Jim is the current Board Chair, founder and the original President and Chief Executive Officer of Keyera Corp, a Canadian midstream company with assets in Alberta and the United States. Since going public in 2003 with a market capitalization of $500 million, Keyera has grown into a Canadian midstream leader with a market capitalization of $10 billion, employing over 1,500 employees.

Jim also serves on the Board of Methanex Corporation and Emera Inc. and previously held board positions with several small exploration and production companies. With over 45 years of experience in the energy sector, he brings extensive midstream, marketing, upstream, and corporate governance experience to the companies he serves.

Born in Maple Creek, Saskatchewan on March 28, 1956, Jim was the fourth child in a family of five. He spent his early years in the small village of Piapot, Saskatchewan, where he was interested in sports—playing baseball in the summer and hockey in the winter. At the age of sixteen, Jim left home to play junior hockey. Sports taught him a lot about hard work, teamwork, and leadership—skills he used throughout his career.

In 1977, Jim attended the University of Calgary, where he played hockey and graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce degree. After five months of playing professional hockey in Germany, he returned to Calgary to start his career in the oil and gas industry, where he held progressively senior positions at Aquitaine, Canterra, Poco, Amerada Hess, and Gulf Canada.

Keyera emerged out of Gulf Canada in 2003, with gas processing and midstream assets located in Central Alberta, Edmonton and Fort Saskatchewan. The company employed 300 people at the time and quickly grew through consistently delivering value to producer customers and shareholders.

Under Jim’s leadership, Keyera also became a strong supporter of Stars Air Ambulance, recognizing its role in rural and industry safety, and the United Way. The company’s commitment to the United Way continues to this day through its high employee involvement.

Jim is married to his wife Cindy and has two adult children, Dan and Allie, and five grandchildren. During his career in the energy industry, his work has taken him to six continents on business, and he continues to enjoy the journey and the people.