About Us | Directors
KAM A. FARD, P.Eng.
Director: Since November 2004
Mr. Fard has 30 years experience in the oil and gas industry, specializing in reservoir engineering. He worked for 12 years for Mobil Oil Libya/ Veba Oil Operations as Reservoir Engineering Supervisor, Chief Production and Reservoir Engineer and Acting Engineering Manager. He has worked for Chevron, Sun Oil and Home Oil on production and acquisition of oil and gas properties. Since 1994, Mr. Fard has provided engineering consultancy in Canada and Libya. He has been V.P. Production and a founding member of Dundee Petroleum Corp., Durness Resources Inc., and Bowood Energy Corp.
DARRYL J. RAYMAKER, Q.C,
Director: Since August 2005
Mr. Raymaker, who is a native of Crowsnest Pass, Alberta, received his Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws Degrees from the University of Alberta. Upon his Admission to the Alberta Bar in 1964, he entered the private practice of law and has continuously been so engaged in many areas of the law with specific emphasis on litigation and negotiations. He is presently Counsel to the law firm of McNally Cuming Raymaker in the City of Calgary.
Mr. Raymaker has also served as a Member of the Board of the Rockyview and Holy Cross Hospitals as well as City of Calgary Planning Commission. He has also served as a Member and Chairman of the Calgary Police Commission. Mr. Raymaker was Director of First Calgary Petroleums Ltd. and the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation.
STUART B. McDOWALL, P.Eng
Director: Since June 2005
Mr. McDowall is an engineering graduate. He worked with the Government of Canada for 28 years, during which time he served with the Canadian Trade Commissioner posted in Athens, Bogotá, Stockholm, Havana, Johannesburg, New York City and Beirut.
He also served as Director of Agrifood Fisheries, Resources Division of the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. In 1996, Mr. McDowall was named Canadian Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, a position the he held until 1999.
In the private sector, Mr. McDowall has been Director General of Public Relations with Tailsman Energy, specializing in African Community Programs. He also served as Chief Executive Officer of Blue Mountain Resources Limited and Fosters Resources Limited, Oil and Gas Companies involved in exploration and development opportunities in Africa, Latin America, the Far East and the Middle East.
JOHN VAN DER WALLE
Director: Since July 2008
Mr. van der Welle has been actively involved in the oil industry for twenty-five year. In 1984 he joined Enterprise Oil plc, the largest independent exploration and development company in the U.K., where he rose to the position of Group Treasurer. Mr. van der Welle later served as Finance Director of Hardy Oil and Gas plc and Premier Oil plc. In addition, he has served as Chief Financial Officer and Director of First Calgary Petroleums Limited and as Head of Oil and Gas in the Sector Corporate Finance Group for the Royal Bank of Scotland. Most recently, he has joined Stratic Energy Corporation as Chief Financial Officer and Director.
Throughout his career Mr. van der Welle has had extensive experience in many corporate areas of business including business development and planning, investor relations, corporate governance, rebuilding management teams, and banking and finance. He has been involved in major business transactions including mergers, acquisitions, and major financings and restructurings of large public companies.
Mr. van der Welle graduated in Engineering from Southampton University and is a qualified Chartered Accountant. He is also a member of the Chartered Institute of Taxation and the Association of Corporate Treasurers.
KENNETH D. TAYLOR
Director: Since July 2008
Mr. Taylor was born and raised in Calgary, Alberta, and graduated from Victoria College at the University of Toronto (B.A) and the University of California Berkeley (M.B.A.).
Mr. Taylor had a distinguished career in the Canadian Foreign Service from 1959 to 1984 during which time he served in diplomatic posts at Guatemala, Detroit, Karachi, and the U.K. He also served as Director General, Foreign Trade Service in Ottawa, Ambassador to Iran and Consul General at the Canadian Consulate General in New York.
Upon his retirement from the Canadian Foreign Service, Mr. Taylor entered the private sector, becoming a Senior Vice President with Nabisco Brands Inc. and RJR Nabisco, Inc. in New York. Since 1991 he has been Chairman of the consulting firm of Taylor and Ryan in New York.
Mr. Taylor has extensive business experience at the board of directors level having served on the boards of Rockwater Capital, Hydro One, Security Biometrics, Devine Entertainment Corp., and Jaffra Cosmetics International. He presently serves on the advisory board of J. and H. Marsh and McLennan, and the board of SkyLink Aviation Ltd.
His civilian honors include the United States Congressional Gold Medal and is an Officer of the Order of Canada. He has received many awards including the State of California Medal of Merit, the Harry S. Truman Good Neighbor Award, 1980 Man of the Year International Press Club of New York, the Haas International Award, University of California, Berkeley, and many others.
He holds Honorary Doctorate degrees from Laurentian University, Dominican College of Blauvelt, State University of New York, St. Francis Xavier University, St. Lawrence University, and Victoria University at the University of Toronto.
He has served as a Trustee, and on the Boards of International House, National Multiple Sclerosis Society of New York, the Daniel and Florence Guggenheim Foundation, and the Center for the Study of the Presidency of New York. He has been a Board Councilor with the Carter Presidential Center in Atlanta.