What Makes a Valued and Effective Board Member? – Insights from For-Profit, Non-Profit, and Crown Boards
April 7, 2025
Our Fireside Chat Features:
Angela Fong
Board Director, Export Development Canada, Edmonton International Airport, University of Alberta Innovation Fund, Gateway Mechanical, Inline Group Inc & Bee-Clean Corp.
Tracey Scarlett
Board Director, Business Development Bank of Canada, Alberta Enterprise Corporation & Sawridge Group Holdings
Kristina Williams
President & CEO, Alberta Enterprise Corp.
Board Director, North American Construction Group
New Economy Advisory Committee, Alberta Securities Commission
Vice Chair, Northern Alberta Institute of Technology
Moderated by:
Heather Barnhouse
Partner, Dentons Canada LLP
With the generous support of the Government of Alberta, we are thrilled to host another series of the Board Ready Women Edmonton sessions.
Please join us for our next Board Ready Women Edmonton event on April 7th from 4:00 to 7:00 pm (MT). We will be hosting this session in person and virtually. In-person registration starts at 4:00 pm, with the panel starting at 4:30 pm, followed by cocktails and networking. Virtual networking rooms will also be available after the panel discussion.
Hear it from three experienced Board members—Angela Fong, Tracy Scarlett, and Kristina Williams—moderated by Heather Barnhouse, as they dive into What Makes a Valued and Effective Board Member? – Insights from For-Profit, Non-Profit, and Crown Boards. Gain actionable advice and practical perspectives valuable to Board members across all sectors—Non-Profit, Crown, Public, and Private.
BRW Network Members/Associates:
Free
Non-members:
In-person $50/person
Virtual $30/person
(All ticket sales are final and cannot be refunded or exchanged)
To sign-up for Board Ready Women Network membership:
https://boardreadywomen.com/sign-up-for-board-ready-women/
Should you have any questions, please direct them to boardreadywomen@gmail.com.
Thank you to the Government of Alberta for its support of our efforts!
Speakers' Bios:
Kristina Williams, LL.M., MBA, ICD.D
President & CEO, Alberta Enterprise Corp.
Board Director, North American Construction Group
New Economy Advisory Committee, Alberta Securities Commission
Vice Chair, Northern Alberta Institute of Technology
Alberta Enterprise (AEC) promotes the development of Alberta’s venture capital industry by investing in VC funds that finance technology companies. At AEC Kristina has led several of the corporation’s investments, attracting venture capital from key technology hubs in the US and Canada. In 2014 she was named the President and CEO of AEC, and she now oversees the management of the Alberta Enterprise Fund and its 34 active venture capital fund investments and more than 800 underlying technology companies. Kristina also oversees AEC’s industry development activities, creating access to external markets and mentors for Canadian entrepreneurs.
Prior to joining AEC, Kristina worked for several technology companies where her responsibilities spanned the spectrum of legal, regulatory, international and new business development, corporate strategic planning, intellectual property management, as well as marketing and sales. She is Vice Chair of the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) Board of Governors and she is on the North American Construction Group (NYSE/TSX: NOA) Board of Directors. She also serves on the Alberta Securities Commission New Economy Advisory Committee. Kristina was the Honorary Consul for Sweden in Northern Alberta for 17 years.
Kristina holds an MBA from the University of Alberta, a Master of Laws from Uppsala University in Sweden, an accreditation for the Venture Capital Executive Program from the University of California, Berkeley – Walter A. Haas School of Business, as well as an ICD.D from the ICD-Rotman Director Education Program.
Angela Fong, ICD.D, GCB.D (ESG)
Board Director, Export Development Canada, Edmonton International Airport, University of Alberta Innovation Fund, Gateway Mechanical, Inline Group Inc & Bee-Clean Corp.
Angela is an independent Corporate Director, Business Advisor and retired Chief Corporate Officer at Alberta Investment Management Corporation (AIMCo). Angela currently serves on the boards of Export Development Canada, the Edmonton International Airport, University of Alberta Innovation Fund, Gateway Mechanical (Advisory Board Chair), Inline Group Inc and Bee-Clean Corporate.
