Governance
SECURE's board is committed to providing thoughtful leadership, compliance with all laws, timely decision making and the highest ethical standards. Our Board of Directors provides this corporate governance on behalf of all shareholders. Our processes, procedures and guidelines support the Board of Directors in conjunction with its legal obligations and mandate from the shareholders to oversee and direct the affairs of SECURE.
Effective Governance includes:
- Independent Board Members - Seven of the eight Board members are independent
- Director Election - Directors are elected on an individual basis and stand for reappointment to the Board each year at the annual general meeting
- Code of Conduct - Every Board member and employee completes SECURE's Code of Conduct training and written acknowledgment of adherence
- Nomination Process - Processes to nominate directors and assess directors on an ongoing basis led by the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee
- Succession Planning - A formal succession planning process is in place for the Board and the executive team led by the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee
- Strategic Direction - The Board participates in an annual strategy session to determine future opportunities and risks for SECURE
Board of Directors
The role of the Board of Directors is to focus on governance and stewardship of the business. Our Board reviews strategy, assigns responsibility, and monitors performance on the objectives of the business to ensure the company continues to be responsive to the ever-changing business environment. Our by-laws and mandates guide SECURE's board of directors and governance.
Board Responsibilities include:
- Adopting a strategic planning process
- Identifying principal risks and ensuring the implementation of appropriate risk management systems
- Approving the Corporation's policies and mandates
- Ensuring that appropriate processes, controls and systems are in place for the management of the business
- Approving annual capital and operating plans and monitoring performance against those plans
- Developing measures for receiving feedback from shareholders and other stakeholders on the business
Board of Directors Highlights
Committees:
- Environment, Social and Governance
- Audit
- Human Resources and Compensation
- Corporate Governance and Nominating
Our board has a broad, diverse background. The experience and skills each director brings enables them to effectively carry out its mandate as a board. The Corporation's directors, officers, employees and consultants are expected to deal fairly with the Corporation's security holders, customers, suppliers and competitors.
- Rene Amirault - Chief Executive Officer and Director
- Grant Billing - Chairman
- Mark Bly - Director
- Michael Colodner - Director
- Brad Munro - Director
- Kevin Nugent - Director
- Susan Riddell Rose - Director
- Jay Thornton - Director
- Deanna Zumwalt - Director
Rene Amirault - Chief Executive Officer and Director
Rene Amirault was appointed as the President and Chief Executive Officer of SECURE in March 2007 and was elected a director and appointed as Chairman of the Board on June 1, 2007 and served as Chairman until July 2, 2021. From January 2006 to March 2007, he was an independent businessperson. Mr. Amirault held various roles at Canadian Crude Separators Inc. and CCS Income Trust from August 1994 to January 2006, including Vice President roles in Sales and Marketing, Business Development and Corporate Development. Mr. Amirault held various positions with Imperial Oil Ltd. from 1981 to 1994. Mr. Amirault received a Certified General Accountant designation in 1984.
Grant Billing - Chairman of the Board
Grant Billing was appointed Chairman of the Board on July 2, 2021 in connection with the Transaction. He previously served as Chairman of Tervita since December 2016. From March 2017 until July 2017, Mr. Billing acted as Tervita’s Interim Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Billing served as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Superior Plus Corp. between July 2006 and November 2011 and Executive Chairman between 1998 and 2006. Mr. Billing was Chairman of the board of directors of Superior Plus Corp. until December 31, 2014. Mr. Billing is also currently a corporate director of Badger Infrastructure Solutions Ltd. and MEG Energy Corp. In addition, Mr. Billing has served as Chairman and director of several public companies and as a governor and Chair of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers.
Mark Bly – Director
Mark Bly was appointed to the Board of SECURE on March 2, 2022. He currently serves as Chairman of Baytex Energy Corp. and as a director of Vista Oil & Gas. Mr. Bly is an independent businessman with over 35 years of experience in the oil and gas industry, primarily with BP, a global integrated energy company. Mr. Bly led several key E&P units for BP in Alaska, the North Sea and in North America. Subsequently he was a member of the E&P Executive Group, overseeing an international portfolio. In his final role as Executive Vice President, Safety and Operations Risk, he led the transformational program to drive operational excellence and risk management across all of BP's global activities. Mr. Bly holds a Master of Science degree in structural engineering from the University of California, Berkeley and a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from the University of California, Davis.
