Passionate About Canadian Energy

Extreme cold, heavy rainfall and heavy equipment take a real toll on the vast network of roads that lead to our facilities in northeast British Columbia. Keeping these unpaved roads free of axel-breaking potholes and snow is a year-round activity.

As part of an ongoing effort to support local First Nation businesses, PETRONAS has signed road maintenance agreements with two First Nation businesses, with the second one happening in late 2019 with Tall Ten Resources Ltd. By providing road maintenance work guarantees, these companies are able to borrow the capital needed to buy a grader.

The idea for this kind of agreement came from our Road Maintenance team. It creates steady, year-round work that’s critical to the safety of our operators, who travel thousands of kilometres across our operations each year. Another advantage, is that this network of roads is divided into areas that create natural boundaries, which means we can more easily have multiple companies doing our road maintenance work.

October, 2019: Celebrating Tall Ten’s new grader, from left: Jennifer Roe from PETRONAS; Ron Apsassin, Jason Steiner, and Guy Sabourin from Tall Ten; and Liz Hannah, Nicole Deyell, Del James, Lloyd Hayden also from PETRONAS.

August, 2018: Celebrating Top Notch Oilfield Contracting Ltd.’s new grader, from left: PETRONAS' Jennifer Roe; owners of Top Notch, Boomer Desjarlais & Judy Desjarlais; and PETRONAS' Lloyd Hayden. Top Notch’s experience working with us has paved the way for them to successfully pick up additional road maintenance work with other companies in the area.

Nothing quite beats the feeling of seeing young people connect with and learn valuable life lessons from their idols.

In 2018 we began a five-year commitment to provide mentorship opportunities to almost 500 students in Fort St. John and the surrounding area when we partnered with Classroom Champions, an international organization that connects world-class athletes with classrooms of students eager to learn through interactive activities led by inspiring role models. The athlete mentors inspire students in various grades and schools through monthly video lessons, live video chats and in-class visits, and help build skills in perseverance, effective goal setting, and positive leadership and in embracing diversity. We have grown our participation over the past two years from five classes to 15 in Fort St. John and an additional two classes in Hudson’s Hope.

Building on the success of the Classroom Champions program, we are thrilled to sponsor an entire school in Fort St. John and start our support of the program in Hudson’s Hope in the 2019-2020 school year. We are especially pleased to continue our association with athlete mentors Alysia Rissling and Mirela Rahneva.

Contributing to the communities where we live and work is an important part of giving back at PETRONAS Canada. Our staff members have a strong volunteer spirit, getting involved in a variety of ways from delivering hampers to First Nation elders, to serving supper to seniors in Fort St. John, picking up garbage, judging science fair submissions, and even planting vegetables

Melanie Vogel and her canine companion, Malo, on their trek across Canada.

Photo courtesy of Melanie Vogel

When some of our operators spotted Melanie Vogel’s temporary camp near one of our work sites in early December, they stopped by to check on her to ensure she was okay given the plummeting temperatures.

The avid hiker from Germany took up their offer of food and shelter at one of our nearby camps. While Melanie and her dog, Malo, rested up and waited out the worst of the weather, our staff repaired a wheel on Melanie’s wagon, provided her with glove warmers and a tire patch kit for her wagon in case of further tire trouble, and new dog boots for Malo.

You may have heard of Melanie and Malo – they’ve been walking across Canada along the Great Trail (formerly known as the Trans Canada Trail) since June of 2017. We wish them both all the very best in their trek as well as successful arrivals in Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories and Victoria, BC, which mark the destination points of her ocean to ocean to ocean adventure that began in Cape Speare, Newfoundland. The Great Trail runs about 24,000 kilometres across Canada’s 13 provinces and territories.

Since 2017, we have partnered with the Haskayne School of Business at the University of Calgary to host the annual PETRONAS International Energy Speaker Series, where world-renowned energy experts are invited to discuss key issues facing the global energy landscape. “This partnership is a great fit for us,” says Mark Fitzgerald, CEO of PETRONAS Canada. “We’re a company that values diversity of thought and believes it makes a business stronger. We’re thrilled at the caliber of speakers we’ve been able to attract. They truly are world class.”