Angela is a Senior Strategy Advisor (consulting) to Investor Leadership Network (ILN). ILN was launched at the 2018 G7 and is a CEO-led group of institutional investors, asset owners and asset managers representing over 10 trillion dollars of assets under management.
Following a distinguished 25-year career as an executive in a variety of industries, Angela retired as the Chief Corporate Officer with Alberta Investment Management Corporation (AIMCo) in 2023. AIMCo is one of Canada’s largest institutional investment managers with $160 billion of assets under management. Angela’s executive oversight has included Corporate Strategy & Planning, Corporate Communications & Stakeholder Relations, Government Relations, Corporate & Board Governance, Corporate Human Resources, Business Technology, Acquisition Due Diligence and Integration, Enterprise Risk Management and Enterprise Program Delivery and Business Services.
Prior to joining AIMCo, Angela held executive level positions within a variety of industries including engineering and geomatics, insurance adjusting and airport management.
Tracey Scarlett, MBA, ICD.D
Board Director, Business Development Bank of Canada, Alberta Enterprise Corporation & Sawridge Group Holdings
Tracey Scarlett is an accomplished Board Director with extensive experience in complex, multi-stakeholder governance boards. She currently serves on the boards of Business Development Bank of Canada (Chair HRC), Alberta Enterprise Corporation (Chair, Governance & HR), Sawridge First Nation Trusts (Chair), Sawridge First Nation Group of Companies and The Centre for Innovation Studies. Over the past 20 years, she has held numerous other Crown corporation, non-profit, and private company board and chair roles.
As a CEO and Executive, she has started and scaled innovative and technology-based ventures and built ecosystems and financing programs to support entrepreneurs in growing their businesses. She holds an MBA in Technology Commercialization and a degree in Medical Lab Science from the University of Alberta as well as an ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors.
Tracey is a dedicated mentor, a lifelong learner and an avid traveller who has visited all seven continents.
Heather Barnhouse, KC
Partner, Dentons Canada LLP
Heather Barnhouse, KC is a partner in Dentons Canada’s Corporate group, the Edmonton Co-Leader of the Venture Technology and Emerging Growth Companies group, and the National Co-Leader of the Agribusiness group. Heather is known for her strategic acumen in navigating the complex intersections of technology and corporate/commercial law, making her an invaluable legal partner for businesses at every stage – from inception to exit.
Heather’s experience extends across a wide range of legal services. She drafts, reviews and negotiates a broad range of technology-related and corporate/commercial agreements, assisting clients with all aspects of their business, from organization, structural management, operational, financing, succession and exit transactions (i.e., mergers and acquisitions). She also provides guidance on corporate issues relating to statutory requirements, shareholder and director relations, liability concerns, shareholder and partnership agreements, in addition to addressing disputes related to them.
Her clientele is diverse, ranging from technology startups and health care innovators to oil and gas companies and family-owned businesses. Heather excels in addressing the unique challenges of family-owned businesses, devising innovative solutions for business continuity, ownership transitions and family-related issues. Building on her extensive experience, Heather also brings in-depth knowledge to the franchising sector. She advises franchisors and franchisees across various industries including agribusiness, retail, automotive and industrial, helping them grow and manage their businesses while mitigating risks associated with franchising operations.
In the venture technology sector, Heather is a visionary, guiding clients through scaling initiatives via strategic partnerships and joint ventures. She has worked with many clients that have formed partnerships with First Nations, to explore new markets and operational efficiencies. Her strategic foresight in structuring these partnerships ensure maximum benefit, operational efficiency and thoughtful succession considerations.
A recognized leader in software licensing, implementation support, service level and maintenance agreements, Heather has developed strategic solutions for clients in highly regulated fields including life sciences. She also provides guidance on regulatory compliance, clinical trial agreements and ancillary documents for two of Canada’s largest research-intensive universities. Her focus areas include confidentiality, material transfer, licensing, service, grant, collaboration and consulting agreements.
