Nasser Awada, Director of Health & Safety at ATCO EnPower. With over 23 years of experience across energy, utilities, and construction, Nasser is a passionate safety leader known for driving performance in high-energy hazard identification and safe control of work. He blends Lean Six Sigma, inventive problem-solving, and AI tools like his SafeBot to build proactive safety cultures and elevate operational discipline in energy and manufacturing environments.

As the Vice President of Operational Interface for Bird, Adam is a seasoned leader with a proven history in the industrial services sector. He has been driving excellence in industrial maintenance, overseeing strategic initiatives, and ensuring the successful execution of the organization’s growth strategy. 

Adam’s role centers on strengthening collaboration and solution development between Bird’s shared services and field teams, helping to drive reliable execution and streamlined workflows. Recent key initiatives that Adam is focused on include enhancements to the craft management system and development, advancements to the HSE management system, and improvements to vendor management processes. 

With a career spanning diverse sectors within the industrial landscape, he continues to be a force behind Bird’s success, embodying a commitment to operational excellence and a strategic vision that positions the company as an industry leader in construction and maintenance services. 

With over 25 years of experience, Adam offers a unique perspective gained from starting his career in the field and advancing through a range of support roles into senior P&L management. This progression has provided him with deep insight into industry challenges and clear opportunities for improvement.

Mike Donovan is a seasoned safety professional with over 30 years of experience leading safety management program initiatives across North America, Central Asia, and the Middle East. He joined TC Energy in February 2023 as Director of Health, Safety, Security, and Emergency Management following the successful Southeastern Gateway project. Mike previously held senior safety leadership roles at Enbridge Pipelines, ILF Consulting Engineers, Petrofac E&CM, British Petroleum, and Fluor International, where he oversaw robust safety management programs and fostered high-performing multinational teams. He is known for his collaborative leadership style, regulatory expertise, and advanced use of assurance technologies that enhance operational safety and reliability.

Rob Dowler graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the U of A in 2000 and entered the construction industry undertaking various roles including  Project Controls, Project Superintendent, Project Management, Module and Fabrication Management and other technical roles. His early experiences included participation in Major projects such as Suncor MCC, Shell AOSD, and Syncrude UEI.

In 2007, he co-founded a technical services company providing engineering, detail drafting, international recruitment, planning and scheduling, consulting, and other services to the Alberta construction industry.  

He joined DCM in 2008 as the Operations Manager for Western Canada, and was promoted to Vice President of Operations 3 years later.  In 2019, he assumed the role of Chief Operating Officer before transitioning to President and CEO in 2022.  During his time at DCM, Rob has lead the evolution of DCM from a predominantly electrical and instrumentation construction contractor, to a reputable tier 1 contractor executing complex construction projects as well as maintenance and turn-around services across Oil and Gas, Mining, Power Generation, Petrochemical, and other heavy industrial markets.

In addition to his leadership role at DCM, Rob serves as the CEO of Solv3 Group (note; pronounced Solve); a platform company founded in 2022 through the merger and integration of DCM with TES Group, and Process Combustion Solutions.

Darcy Fedorchuk is currently Vice President, Projects and Services, at ATCO EnPower, the
non-regulated energy business, part of the global organization Canadian Utilities Ltd. and
the ATCO Group of Companies.
As Vice President, Darcy has leadership accountability for a team of 80 professionals,
within the project and services branch of the organization. He is responsible for sustaining
capital on the existing assets and growth capital on projects ATCO EnPower is
progressing towards FEED. This includes organic growth, solar, wind, energy storage,
along with projects in hydrogen and ammonia. Darcy has oversight of Project Controls,
Governance, Supply Chain, Land, Stakeholder and Indigenous relations within ATCO
EnPower. Additionally, he leads the Engineering team, Health, Safety and Quality team,
and the Policy, Regulatory and Environmental group.
For over 20 years, Darcy’s career has been spent in various executive leadership roles in
the Power, Utility, and Energy Infrastructure sectors. His background includes a focus on
renewable operations, strategic planning, engineering and project management, supply
chain management, commercial management, and business development. Darcy first
joined ATCO in 2022, serving as Vice President, North American Power and Renewables.
Previously he served as Vice President, Operations, Engineering and Commercial at TC
Energy and held a variety of Vice President positions at Altalink.
Darcy maintains his Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) certification, and he holds a Bachelor of
Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Manitoba. He also serves on the board of
the Construction Owners of Association of Alberta (COAA).

Karla Firth is the VDC Manager at Graham Construction, where she leads the implementation of Virtual Design and Construction across projects throughout Western Canada. With a background in surveying and a strong understanding of construction workflows, Karla brings a practical, field-driven approach to digital project delivery.

She’s passionate about using technology to improve coordination and communication, helping teams work smarter and more collaboratively. Karla’s work focuses on bridging the gap between design and construction, making VDC more accessible and effective for everyone involved.

Keray Hopaluk is a seasoned professional with over two decades of hands-on experience in project management, strategic planning, contracts, and project development and execution. Throughout his career, Keray has demonstrated a strong commitment to collaboration, leveraging his expertise to work alongside all stakeholders to find shared project goals. With a proactive approach to problem-solving, he has successfully navigated complex challenges while fostering open communication and teamwork. With a background in the trades, Keray is widely recognized for his knowledge in construction. Outside of work, Keray enjoys spending time with his family outdoors, cultivating his love for nature, travel and adventure.

David MacLean is a seasoned professional with 25 years of experience in politics, media relations, government relations, and business advocacy. As Director of External Relations at Alberta’s Industrial Heartland Association (AIHA), he works closely with industry leaders and government partners to advance investment and growth in Canada’s largest hydrocarbon processing region. David brings a strong background in public affairs and strategic communications, helping to position Alberta’s Industrial Heartland as a globally competitive destination for industrial development.

Shawn Madro is a Portfolio Design Engineer at TC Energy, where he leverages software and data tools to optimize operations and maintenance programs across Canada and the United States. With over a decade of experience in engineering, supply chain, and project management, Shawn has supported major energy infrastructure projects and led initiatives to improve efficiency and collaboration across teams and in project execution. He is also active with the Construction Owners Association of Alberta, currently serving as Co-Chair of the Collaborative Contracting Committee. Shawn is a Professional Engineer and a graduate of the University of Calgary’s Schulich School of Engineering.

Diego Moreno serves as Program Director for Infrastructure & Stationary Systems at the Edmonton Region Hydrogen Hub and as Manager of Hydrogen and Low-Carbon Fuels at Edmonton International Airport (YEG), leading strategic initiatives focused on hydrogen deployment. He brings over 15 years of experience in the Oil & Gas downstream sector, with a background in engineering, business, and project development. Diego’s previous experience includes roles as a Process and Development Engineer at Hatch, Suncor, and Ecopetrol-Colombia, as well as academic appointments at the University of Calgary and several universities in Colombia.

Carrie Quaschnick P.Eng, MBA is Regional Director of Operations for Lorneville Mechanical Contractors for Western and Central Canada, she has an impressive 25 years of experience in Alberta’s heavy industrial sector.

Her journey started as a Field Engineer and she progressed through a series of positions in Construction, culminating in Project Management responsibilities for constructing major process facilities, including the Kearl Initial Development and Expansion Project. She then transitioned into Operations Management, Carrie oversaw Canadian-wide operations for project, turnaround and maintenance company. After completing her Executive MBA in 2023, Carrie has been focusing on giving back to her industry and aligning with organizations that support leader development and underrepresented individuals.

Blake serves as the Vice-President of Canada Projects at TC Energy, where he is accountable for delivering the capital program for TC Energy’s Canadian business. Prior to joining TC Energy, Blake spent over 20 years in the upstream oil and gas industry with roles in project management, engineering management, development planning and operations. His expertise spans Canadian and international energy sectors, including time spent in Asia working on onshore and offshore projects. Since 2021, Blake has been a valued member of the Board of Directors for the Construction Owners Association of Alberta (COAA), stepping into the role of President in December 2023. Blake holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and an MBA from the University of Calgary.  

Richard is the Founder and Principal at Venerus Advisory Partners (“VAP”), a capital projects advisory (established in 2011) that helps owners apply disciplined collaboration methods to maximize value. 

VAP combines the storied expertise of its partners with the agnostic application of fit-for-project collaborative approaches to help clients chose their best approach to achieve project success.

Richard has over 20 years of valuable experience in commercial management in a diverse set of industries, including Construction, Energy, Government, Oil & Gas, Technology and Finance. 

He is a qualified lawyer, certified in Construction Law and holds an MBA from the Schulich School of Business. He also is professionally trained or certified in a number of related disciplines: Project Management, Change Management, Contract Administration, Adult Learning and Development, Mediation, Arbitration – and the unique ISO standard 44001 for Collaborative Working.

Richard is a national instructor for the Supply Chain Canada, the de facto standard for supply chain management training in Canada.

He is also co-author of the Construction Owners Association of Alberta (COAA) Collaborative Contracting Best Practice, and leads the COAA Working Group enabling Adoption in Canada.

VAP is a driving force behind adoption of collaborative working and contracting methods.  

Bill Woodhead is a Partner at Borden Ladner Gervais LLP in Calgary, Alberta and Vancouver, British Columbia. Bill focuses his practice in the areas of procurement and construction law. He acts for public and private owners, contractors, engineers, subcontractors, and suppliers drafting and negotiating procurement documents and the various agreements required to design, procure and construct any asset. Bill often speaks at construction and industry conferences on all aspects of construction and procurement law.