellence, a proactive, “straight talk” communication style and an exceptional ability to act as an advisor to senior executives and directors.
In her role as a Senior Partner in Deloitte’s Calgary office and as Vice Chair, Western Canada Deloitte Private and mid-market, Sippy works closely with senior executives and Boards of Deloitte clients on a variety of assurance and advisory matters with a razor focus on their success. She strives to ensure that the breadth and strength of Global Deloitte is brought to the table in our local client service delivery model so as to bring new ideas, insights and best practices to local businesses. She also undertakes client service and market assessments with a view to develop intelligence, refine training and identify continuous process improvements.