Experience
- P&R Truck Centre Ltd: Acting for all of its shareholders in respect of a share sale to 2565764 Alberta Ltd.
- MaxCare Lean Group Inc.: Representing the client in its purchase of all of the issued and outstanding shares in the capital of Mannamark Holdings Inc. and of Page Cleaning Systems Ltd.
- Confidential Client: Acting as lead counsel on the sale of all shares of an insurance brokerage, to a private equity controlled firm (2023).
- Daam Galvanizing: Acting as lead counsel on the sale of 100% of the shares to a US publicly traded company (2022).
- Bitcoin Well Inc.: Acting as lead counsel in multiple global transactions culminating in a reverse takeover transaction to be listed on the TSX-V, as the first Bitcoin ATM company to become publicly traded (2021).
- Alpha Translations: Assisted the vendor in the sale of shares of Alpha Translations Inc. to RWS, a publicly traded company in the UK (2019).
- Navacord Inc.: Acting as lead counsel to Navacord Inc., a leading Canadian insurance brokerage, to complete a complex reorganization in preparation for its leveraged recapitalization led by existing management shareholders and Madison Dearborn Partners, a leading private equity firm based in Chicago (2018).
- Confidential Client: Acting as lead counsel to a highly innovative global company that has incorporated a technology platform into existing service delivery model, providing specialized services to children and families with disabilities. This company and its founder have been recognized for outstanding innovation, disruption and social entrepreneurship on a global scale (2016 to present).
- Confidential Client: Providing advice and direction in respect of the sale of 75% of the equity in a car dealership, together with the sale of the land and building on which the dealership operated, with a transaction closing date of May 1, 2016. Prior to completing the sale, a significant reorganization of the company was done to realize tax savings upon the conclusion of the transactions.
- Rexall Health: Advising on the sale of a large portion of its independent banner and franchise business to McKesson Corporation.
- Matrikon Inc.: Advising on its US$139 million acquisition by Honeywell International Inc.
- Valens Pharma Ltd.: Acting as counsel during its acquisition by Oncolytics Biotech Inc. by way of plan of arrangement for a purchase price valued at CA$2.35 million in Oncolytic Biotech Inc. shares.
- Afexa Life Sciences Inc. (maker of COLD-FX): Advising on the hostile takeover bid made by Paladin Labs Inc. and the friendly takeover bid by a subsidiary of Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc.
- Oilfield equipment manufacturer: Representing a major Edmonton-based manufacturer and distributor of oilfield equipment involving import, export, manufacturing and financial matters in China, the US and Canada.
Recognition
- The Best Lawyers in Canada: Technology Law
- Recognized by the Lexpert Guide to the Leading US/Canada Cross-Border Corporate Lawyers in Canada
- The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory: Technology Transactions
- Recognized by Lexpert as a “Rising Star: Leading Lawyer Under 40,” 2016
Honors and Awards
- Awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal (2023)
- Named Tomorrow’s Leader 2014 by Women in Law Leadership (WILL)
In the Media
- Quoted in “When Succession Planning Meets Nepotism: Will Your Company Survive?” Business in Edmonton Magazine, Spring 2018
- Filmed in “Lexpert Rising Stars 2016,” Lexpert, November 28, 2016
Insights
- “Doing Business Abroad,” Oilfield PULSE, Vol.5 n.7, June 2016
- “Successful Innovation – A Disciplined Approach,” prepared for the Women in Leadership Conference, Career Women Interaction, October 22, 2013
Activities and Affiliations
- ICD.D Designation with Institute of Corporate Directors
- FEA Designation with Family Enterprise Canada (in progress summer 2023)
- Member, Law Society of Alberta
- Member, New York Bar Association
- Certified Clinical Research Contract Professional
- King’s Counsel Designation
Latest Podcast Episodes
Dentons Agribusiness Podcast Series: This podcast series looks at a key pillar to the Canada’s economic system, the agriculture and agri-food sector. From farming to distribution, advancements in ag-tech, food producers and manufacturers, this podcast series will exam the vast ecosystem that encompasses everything agriculture. Listen here.
