Team
Richard Piche, PMP, ICD.D – President
Richard is an oil and gas professional who has developed complete life cycle oil and gas properties from conception, to construction, to full online production. With more than 40 years of hands on operations, engineering, project management, and corporate development experience, Richard possesses a wealth of knowledge and skills applicable to the development of greenfield and brownfield properties. He has extensive Canadian and International experience in Indonesia, India, Kuwait and Poland, both on the Exploration and Production (E&P) company side and with Engineering, Procurement and Construction Management (EPCM) services.
Richard is a member of the Alberta Metis community with a long history of family roots from Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. His Metis and Indigenous ancestry includes Gabriel Dumont on his mother’s side and on his father’s side Pesew, Peechee Louis Piche chief of the mountain Crees and guide to Sir George Simpson in the Banff area during the early 1800’s.
John Corie, BMgt – Vice President
John is a business professional with extensive management experience; he has a Bachelor of Management degree from the University of Lethbridge and has held senior roles in the finance and consulting sectors throughout his career. John has worked with government, Indigenous communities, and corporations of all sizes throughout Western Canada to support business development and operations, provide professional advisory services, and build stakeholder partnerships. Recent clients include corporations in various sectors including oil and gas, forestry, real estate, hospitality, education, manufacturing, and the Government of Alberta and Government of Canada. Projects under John’s leadership have consistently delivered outstanding results.
Allison Smith, BScH, MSc. Management –
Manager, Engagement
Allison is an engagement professional and skilled facilitator who has worked closely with individuals, communities and businesses across Western Canada. Her work in community development and capacity building is grounded in the principles of local empowerment for long-term, sustainable results. As a Business Development Officer with two Community Economic Development (CED) non-profits, Momentum and Haida Gwaii Community Futures, she has delved into the use of small business and entrepreneurial support as a poverty reduction and rural economic development strategy. As an engagement professional in Western Canada, Allison has worked with environmental non-profits, Indigenous communities, economic development agencies, municipal governments and local businesses to address some of the region’s most complex challenges. She is trained in Public Participation Planning and Techniques, International Association of Public Participation (IAP2) and is an active member of the IAP2 Indigenous Engagement roundtable.
Sydney Schneider, BSCM –
Advisor, Economic Inclusion
Sydney is a supply chain professional with an extensive background in procurement and inventory management obtained through her eight year tenure at Finning (Canada). Throughout her career in the supply chain sector Sydney has gained experience in process development, change management, inventory control, procurement policy, surplus management, and analytics. In her current role, Sydney is responsible for building industry awareness and understanding around the benefits of implementing inclusive procurement practices with a goal of achieving greater socio-economic success through partnership and collaboration. Sydney holds a Bachelor of International Business and Supply Chain Management degree from MacEwan University and is certified in Production and Inventory Management (CPIM) from APICS.