Hosted as a luncheon, the event attracts approximately 600 business leaders from the Calgary community and includes MBA students from the Haskayne School of Business.

NOVEMBER 26, 2019: MARIA VAN DER HOEVEN

Retired Dutch politician and former Executive Director of the International Energy Agency, Maria van der Hoeven, spoke to a sell-out crowd. She has repeatedly emphasized the close link between climate and energy policy and has initiated discussions between policy makers and industry representatives on the impact of climate change on energy security. Maria gave a thought-provoking presentation on the current state of global natural gas markets and the future of Canada’s LNG on the world stage.

NOVEMBER 6, 2018: HARRY TCHILINGUIRIAN

Harry Tchilinguirian, Global Head of Commodity Markets Strategy and Senior Oil Market Strategist at BNP Paribas, one of the world’s largest banks, spoke as a recognized authority on the state of oil and energy commodity markets and a frequent commentator on Bloomberg and CNBC. Harry provided his assessment of geopolitical climates and international markets, where they are now and where they’re headed.

OCTOBER 5, 2017: ERNEST MONIZ

The first year of the series featured inaugural speaker Ernest Moniz, former U.S. President Barack Obama’s Secretary of Energy. Ernest provided a provocative and thoughtful look at energy security, climate change and the need for innovation in the energy industry.

In the fall of 2019, Mike Culbert, PETRONAS Canada’s Vice Chairman of the Board, received the Distinguished Business Leader Award from the University of Calgary’s Haskayne School of Business and the Calgary Chamber of Commerce for his 35 years of ethical leadership. The award recognizes individuals for their outstanding personal and professional achievements, commitment to the community and business acumen.

For us, Mike’s most notable accomplishment in his long and distinguished career is his role as one of three founding partners of Progress Energy, our predecessor company, and his long-term leadership from 2004 to 2016 as President & CEO of our company. Congratulations, Mike!

• More information on Mike’s career and personal story can be found here.

Michael was appointed Vice Chairman of PETRONAS Canada in November 2016 and will continue to serve on the Board of Directors in a non-executive capacity. Previously, he served as President and CEO of PETRONAS Canada, providing leadership since 2001 from PETRONAS Canada’s recapitalization and growth period through to the PETRONAS acquisition and integration, and subsequent development of Pacific NorthWest LNG integrated project. Michael Culbert has more than thirty years of diverse experience in the oil and gas industry, holding managerial and executive positions with a number of energy companies, including PETRONAS Canada, Pacific NorthWest LNG, Encal Energy and Home Oil. In addition, Michael currently serves on the Board of Directors of Enerplus Corporation. Until November 2016, Michael was a member of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers’ Board of Governors.

Don is an independent Calgary businessman who also serves as the Chairman of Cequence Energy Ltd., and Panorama Mountain Village Inc. Previously, Mr. Archibald held a variety of senior roles with Cyries Energy Ltd., including Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and was the President and Chief Executive Officer of both Cequel Energy Ltd. and Cypress Energy Inc. Mr. Archibald has extensive knowledge and experience as a leader in the public oil and gas industry and financial services. Mr. Archibald also serves on the Board of Directors of Serafina Energy Ltd., Spartan Energy Corp., Chinook Energy Inc., Sea NG Corp., WinSport and Palisade Capital Corp. Mr. Archibald holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Western Ontario and a Bachelor of Commerce degree (with distinction) from the University of Alberta.

Shamsul is the Head, Finance & Risk in Upstream PETRONAS. Having served PETRONAS for more than 20 years, he has been involved in various acquisitions, farming, financing and capital restructuring arrangements. Shamsul has held various positions in PETRONAS including International Operations in Sudan and Iraq. Shamsul holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration majoring in Finance & International Business from University of Malaya and Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting and Financial Analysis from University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne in the United Kingdom. He is also fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), member of the Malaysian Institute of Accountants (MIA) and the Malaysian Institute of Certified Public Accountants (MICPA).