Michael Colodner - Director
Michael Colodner was appointed a director of SECURE on July 2, 2021 in connection with the Transaction. He previously served as a director of Tervita since July 2018. Mr. Colodner is the Managing Director of Solus Alternative Asset Management LP ("Solus"), a privately held hedge fund sponsor. He joined Solus, formerly known as Stanfield Capital Partners, at its inception in July 2007, and has been a member of the hedge fund investment team since he joined Stanfield Capital Partners as an analyst covering the Utilities and Industrials sectors in March 2007. Prior to joining Stanfield, he was a senior analyst in the Power and Utilities Investment Banking Group at Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. since 2005. Mr. Colodner began his career at Legg Mason Wood Walker Incorporated in 2004, in the Strategic Advisory Investment Banking Group, specializing in Mergers and Acquisitions. He graduated summa cum laude with a B.Sc. in Finance from the University of Maryland in 2004.
Brad Munro - Director
Brad Munro was elected as a director of the Corporation on April 23, 2009 and served as lead director from April 28, 2020 to July 2, 2021. Mr. Munro is an independent businessperson and President and Chief Executive Officer since 2006 of Bittercreek Capital Corporation, a private investment firm. From 1991 to 2009, Mr. Munro served in senior investment roles in the private equity/venture capital industry in Canada. Mr. Munro holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Saskatchewan and has 30 years of experience in investment, board and executive management in oil and natural gas and other industries. Mr. Munro served as a director of Tervita (or its predecessors) for eight years and was the lead director of the independent committee on the privatization of Tervita. Mr. Munro is currently Chairman of MustGrow Biologics Corp., an agricultural biotech company listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange.
Kevin Nugent - Director
Kevin Nugent was elected as a director of the Corporation on September 25, 2007. Mr. Nugent is an independent businessperson and corporate director. Mr. Nugent is a Chartered Professional Accountant, Chartered Accountant with over 35 years of experience in the oil and natural gas industry. Mr. Nugent currently serves as a director of Shawcor Ltd., Hifi Engineering Inc., Variperm Holdings Inc., RGL Reservoir Management Inc., 8Sigma Energy Services Inc., Banff Sport Medicine Foundation, and the Pacific Salmon Foundation.
Susan Riddell Rose - Director
Susan Riddell Rose was appointed a director of SECURE on July 2, 2021 in connection with the Transaction. She was previously a director of Tervita beginning July 2018 following merger of Tervita with Newalta Corporation, and served on the Newalta Corporation board of directors prior thereto since May 2009. Ms. Riddell Rose is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Perpetual Energy Inc. and Rubellite Energy Inc. Prior thereto she was a Corporate Operating Officer for Paramount Resources Ltd. Ms. Riddell Rose graduated from Queen’s University at Kingston, Ontario in 1986 with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Geological Engineering. She is a member of the Association of Professional Engineers, Geologists and Geophysicists of Alberta, the Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists and the American Association of Petroleum Geologists and serves as a governor for the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers.
Jay Thornton - Director
Jay Thornton was appointed a director of SECURE on July 2, 2021 in connection with the Transaction. He was previously a director of Tervita beginning December 2016. Mr. Thornton has over 30 years of oil and gas experience. He has held various operating and corporate executive positions with Shell Canada Limited and Suncor Energy Inc. Mr. Thornton formerly held a director position with the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers. Mr. Thornton has held several directorships in various public and private companies over the recent past. Mr. Thornton is a graduate of McMaster University with an Honours degree in Economics and has completed the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD) Education Program.
Deanna Zumwalt - Director
Deanna Zumwalt was elected as a director of the Corporation in April 2019. Ms. Zumwalt is President and CEO of Coril Holdings Ltd., a privately-owned company based in Calgary, which holds subsidiaries and investments globally in railway maintenance and service, real estate ownership, investment and advisory services, oil and gas pipelines as well as personal health and wellness services. Prior to her current role, she held the position of CFO as well as President and CFO from 2015 to 2020. Prior thereto, Ms. Zumwalt held a variety of senior financial and energy marketing roles at Nexen Energy ULC, including Vice President, Energy Marketing from 2013 to 2015, Vice President, North American Crude Oil Marketing from 2010 to 2013, Vice President, North American Natural Gas & Power from 2009 to 2010, and Vice President, Finance-Marketing from 2004 to 2009. Deanna is a Chartered Professional Accountant, Chartered Accountant and holds an Institute of Corporate Directors, Director designation.