Governance
Our vision to Do Midstream Differently requires 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 - Six 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 acknowledgement 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:
- Health, safety, sustainability and environment
- Audit
- 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.
- Brad Munro - Lead Director
- Dan Steinke - Director
- Deanna Zumwalt - Director
- Kevin Nugent - Director
- Marion Burnyeat - Director
- Rene Amirault - Chairman, President, Chief Executive Officer and Director
- Richard Wise - Director
- Shaun Paterson - Director
Brad Munro - Lead Director
Brad Munro was elected as a director of the Corporation on April 23, 2009 and appointed as lead director on April 27, 2020. Mr. Munro is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Bittercreek Capital Corporation, a private investment and advisory firm. Through Bittercreek Capital Corporation, Mr. Munro was a contractor to GrowthWorks Capital WV Ltd. and its affiliates in the role of Vice President, Investments from May 2006 to August 2009. Prior thereto, Mr. Munro was an employee of Working Ventures Investment Services Inc. and its affiliates since September 1991.
Mr. Munro holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Saskatchewan and has extensive experience in corporate finance and investment in the oil and natural gas and other industries. Mr. Munro served as a director of Tervita Corporation (formerly CCS Income Trust) (or its predecessors) for eight years and was the lead director of the independent committee on the privatization of Tervita Corporation. Mr. Munro is currently the Chairman of MustGrow Biologics Corp., an agricultural biotech company listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange.
Dan Steinke - Director
Daniel (Dan) Steinke was appointed to the Board in May 2015. Mr. Steinke was a founding member of SECURE in 2007 and held various senior and executive level positions with the Corporation in sales, marketing, business development and operations up until his retirement on December 31, 2018. His most recent position with the Corporation was Executive Vice President of New Ventures and Government Affairs (September 2017 – December 2018).
Mr. Steinke has over 30 years of experience in the energy industry. Previous to his employment at SECURE, Mr. Steinke consulted at SCF Partners Inc. (later Enermax Services Inc.) from April 2006 to March 2007 and prior thereto held various sales, marketing and business development positions at Canadian Crude Separators Inc. and CCS Income Trust from July 1995 to March 2006.
Deanna Zumwalt - Director
Deanna Zumwalt was elected to the Corporation’s Board of Directors on April 30, 2019. Since 2015, Ms. Zumwalt has been the Chief Financial Officer of Coril Holdings Ltd., a privately-owned company based in Calgary which holds subsidiaries operating in a diverse group of industries. In her role, Ms. Zumwalt is responsible for managing the company’s portfolio of investments, strategic planning, financial reporting, treasury and corporate finance, tax planning, risk management, IT and innovation, internal audit and accounting. Prior to this, Ms. Zumwalt held a variety of senior financial and energy marketing roles of increasing responsibility spanning over a decade at Nexen Energy ULC, ultimately serving as Vice President, Energy Marketing. In this role, Ms. Zumwalt led a commercial team responsible for marketing over a million barrels of oil equivalent per day, including both proprietary and third-party crude oil, natural gas, liquid natural gas and electrical power.
Ms. Zumwalt’s proficiency with multiple marketing strategies, including management of barrels through storage, firm pipeline capacity, rail capacity and open access pipelines, will help guide the continued growth and development of the Corporation's midstream business. Ms. Zumwalt is a Chartered Professional Accountant, Chartered Accountant and holds an Institute of Corporate Directors, Director designation.
Kevin Nugent - Director
Kevin Nugent was elected as a director of the Corporation on September 25, 2007. Mr. Nugent is an independent businessman and corporate director. Between September 2013 and June 2014, Mr. Nugent was Executive Chairman of Hifi Engineering Inc., a private company involved with next-generation fiber optic acoustic monitoring systems.
Mr. Nugent is a Chartered Professional Accountant, Chartered Accountant with over 30 years of experience in the oil and natural gas industry. Mr. Nugent currently serves as a director of Hifi Engineering Inc., VentMeter Technologies Inc., RGL Reservoir Management Inc. Trican Well Service Ltd., Banff Sport Medicine Foundation, and the Pacific Salmon Foundation.
Marion Burnyeat - Director
Marion Burnyeat was elected as a director of the Corporation on April 28, 2020. Ms. Burnyeat has served as a director of Surge Energy Inc., an oil focused exploration company traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (“TSX”), since June 2018. Ms. Burnyeat also serves on the boards for the Calgary Academy and Headwater Learning Group and is an active volunteer for several charitable organizations.
From January 2013 to March 2017, Ms. Burnyeat held the role of Vice President of Field Services at Westcoast Energy Inc., a 100% owned subsidiary of Spectra Energy Corp focused on gas processing transmission and distribution in Canada. Prior thereto, she held various other senior positions with Westcoast Energy Inc., including leading midstream business units, strategic development, stakeholder relations and business development. Following her retirement from Westcoast Energy Inc., Ms. Burnyeat consulted on mergers and acquisitions with Inter Pipeline from March 2018 to June 2018.
Ms. Burnyeat holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Alberta, a Master of Business Administration from Edinburgh University, and an Institute of Corporate Directors, Director designation.
Rene Amirault - Chairman, President, 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. From January 2006 to March 2007 he was an independent businessman.
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 June 1985.
Richard Wise - Director
Richard (Rick) Wise was appointed to the Corporation’s Board of Directors on February 26, 2019. From June 2009 to December 2018, Rick held various senior executive level positions with Gibson Energy Inc. (“Gibson”), a Canadian-based oil infrastructure company focused on the storage, optimization, processing and gathering of crude oil and refined products. Mr. Wise’s positions included Chief Operating Officer from January 2013 to November 2017 and Chief Commercial Officer (interim) from December 2017 to June 2018. Most recently, Mr. Wise was the strategic advisor to the Chief Executive Officer. From 2003 to 2009, Mr. Wise held the position of Vice President, Engineering, Regulatory & Midstream Development with CCS Corporation. In total, Rick possesses over 34 years of diversified upstream & midstream experience in leadership, technical and commercial roles.
He obtained his Bachelor of Science Chemical & Petroleum Engineering from the University of Calgary and has completed the Queens Executive Program and the Institute of Corporate Directors, Directors Education Program. Mr. Wise currently serves as a Director and member of the Governance Committee & Nomination Committee for the Canadian Mental Health Association, Calgary.
Shaun Paterson - Director
Shaun Paterson was elected as a director of the Corporation on May 9, 2013. Shaun Paterson is the former Vice President, Marketing of Baytex Energy Corp. and served in this capacity from 2006 to 2011 before retiring. Prior to this Mr. Paterson was Vice President, Domestic Crude Oil Marketing at EnCana Corporation from November 2002 to November 2006.
Mr. Paterson holds a Bachelor of Science Mechanical Engineering Degree from the University of Alberta.