Mark is President and CEO of PETRONAS Canada. Previously, he held the role of Senior Vice President, Production & Development at the company. He has more than 27 years of experience in the oil and gas industry, and has held senior executive roles in production, development, operations, strategy and corporate development. His background includes time with large, integrated producers across North America as well as the junior oil and gas sector in western Canada. Mark is a founding Board member for Classroom Champions and also sits on the Board for the Edge School Foundation, a unique learning community where students can pursue academic excellence while striving to reach their full athletic potential.

Tn Hj Zakaria Kasah is the Vice President of LNG Assets, Gas & New Energy Business at PETRONAS. With over 30 years of experience with the company, Zakaria Kasah has held many senior leadership positions, including VP of Group Project Delivery, VP of Technology & Engineering and VP/CEO of Malaysia LNG. He is currently the chairman of various boards in several of PETRONAS’ subsidiaries, such as Dubai, Australia and Egypt, among others, and is a recognized leader in HSE management. In addition to his expertise in the area of LNG, Zakaria Kasah has served as a board member for the Student Development Advisory Council for University Technology PETRONAS. He holds a BSc in Mechanical Engineering from George Washington University and has completed the Leadership Management program at Henley Business School in the UK.

Chris is currently Vice-Chairman and Director for ARC Financial Corp. where he provides support for the investment team in the areas of strategy and risk management, as well as investment decision-making. He has over 30 years of operating experience in the Canadian upstream oil and gas industry. Mr. Seasons retired from Devon Canada Corp. in June of 2014 where he served as President for over ten years. Previously, he held a variety of operational and management roles with Shell Canada Ltd. and Stampeder Exploration. Mr. Seasons also serves on the Board of Directors of Longshore Resources Ltd., ARC Financial Corp., Serafina Energy Ltd., Boulder Energy, Matrix Solutions Inc., Steelhead Petroleum and the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation and was previously the Chairman of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers and director of the United Way of Calgary and Area. Mr. Seasons has a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from Queen’s University and is a member of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta.

Mohd Jukris Abdul Wahab is Vice President, International Assets of Upstream at PETRONAS and sits on several Boards of PETRONAS subsidiaries. He joined the company in 1990 as a Reservoir Engineer and was involved in the development of several offshore oil and gas fields in Malaysia. He has held various senior technical, operational and leadership positions internationally, including Senior Manager of Strategic Planning for PETRONAS’ Petroleum Management Unit (PMU), Executive Assistant to the President and Chairman of PETRONAS Sudan. Most recently, he served as Vice President, Malaysia Assets of Upstream. En Jukris holds a BSc in Petroleum Engineering from Texas Tech University.

Adif Zulkifli is the Executive Vice President & CEO of PETRONAS’ Upstream Business. Leading up to his appointment, he was the Executive Vice President & CEO of the Gas & New Energy Business, where he was responsible for the company’s Midstream Gas Assets, LNG Marketing and New Energy.

Having joined PETRONAS in 1993 as a reservoir engineer, Adif has worked in various areas in the company including reservoir engineering, strategic planning, business development and petroleum economics. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Petroleum Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines and an MBA from Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University.

He has also previously held the role as the Senior Vice President of Development & Production, Upstream Business overseeing Upstream development projects and operations worldwide. Prior to that, he was the Senior Vice President of Corporate Strategy, responsible for shaping and steering PETRONAS’ long term strategic direction, including leading Mergers & Acquisitions, change management and strategic industry research.

Mark was appointed President and CEO in November 2016. Previously, he held the role of Senior Vice President, Production & Development. He has more than 29 years of experience in the oil and gas industry, and has held senior executive roles in production, development, operations, strategy and corporate development. His background includes time with large, integrated producers across North America as well as the junior oil and gas sector in western Canada. Mark is the Chairman of the Board of Governors at the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) and is on the Board of Directors at the Shock Trauma Air Rescue Service (STARS). He is also a founding Board member for Classroom Champions, and previously sat on the Board for the Edge School Foundation, a unique learning community where students can pursue academic excellence while striving to reach their full athletic potential.