Women in Leadership and Entrepreneurship: In every episode of this podcast series, Heather Barnhouse is joined by inspiring women leaders and entrepreneurs. Together, they explore the ecosystem in which these women evolve. Listen here.
Community Involvement and Pro Bono
- Board Member, Tickit Health Ltd., 2020 – present
- Past Chair of Inaugural Governance Committee and Trustee of the Board of Trustee of AIP Realty Trust, 2022 – 2023
- Past Chair of Inaugural Governance Committee and Board Member of Alberta Indigenous Opportunities Corporation, 2019 – 2021
- Corporate Secretary for Bitcoin Well Inc., 2021 – 2022
- Past-President and Corporate Secretary, Lifesaving Society of Canada, 2016 – 2019
- Legal Advisor, Lifesaving Society of Canada, Alberta and NWT branch, 2004 – present
- Instructor, Commercial Transactions, 2015 – 2016
- Director of World Triathlon Series Edmonton, 2014 – 2018
- Instructor for LESA’s CPLED Bar Admission Program, 2012 – 2021
- Drafting “Legally Speaking” articles for Lifesaving Society publications, advising on legal matters relating to aquatic facility management and lifeguards
Presentations
- Presenter, “Bridging the Gap Farm Transition Workshop,” Grand Prairie, Alberta, March 2024
- Presenter, “Bridging the Gap Farm Transition Workshop,” Lethbridge, Alberta, February 2024
- Panelist, “Board Ready Women” Compensation Accountability: The Board’s Role in Executive Compensation, June 2023
- Panelist on Trustee Act Changes in Alberta, Spring 2023
- Panelist, “Intellectual Property Provisions in Clinical Trial Agreements,” MAGI conference, San Diego, October 2018
- Panelist, “Common Deal Challenges & How to Address and Avoid Them,” Business Transitions Forum, May 2018
- Presenter, “Tips/Traps and Drafting Points for Business Agreements,” PPI Solutions, February 2018
- Presenter, “Licensing Tips/Traps,” Mawji Centre for Innovation, January 2018
- Presenter, “Protecting Your Business,” ATB Entrepreneur Centre, October 2017
- Presenter, “Into the Abyss,” (Indemnity, Insurance, Subject Injury clauses in clinical trial agreements), MAGI conference, Las Vegas, October 2017
- Presenter, “USAs – Helping you see clearly the Business Relationship you want with your Partners,” the Society of Optometrists, April/May 2017
- Presenter, “Women and Money,” February/November 2017
- Presenter, “Corporate Succession Planning,” July 2016
- Presenter, “Unanimous Shareholder Agreements,” at Startup Edmonton, June 2016
- Presenter, “Engineering Your Business for Success,” presented to APEGA, June and July 2016
- Presenter, “Export Readiness Tradeshow,” June 2016
- Presenter, Leadership Forum, Edmonton, Alberta, February 2016
- Presenter, Leadership Series: Learn from Alberta’s Best, Edmonton, Alberta, February 2015
- Presenter, 2014 Leadership Summit, May 2014
- Presenter, “Innovation and Risk Taking – A Disciplined Approach,” Women in Leadership Conference, Career Women Interaction, October 2013
- Presenter, “Kick Starting Business Relationships: Starting on the Right Foot While Protecting Your Business,” presented to TEC Edmonton, May 2013
- Presenter, “Letters of Intent,” presented at Canadian Bar Association’s Alberta Law Conference, February 2013
- Presenter, “Entrepreneurship: Legal Presentation,” presented to Grant MacEwan University Business Management, Winter 2012
- Presenter, “Securities for Private Companies,” FMC Breakfast for the Mind Series, Winter 2011
- Presenter, “IP & Privacy Issues,” FMC Breakfast for the Mind Series, Winter 2011
- Presenter, “Advanced Mergers & Acquisitions,” FMC Breakfast for the Mind Series, Winter 2011
