ALBERTA PENSIONS SERVICES CORPORATION - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Member of the APS Board of Directors
Brenda is an experienced financial and pension executive who has focused on many areas throughout her career, including: pension plan investment, pension plan administration, financial accounting and reporting, forecasting and strategic planning, employee benefit programs and risk management. Recently retired, Brenda had spent the majority of her career with Bell MTS, formerly Manitoba Telecom Services (MTS). Brenda had overall responsibility for pension plans with $2.5 billion in assets serving over 10,000 members. She led the creation of both defined benefit and defined contribution pension plans within the organization.
Brenda holds a CPA (CA) designation, and has been involved with the Pension Investment Association of Canada since 2003 where she served on the Board, holding various roles including Chair and Vice-Chair. While at MTS, Brenda was a member of 5 pension committees, chairing 3 of those.
Claudia is a seasoned finance professional and risk management executive with a strong background in risk governance, audit standards, assurance over integrity of financial reporting, and business experience in accounting. She is the Vice President, Risk Management and Chief Internal Auditor for TELUS, leading enterprise risk, internal audit/SOX, ethics, insurance, business continuity and property risk governance functions. Claudia is a member of the Conference Board of Canada Strategic Risk Council Advisory Committee, the TELUS Edmonton Community Board, and has sat on a number of non-profit boards. Claudia holds a CPA (CMA) designation.
Job Titles:
- Member of the APS Board of Directors
- Chairman - Independent Director
- Retired Partner from the National Law Firm of Borden Ladner Gervais LLP
Colin is a retired Partner from the national law firm of Borden Ladner Gervais LLP where he practiced corporate/commercial law, with an emphasis on government relations, competition and foreign investment law. He has advised clients on corporate governance matters and a variety of strategic issues at all levels of government in Canada. Between 1977-1982 Colin also served in several capacities with the Government of Canada, including as Executive Assistant to the Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister of Canada. Colin has a long history of governance experience including: Chair, Canada's Sports Hall of Fame; Chair, Winsport Canada (Canada Olympic Development Corporation); Director, Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation; Director, Terra Energy Corp.; Director, Calgary Airport Authority; Director, Canadian American Business Council ;Governor, St. Francis Xavier University; along with a number of other non-profit boards. Colin is a graduate of St Francis Xavier University (BBA), McMaster University (MA -Economics) and Dalhousie University (LLB) and has earned the ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors.
Darwin joined APS in August 2017 as the President and CEO. He was formerly the Senior Assistant Deputy Minister of Alberta Treasury Board and Finance and has over 25 years working in public service. Prior to this, he held the position of Controller for the Province of Alberta from 2012-2016. Other positions he held include Chief Financial Officer for AIMCo and the City of St. Albert; Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic and Business Services, Alberta Finance; and Auditor for the Office of the Auditor General.
Denise is a former finance executive with Royal Dutch Shell and has extensive experience in finance and business management, including areas of pensions, governance and treasury. She has served on public sector pension Boards including Provident10 (Public Service Pension Plan Corporation, Newfoundland and Labrador), and the Alberta Public Service Pension Plan. In the private sector, Denise was Chair and trustee of the Shell Canada Pension Trust Board and Albian Sands Energy Retirement Plan.
Denise holds a CPA (CMA) designation, a Board Effectiveness Program for Pensions Certificate from the Rotman School of Management, and the ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors. Denise is a Director of the Boards of the Calgary Zoological Society and Calgary Zoo Foundation, and has served on other non-profit boards.
Job Titles:
- Chief Financial Officer
- Vice President, Finance
Doug joined APS in January 2010 with over 10 years of progressive experience in the financial industry. Doug brings international experience and a strong assurance background to APS. Doug is a Chartered Accountant (CA), Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) and has a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) designation.
Job Titles:
- Independent Director
- Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada
Janice is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, a member of the Order of Canada, and a former Saskatchewan Finance Minister. She has a PhD and M.A. from Queen�s University and an Honours B.A. from the University of Western Ontario. She is the author of three books and many articles on public policy issues. She has also served as the Chair of the Board of the Institute for Research on Public Policy, as a board member of the Canada West Foundation and is currently on the advisory board of the Global Affairs Institute.