Kevin was appointed Chief Financial Officer in November 2016. Previously, Kevin was Vice President, Finance responsible for PETRONAS Canada’s financial reporting and compliance, financial risk management and treasury functions. Kevin joined PETRONAS Canada in 2002 and held positions of increasing responsibility including Controller and Treasurer and Manager of Financial Reporting. Prior to joining PETRONAS Canada, he held the position of Senior Manager – Audit at KPMG LLP. Kevin has more than 20 years of experience in the Canadian oil and gas industry and public practice.

James was appointed Vice President, Legal and General Counsel in March 2019. He leads the company’s legal, regulatory, environmental and land departments. In this role, he advises PETRONAS Canada and PETRONAS on a wide variety of corporate, commercial and regulatory matters affecting the company’s operations. James joined PETRONAS Canada in June 2013 as the Director of Legal Services and Corporate Secretary. Prior to joining PETRONAS Canada, James worked at Nexen Inc. in progressively senior legal roles in its International and Corporate divisions, and prior to that with a state-owned energy company in the Middle East and a large Canadian law firm. James has over 20 years of experience in the oil and gas industry.

Nicole joined PETRONAS Canada as Vice President, Development & Unconventional Centre of Excellence in September 2017. She leads the exploitation engineering, geoscience, drilling and completions, and mineral land teams. Nicole is accountable for fostering the continuous improvement mindset and best practices required to drive and deliver on the company’s strategy and is responsible for leading the Unconventional Centre of Excellence on behalf of PETRONAS. She is a professional engineer who has held numerous technical and leadership roles in her more than 20 years with BP. Most recently, Nicole was the VP Reservoir Development Regions with accountability for the subsurface work across Canada, Egypt, Algeria, Oman, Indonesia and Australia.

Liz joined PETRONAS Canada as Vice President, External Affairs & Communications in May 2017. She leads the Aboriginal relations, community relations, government relations and communications functions in support of the company’s strategic objectives. Liz came to PETRONAS Canada from Cenovus Energy, where she held a number of increasingly senior roles over a 20-year period with Cenovus and its predecessor companies, Encana and PanCanadian. Most recently, she had the position of Vice President, Communications & Reputation Management, which she held from 2010 to 2017. Her more than 30 years of experience in technical and strategic communications leadership includes eight years as an independent consultant.

Joanne joined PETRONAS Canada as Vice President, Corporate Services in September 2019. She leads the Human Resources, Office Services, Supply Chain, Information Communication Technology and Business Transformation functions with a key focus on processes, systems and integration. She joins PETRONAS Canada from Goldcorp, where she served as Vice President, Supply Chain, and was responsible for supplier management, process development and supplier risks and procurement. She brings over 20 years of experience in Human Resources with a specialty in compensation and has held progressively senior positions at various global organizations in Canada, the US and Europe in a variety of different industries. Joanne has served as the co-Chair of Mining for Miracles, an industry charity in support of the B.C. Children’s Hospital, and as a Board Director for the Arts Club Theatre Company of Vancouver. Joanne holds a Bachelor of Arts in Accountancy (Honours) from Glasgow Caledonian University.

Joe Leonard was appointed Vice President, Production in July 2019. In his role, he leads the production engineering, operations and facilities teams. Previous to his current appointment he was CEO of PETRONAS Australia where he oversaw the company’s interest in the Gladstone LNG project. Joe has been with the company for over 10 years and, prior to his overseas assignment, served as Director of Development. He is a professional engineer with over 19 years of experience and is a demonstrated leader in the exploration, development and production of unconventional natural gas resources.

Aziz was appointed Vice President, Strategy & New Ventures in September 2017. Aziz started his career with PETRONAS more than 30 years ago as a mechanical engineer, and has since held several senior roles in a variety of areas of the business: PETRONAS’ Corporate Strategy Unit, responsible for issues management and strategy development; Gas Business Unit, responsible for strategy and Malaysian domestic gas sales; and PETRONAS Gas Berhad, responsible for day-to-day operation and maintenance of its Centralized Utility Facilities. Most recently, Aziz was appointed Head of Strategic Planning and Ventures for PETRONAS Chemicals Group. Prior, he was Chief Executive Officer of Vinyl Chloride Malaysia Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of PETRONAS which later became the Chemicals Group. Aziz holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from The George Washington University.