Movers & Shakers
LATITUDE
UNDER 40 SUPER STARS Robert Prybysh, P.Eng., Brendan McCracken, P.Eng., and Rachael L’Orsa, E.I.T., all made it onto the Avenue lists.
-photo courtesy Arrow Engineering Inc.
-photo courtesy APshutter
strategy that led Encana Corporation to a 30 per cent increase in value. Brendan McCracken, P.Eng. , is only 38, but holds the title of Vice-President and General Manager of the Central Operations Area for Encana. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont., Mr. McCracken completed an MBA at the University of Oxford. He held a variety of Professional Engineering and management positions in Alberta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia before joining Encana full-time in 1998. Mr. McCracken became team lead in Encana’s Fort Nelson and Canadian New Ventures Business Unit. He led the emerging Duvernay shale play and exploitation teams in the Montney and Horn River plays. Avenue Calgary reports that 2013 was the year that Mr. McCracken stepped out of his daily job and into a war room. He had been hand-picked, along with six others from across the company, to work with Encana’s new President. Their goal was to chart a new path for the company. Mr. McCracken’s input led to a restructuring strategy that narrowed the company’s focus to only five assets, among other changes. As a result, Encana’s value increased by 30 per cent. Mr. McCracken has an impressive volunteer history, too. He co-founded NetworkCalgary, a group developed to connect students with Professional Engineers, entrepreneurs and academics to discuss career paths. He is also on the Board of Directors of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, and advises the board on strategy development and government relations. Any time left in Mr. McCracken’s schedule? Of course. An endurance athlete, he competes in the Masters World Cup Cross- Country Skiing Championships and is a podium finisher in the BC Bike Race.
HONOUR SET IN STONE
Through his work with APEGA , he had an impact in Alberta, across Canada and into the U.S. But former APEGA CEO H. Neil Windsor, P.Eng., P.E.(Hon.), FEC, FCAE , has had an impact in his home province of Newfoundland-Labrador, too. To honour one slice of his contribution at home, the City of Mount Pearl recently named a building there after him. In November, the municipal depot became the H. Neil Windsor Municipal Building. Mr. Windsor — APEGA CEO from 1996 to 2012 — was Mount Pearl’s first town engineer, overseeing development of one of the province’s fastest-growing communities. He later represented Mount Pearl in the Newfoundland and Labrador Legislature for 21 years, helping it obtain city status in 1988. He held a number of Cabinet positions, including Finance. The H. Neil Windsor Municipal Building is home to the city’s public works and engineering services divisions. Out West, in the APEGA Calgary office, another important piece of infra- structure bears his name — the Windsor Conference Centre.
STANTEC CEO MAKES POWER 30
To be named one of Edmonton’s Power 30 by the Edmonton Journal , you require a few key traits. You need to be well- connected and well-known in the community. You need to have the ability, influence and vision to get things done. You need to hold a particular set of skills and work ethic that others admire. Robert Gomes, P.Eng. , met all the criteria, and was named number 5 on the list.
60 | PEG SPRING 2015
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