Best Practices in
ARO Management

Randall J. Green, Senior Vice President, Asset Management, Sproule

Randy is Senior Vice President of Asset Management at Sproule. He has over 33 years of technical and executive management experience in the oil and gas industry, working in both public and private companies. Randy founded, built, and sold two junior oil and gas producing companies prior to taking a leadership role at Niven Fischer in 2008. He was instrumental in building the brand, expanding the services, growing the company and delivering on a value-added promise prior to Sproule’s acquisition of Niven Fischer. In his role at Sproule, Randy is responsible for growing the asset management business to meet the client’s needs in a cost-effective and efficient manner. Randy’s entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to the industry drive his desire to help address critical challenges facing the Canadian energy industry. Randy balances his passion for business with a commitment to philanthropy and volunteerism including an eight-year term as a director of YMCA Calgary.

Kevin Kynoch, Managing Director, ATB Financial

With over 20 years in financial services experience ranging from energy investment to commercial and corporate lending, Mr. Kynoch is a highly regarded and trusted voice in the world of energy finance who has seen clients through three industry downturns. With continuing exposure to the technical aspects of the industry, the financial challenges, the people and their perseverance, Kevin has gained a true passion for energy finance.

Kevin’s experience speaks for itself. Over the years, he has fostered relationships with more than 100 clients in the energy industry and arranged deals of all sizes, including those exceeding $1 billion. What makes him good at it? Passion, experience and a willingness to listen. “My clients are experts at what they do,” he says. “My job is to listen, learn and translate their needs into financial solutions.”

Alan Harvie, Sr. Partner, Environment & Energy, Norton Rose Fulbright

Alan Harvie has practised energy and environmental/regulatory law since 1989 and regularly deals with commercial, operational, environmental and regulatory issues, especially for the upstream oil and gas, energy, waste disposal and chemical industries.

Mr. Harvie regularly advises clients about environmental assessments and permitting, spill response, enforcement proceedings, contaminated site remediation, facility decommissioning and reclamation, chemical compliance (DSL, NDSL, MSDS and HMIRC), nuclear licensing, crude-by-rail projects and product recycling and stewardship requirements.

He has appeared before the Alberta Courts, the Energy Resources Conservation Board, the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board, the Alberta Utilities Commission, the Natural Resources Conservation Board, the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency, the Alberta Environmental Appeals Board, the Municipal Government Board and various other environmental, regulatory and municipal bodies. He assisted the government of British Columbia in reforming the regulation of oil and gas activities in the province. He has also led environmental and regulatory legal due diligence teams on a significant number of transactions involving large natural resource industry players, including acting for Petro-Canada in its C$55 billion merger with Suncor Energy.

Ryan Smith, Chief Executive Officer, 360

Ryan is a graduate of the University of Guelph, where he completed a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Economics. With a diverse service background, he has leveraged that into ownership positions in multiple oilfield service businesses. From 2011 to 2017 he built and grew Rigless Rentals Inc. prior to its sale to Frac Shack International. During that time, he was also instrumental in successfully launching 360. His vision and energy drives growth for 360 while infusing an entrepreneurial spirit into the corporate culture. Ryan pushes industry engagements and business interactions to propel 360 to the forefront of the liability management sector. The transition to team leader and entrepreneur came easily for Ryan after having completed a first career as a professional rugby player. A former captain of the Canadian team, he played 51 games, 3 Rugby World Cups and played professionally in France and New Zealand.

Margaret Elekes, Senior Vice President Land and Business Development, Surge Energy Inc.

Margaret Elekes has 25 years of experience in the oil and gas industry focusing on negotiations, acquisitions and divestitures in both Canada and the United States. Prior to being a founding member of Surge, Ms. Elekes held key roles with Breaker Energy Ltd and Upton Resources Inc. Ms. Elekes graduated in 1987 from the University of Saskatchewan with a Bachelor of Commerce degree, obtained a major in Petroleum Land Management from the University of Calgary in 1991 and holds a P. Land Designation. She served on the board and continues to be an active member of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Landmen.

Grant Cutforth, P.Geol., Manager – Business Development, Surge Energy Inc.

Grant is a professional geologist with more than 20 years of experience across the Canadian oil and gas industry. His roles have taken him from the investment banking sector where he was a Vice President at Macquarie Capital, to technical roles with NuVista Energy and Baytex Energy. For the past five years, Grant has been with Surge Energy Inc., where he currently manages a fast-paced, multi-disciplinary business development team.

Andrew Ramsay, Account Executive & Vice President, Energy, Aon

Andrew is a graduate of the Haskayne School of Business, University of Calgary, with a specialization in Finance, Risk Management & Insurance. For the past approximately 10 years, Andrew has focused on implementing risk programs for clients within the Energy and Private Equity sectors for Western Canada. He currently works with a book of local and international E&P companies, service contractors, and financial institutions. In addition to risk management and insurance expertise, Andrew provides specialized expertise in M&A due diligence, portfolio placements, and contract review and analysis. He also holds the CRM (Canadian Risk Management) designation.