THE BUSINESS COUNCIL OF ALBERTA // COVER
THE BUSINESS COUNCIL OF ALBERTA PROMINENT BUSINESS LEADERS JOIN FORCES TO MAKE LIFE BETTER FOR ALL ALBERTANS BY MELANIE DARBYSHIRE
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iven its name, one might reasonably assume the newly-formed Business Council of Alberta (BCA) has a singular focus on business: an organization made up of, advocating on behalf of, Alberta businesses. That assumption, however, would be wrong. For while BCA is comprised of notable businesses and entrepreneurs, its purpose is far broader than that sole sphere; it encompasses the well-being of all Albertans, the province’s economy and the environment. Put simply, BCA is about shared prosperity. Conceived in late 2018 by business titans Ron Mannix, chairman emeritus, Coril Holdings Ltd.; Hal Kvisle, board chair, Finning International; Mac Van Wielingen, president and founder, Viewpoint Group; Nancy Southern, chair and CEO, ATCO Group; and Dawn Farrell, president and CEO, TransAlta Corporation; BCA is a non-partisan policy and advocacy organization focused on making life better for Albertans. By harnessing the experience and talent of business leaders and entrepreneurs, the goal is to build a better Alberta.
“We look at prosperity in a broad sense for Albertans,” explains Kvisle, one of the five founders. “Not just looking at the well-being or the success of big corporations or any individual business, but rather how well is Alberta working for the broad base of Albertans in both economic and social terms?” This focus, in addition to the impressive list of founders and members, sets BCA – an organization arguably long overdue in Alberta – apart. It also gives it a uniquely influential position. “One of our core beliefs is that when the province is economically strong, we have the capability and flexibility to do a number of other things,” Kvisle explains. “We can deliver better education and better opportunities for people. We can have better investments in infrastructure and can fund social programs. When the economy is weak or when we’re operating under unusual burdens imposed upon us, all of those things become a whole lot more difficult.” ABOVE: BCA MEMBERS (LEFT TO RIGHT): AROON SEQUEIRA, CHAIRMAN OF SEQUEIRA PARTNERS; RUSS GIRLING, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF TC ENERGY; DAVE FILIPCHUK, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF PCL CONSTRUCTORS INC.; JUDY FAIRBURN, CORPORATE DIRECTOR AND FOUNDER OF THE51. PHOTO SOURCE: REBECCA HARDCASTLE
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OCTOBER 2019 // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM