FORTISALBERTA - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Chief Financial Officer
- Member of the Senior Management Team
- Vice President, Finance
Mr. Henderson has more than 18 years of utility industry experience, including 15 years of various financial leadership roles at FortisBC. In his prior role as Director, Finance and Accounting at FortisBC, he was responsible for all matters related to financial reporting and accounting and was a key participant in various regulatory filings and proceedings over the years. Mr. Henderson holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from University of Manitoba. He received his Chartered Accountant Designation in 2000 and is a member of the Institute of Chartered Professional Accountants of British Columbia and Manitoba.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Senior Management Team
- Vice President, Operations and Customer Experience
Mr. Aplin brings more than 30 years of experience to his role of Vice President, Operations and Customer Experience. He began his career as a Journeyman Power Line Technician and has since held increasingly senior leadership positions within the company. Prior to his role on the FortisAlberta Executive team, Mr. Aplin served as Director, Field Operations and served in senior leadership roles where he oversaw the company's engineering, procurement and construction functions. In his role as Vice President, Operations, Mr. Aplin is responsible for Field Operations, Health, Safety and Environment, System Operations, Project Delivery and Fleet services. He is a graduate of the Queen's University Executive Leadership program and holds a Master of Business Administration Degree from Queen's University.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Senior Management Team
- Vice President, Engineering
Mr. Eck has over 30 years of engineering experience in the electricity industry, bringing a deep understanding of Alberta's regulatory environment to his role at FortisAlberta. As Vice President, Engineering, Mr. Eck is responsible for the leadership and strategic oversight of the Company's capital expenditure program and engineering functions. Prior to joining FortisAlberta as Director, Engineering, Mr. Eck was Vice President, Customer Care and Operations for Belize Electricity Limited. He holds a Master of Engineering degree from the University of Colorado and is a registered Professional Engineer in Alberta.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Executive Vice President, Operations and Innovation, Fortis Inc.
Mr. Smith has held a number of senior leadership positions with the Fortis Group throughout his 35-year tenure. He was previously Executive Vice President, Eastern Canadian and Caribbean Operations, Fortis Inc.; President and Chief Executive Officer of Newfoundland Power; Vice President of Customer Operations and Engineering of Newfoundland Power; and Vice President of Operations and Engineering of FortisAlberta.
Mr. Smith holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical) from Memorial University of Newfoundland. He has completed the Finance for Senior Executives Program at the Harvard Business School. Mr. Smith currently serves as a Director on the Boards of Newfoundland Power, Maritime Electric, FortisOntario, Caribbean Utilities, FortisTCI, and Belize Electric Company Limited (BECOL), all Fortis utilities. He is also the Chair of the Board of Directors of Wataynikaneyap Power PM, a Fortis subsidiary acting as the Project Manager for the Wataynikaneyap Power Transmission Project, a partnership with 24 First Nations that is building a transmission line to connect 17 First Nations communities in Northwestern Ontario to the power grid.
He is a member of the Board of Directors of Junior Achievement Canada, a Chair of the Canadian Business Hall of Fame Governance Committee, Chair of the Board of Directors of the Dr. H. Bliss Murphy Cancer Care Foundation and also a member of the Dean's Advisory Committee to the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science at Memorial University of Newfoundland.
Mr. Smith is past Chair of the Board of Directors of Junior Achievement of Newfoundland and Labrador and past member of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Electricity Association. He was elected as a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering in 2021. He is a member of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Newfoundland and the Steering Committee on Power Engineering for the Canadian Standards Association.
Job Titles:
- Corporate Director
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Vice Chair of the University of Alberta Board of Governors
Dr. Bridgeman was appointed to the Board of Directors of FortisAlberta in February 2023. Guy brings more than 30 years' experience in Alberta's electricity industry, holding several progressively senior executive roles with EPCOR Utilities Inc. including Chief Financial Officer and head of the Distribution and Transmission, Energy Services and Water Canada business units. Guy served on the Board of Directors of the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO) from 2020 to 2022.
Dr. Bridgeman serves as Vice Chair of the University of Alberta Board of Governors, a member of the University of Alberta Properties Trust Board, Chair of the Rohit Investments Inc. Advisory Board, Vice Chair of the Claystone Wase Ltd. Board, and a member and Chair of the HR and Governance Committee of the Fort Edmonton Management Co. Board. Guy is also active in the Edmonton Chapter of the Institute of Corporate Directors, is a member of the Executive Committee and is on the faculty of the Director Education Program.
Dr. Bridgeman holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Western Ontario and has completed the Harvard Business School's Advanced Management Program. He received his ICD.D designation in 2011.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Senior Management Team
- Vice President, Human Resources and Communications
Ms. Speers brings more than 17 years of leadership experience with FortisAlberta, offering a broad range of experience, business acumen and expertise in the areas of human resources, labour relations, customer service and billing operations. In her role as Vice President, Human Resources and Communications, Ms. Speers is accountable for the effective delivery of FortisAlberta programs that support employees and of the Company's reputation management and brand. She oversees ensuring that our corporate values remain consistent and are top of mind in the development and delivery of authentic employee, customer and community focused programs and practices. Her areas of leadership responsibility include employee and labour relations, talent management, transformational change and internal and external communications.
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Member of the Senior Management Team
- President
Ms. Sullivan brings more than 20 years of leadership and utility industry experience to her role as President and Chief Executive Officer and Corporate Director of FortisAlberta. Prior to this, she held multiple Executive and Director positions with both FortisAlberta and at a Fortis utility Newfoundland Power, guiding those organizations through complex developments in utility regulation and implementing effective financial and operational strategies. Ms. Sullivan serves on the Board of Directors of FortisBC, Electricity Canada Western Energy Institute and CAREERS. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) degree from Memorial University and is a member of the Institutes of Chartered Professional Accountants of Alberta and Newfoundland and Labrador.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- KC - Corporate Director
Ms. Hertz joined the FortisAlberta Board of Directors in February 2023. Joan is an accomplished and experienced corporate director, who currently Chairs both the ATB Financial Board of Directors and the Board of Directors of the Edmonton International Airport. Ms. Hertz maintains a corporate commercial law practice that includes the provision of strategic consulting services and has worked with several kinds of organizations over the past 25 years to help them develop and implement successful governance and strategic planning structures.
Joan holds an ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors where she provides instruction to members on the legal and fiduciary duties of corporate directors. In 2022, Ms. Hertz received an Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) designation from Global Competent Boards. She holds a B.Sc. magna cum laude in International Politics, Law and Organization from the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University and earned her law degree from the University of Alberta.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Senior Management Team
- Vice President, Corporate Services
Mr. Zawada has more than 20 years of electric distribution experience, most recently serving as Director of Operations South. In his role as Vice President, Corporate Services, he is responsible for providing leadership and governance in the cross-company functions of grid infrastructure management, forestry, facilities, sustainability and environmental initiatives, as well as geospatial mapping services, procurement, and supply chain management. Since joining FortisAlberta in 2005, he has held senior management positions in areas across Field Operations, Capital Delivery, Geospatial Services, Grid Modernization, and System Operations. In addition to being a certified Journeyman Power Line Technician, Mr. Zawada is currently furthering his skills by studying for a Master of Business Administration degree at the Smith School of Business, Queen's University.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Executive Vice President and Chief Business Officer, and President of ITC Michigan
- President and CEO of ITC Holdings Corp
- President and Chief Executive Officer, ITC Holdings Corp.
Linda Apsey is President and CEO of ITC Holdings Corp. In this role, she is responsible for the strategic vision and overall business operation of ITC and its subsidiaries. Previously, Mrs. Apsey served as Executive Vice President and Chief Business Unit Officer, leading all aspects of the financial and operational performance of the company.
Mrs. Apsey also has served as Executive Vice President and Chief Business Officer, and President of ITC Michigan, where she was responsible for the company's regulatory, marketing and communications, federal, state and local government affairs, and human resource functions.
Mrs. Apsey was Manager of Transmission Policy and Business Planning for ITC when the organization was a subsidiary of DTE Energy. Prior to that role, she held a variety of positions at Detroit Edison including, Manager, Regulatory Relations, where she was responsible for developing and managing regulatory and communications activities with the Michigan Public Service Commission and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
Mrs. Apsey earned her MBA and Bachelor of Science degree in Public Affairs Management from Michigan State University. She is a member of the Business Roundtable and serves on the boards of ITC Holdings Corp., FortisAlberta, the Edison Energy Institute (EEI), The Detroit Economic Club, The Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce, Business Leaders for Michigan, the Nature Conservancy (Michigan), the Board of Trustees at The Henry Ford, and The Eli Broad College of Business Alumni Board of Directors at Michigan State University. She is a past member of the Department of Energy's Electricity Advisory Committee (EAC), the EAC's Transmission Subcommittee, the Michigan Chamber Board of Directors, and the Board of Trustees for Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital. In addition, she is past chair of The Heat and Warmth Fund (THAW) and past President of the Novi Parks Foundation.
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Corporate Director
- Member of the Board of Directors
Ms. Hale joined the FortisAlberta Board of Directors in April 2016. Ms. Hale brings more than 35 years of experience in finance and operations; recently retiring from Finning International as a Senior Vice-President, Finance. Prior to joining Finning, she held the roles of Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Edmonton Economic Development Corporation and Vice President, Finance for Prairie Mines & Royalty Ltd. Ms. Hale also held numerous senior roles at TELUS.
Ms. Hale currently serves on the boards of the Edmonton International Airport, the University of Alberta and STARS Air Ambulance. She is a member of the International Women's Forum and Financial Executives International and a former Board Director of the United Way of Alberta Capital Region and TEC Edmonton. Ms. Hale is a Fellow of the Chartered Professional Accountants of Alberta and is also a past recipient of the YWCA Women of Distinction business entrepreneur award. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Alberta.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- President of the Sunterra Group of Companies
- President, Sunterra Group of Companies
Mr. Price was appointed to the FortisAlberta Board of Directors in April 2018. Mr. Price is the President of the Sunterra Group of Companies, which includes Sunterra Meats, Sunterra Markets and Sunterra Farms based in Alberta, with operations in Midwest United States. Mr. Price also serves as a Director on the Sunterra Board of Directors, the Canadian Meat Council and the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre. Mr. Price is a past Vice-Chair of the Board of Alberta Innovates - Bio Solutions and was a member of Government of Canada's Council of Science and Technology Advisors. Ray proudly supports his community of Acme in Alberta by volunteering and contributing his time and expertise time to local organizations.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Senior Management Team
- Vice President, Regulatory and Strategic Affairs, General Counsel
Mr. Finn brings more than 15 years of combined legal and regulatory experience, including Regulatory Counsel and Director roles with FortisAlberta. In his prior role as Director of Legal and Regulatory, Corporate Secretary, Mr. Finn worked closely with FortisAlberta's Regulatory Finance and Engineering teams on a variety of significant regulatory matters and supported the Company's corporate planning activities. As FortisAlberta's Corporate Secretary, he was also responsible for general corporate matters and governance. Mr. Finn holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Memorial University of Newfoundland, a Master of Science degree from McGill University and a Bachelor of Laws degree from the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University. Mr. Finn is a member of the Law Society of Alberta and a past member of the Law Society of Upper Canada.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Senior Management Team
- Vice President, Customer and Information Services
Mr. Tisdale brings more than 27 years of experience in information technology and finance roles and has extensive knowledge of FortisAlberta's information technology systems to support improvements in customer service through technology enhancements. In his role as Vice President, Information Technology, Mr. Tisdale is responsible for leveraging the company's existing technology to improve customer service and productivity. Mr. Tisdale's previous leadership experience included roles in Enterprise Solutions and Business Solutions for FortisAlberta. Mr. Tisdale holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Alberta. He is a graduate of the Queen's University Executive Leadership program and holds a Chartered Professional Accountant designation.
Job Titles:
- Corporate Director
- Member of the Board of Directors
Mr. Bricker was appointed to the FortisAlberta Board of Directors in May 2017. He has established and grown a number of venture capital fund programs, participated as a partner in several venture capital funds, and has been involved in investing in more than 300 early stage technology and life sciences companies. Ross is currently the Managing Partner for Westcott Ventures Inc., Owner/operator for Chestermere Stock Farm, Director for several private companies, Chair of Genome Canada's GAPP Core Evaluation, and an advisory committee member for several early-stage companies. He is a past director for a number of private companies and with a number of industry organizations - most recently BioAlberta, the Alberta Life Technology Investor Forum, and the Canadian Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (CVCA). Mr. Bricker is a Professional Agrologist with a BSc. in Agriculture from the University of Alberta and a MBA from the University of Regina. His post-graduate work included Molecular and Cellular Biology, Department of Medical Biochemistry at the University of Calgary. He has completed his corporate banking accreditation in the areas of commercial and personal credit, investment and corporate finance with one of the Schedule I Banks, and is an ICD.D holder.
Job Titles:
- Corporate Director
- Member of the Board of Directors
Ms. Ralston joined the FortisAlberta Board of Directors in April, 2015. Ms. Ralston is currently Principle of LRI Consulting Services. She has more than 30 years of management experience in sales, marketing, operations, general management, and human resources. Shelley most recently was the Vice President Corporate at Red Deer College. Ms. Ralston also held various senior management roles in a 20-year career with Xerox Canada and a term with TELUS. Ms. Ralston is an active community member in Central Alberta. Shelley was a board member and subsequently, Chair of the Board of Red Deer College Board of Governors 2010-2018. Shelley is also a past board member of both the Red Deer Rotary Club and the Women's Leadership Foundation, past cabinet member of the Central Alberta United Way, and a marketing committee member for the Central Alberta Leadership Centre. She was the recipient of a Women of Excellence award in 2008 and was profiled as a Women Worth Watching in Diversity Magazine in 2013. Ms. Ralston has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Alberta.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Senior Vice President, Capital Markets and Business Development, Fortis Inc.
Prior to joining the Fortis team in September 2021, Mr. Lochray held progressive positions with Scotiabank, most recently serving as Managing Director and Head US Corporate and Investment Banking in Houston, Texas, where he led and managed 225+ professionals throughout Corporate and Investment Banking, Equity Capital Markets and Global Business Payments. Mr. Lochray has also served as Managing Director in various areas of investment banking, with a focus on the power and utilities sector. Mr. Lochray is a Master of Engineering and MBA graduate whose career has spanned North America and the United Kingdom, as well as Pakistan.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Senior Management Team
- Vice President, Stakeholder Engagement and Energy Solutions
Mr. Dettling brings more than 30 years of experience in the utility industry in Alberta. He began his career in distribution design and progressed to senior leadership roles at FortisAlberta with responsibilities in Operations, Forestry and Supply Chain Management. In past director positions, he served in the areas of Field Operations, Project Management and Grid Connections, leading operational changes to enhance the customer experience. In his role as Vice President, Customer Experience, Mr. Dettling oversees multiple customer facing services, key accounts and stakeholder relations. Mr. Dettling is a graduate of Civil Engineering Technology at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, and a graduate of the Queen's University Executive Program in General Management.