As a cabinet minister in Saskatchewan, she held various portfolios including Minister of Finance, Minister of Social Services, Minister of Economic Development, and Minister of the Crown Investments Corporation. As Finance Minister she participated in the federal-provincial review and reform of the Canada Pension Plan. From 2010 to 2015 she served as Chair of Canada�s Economic Advisory Council. In 2017 she was appointed to the federal advisory panel on NAFTA and the environment. In 2019 she chaired the Blue-Ribbon Panel on Alberta�s finances.
Janice is on the Board of Governors of the University of Alberta, is an Executive Fellow at the University of Calgary School of Public Policy and is a Senior Fellow and Member of the National Council at the C.D. Howe Institute.
Meryl is a retired Government of Alberta Deputy Minister, having served as Deputy Minister of Municipal Affairs as well as Culture and Tourism. Meryl also has extensive experience in the pension industry, having worked with the Alberta Local Authorities Pension Plan Corporation for 15 years, including five years as President and CEO. She was responsible for the executive leadership of LAPP, Alberta's largest defined benefit pension plan. She was a founding member of the Alberta branch of the Association of Canadian Pension Management and has spoken at national and international pension conferences. Prior to this, Meryl worked in strategic planning and legal positions with the City of Edmonton and in private legal practice.
Meryl holds an MBA, LLB and BA from the University of Alberta, a Pension Plan Administration Certificate from Humber College, a Board Effectiveness Program for Pensions Certificate from the Rotman School of Management, and has completed the Institute of Corporate Directors' Directors Education Program, earning the ICD.D designation. Meryl has served as the Chair of the Municipal Government Board and has also served on the boards of the Boys & Girls Club, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Edmonton & Area, the YWCA of Edmonton and the Calgary 2026 Olympic Bid Corporation.
Richard has over 35 years of business and IT experience from a broad spectrum of industries and expertise in business technology leadership. He is the CEO of Celero Solutions Inc., providing a full spectrum of IT Service and Solutions to the Credit Union system and other financial institutions across Canada. He has previously held senior leadership roles with several publicly traded Canadian companies and provided businesses with strategic IT transformation and cybersecurity consulting services through his own consulting company.
Richard has his ICD.D designation from the Rothman School of Management. He holds an MBA with a major in Information Technology Management from Athabasca University, a BBA from the University of New Brunswick and a technology diploma from the New Brunswick Community College.
Richard was a member of the Board of Directors of Theatre Calgary for five years, where he chaired the HR Committee and Business Development Committee.
Richard and his family reside in Calgary.
Job Titles:
- Vice President, Information Services and Technology & Chief Information Officer
Steven joined APS in June 2014 with more than 30 years of IT industry experience. Steven has an extensive background building high-performing teams, improving processes and automation, and enhancing the user experience via people, process and technology.
Prior to joining APS, Steven held director positions in both the private and public sector and has travelled throughout North America as a highly skilled senior IT consultant, implementing software solutions for several Fortune 500 companies. Steven is both a certified project management professional (PMP) and ITIL certified.
Job Titles:
- Vice President, Human Resources & Organizational Development
Tamara joined APS in March 2011 in the Human Resources department. She brings over 20 years of progressive management experience and has worked in various HR roles since 2005. Tamara has an MBA in Executive Management from Royal Roads University.
Job Titles:
- Vice President, Governance and General Counsel
Tony joined APS in August 2022 as the Vice President, Governance and General Counsel. Tony brings almost 20 years of professional experience as a lawyer in both the private and public sectors to his role, as well as progressive management experience in related roles. Prior to joining APS, Tony was the VP Governance & Privacy and General Counsel of another Alberta Provincial Crown Corporation.
Tony is responsible for the following functions at APS: Board Governance; Plan Board Secretariat; Legal Services; and Privacy.