Something extraordinary going on in the West
23-Feb-2010CALGARY – February 23, 2010. Canada West Foundation has initiated a new Executive-in-Residence program with the first executive being as extraordinary as the project she is heading up. Order of Canada recipient Sheila O’Brien, President of Belvedere 1 Investments is the first to get the program started and many other great Canadians are expected to lead future programs under this initiative.
The aim of the program, President and CEO of Canada West Foundation Dr. Roger Gibbins said, is to “enhance our research programs and strengthen our mission by connecting the Foundation with successful business leaders who know their stakeholders and are involved in their communities. The executives will also add a strong voice to issues of vital concern to western Canadians.”
The Executive-in-Residence program will connect the Foundation with successful executives from the business community. Participants in the program will lead specific projects which, while enhancing the core research mission of the Foundation, do not involve conventional research. Projects are typically for one-year terms, developed in conjunction with the Dr. Gibbins and the Foundation’s research staff.
O’Brien’s project, Extraordinary Conversations, is currently underway. The project aims to engage people across the West in conversations to reveal what is on the minds of western Canadians and identify key policy areas than need to be addressed in the future.
O’Brien is President of Belvedere 1 Investments and a corporate director and business consultant specializing in workforce and leadership capacity. She brings over 30 years experience in the oil and gas, pipeline and petrochemical sectors in Canada, the USA and Europe. She has held executive positions in human resources, investor relations, public affairs and government relations with Amoco International, Petro-Canada and Nova Corporation. Her involvement in the not-for-profit sector, service on over 25 boards of directors and dealings with human and women’s rights issues have earned her admiration and respect in the community. She was invested in the Order of Canada in 1998.
Canada West Foundation is the only think tank dedicated to being the objective, non-partisan voice for issues of vital concern to western Canadians. For 40 years, through its research and commentary, the Foundation has contributed to better government decisions and a stronger Canadian economy.
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For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:
Grace Kucey
Communication Coordinator
Canada West Foundation
24/7 contact: 403-700-9535
communication@cwf.ca