Welcome

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On behalf of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, I am honoured to extend a warm welcome to the 2024 Canadian Business Leader Awards.  

We are thrilled to have you with us as we celebrate the exceptional achievements of two of Canada’s business leaders. These individuals raise the standards of innovation and entrepreneurship and continually demonstrate their commitment to the success of our shared future. I know that the stories of purpose, passion and perseverance shared by this year’s award recipients will serve as a testament to the excellence of the Canadian business community.  

This evening, we recognize the remarkable contributions of Sue Riddell Rose and Alex Pourbaix. Both honourees exemplify the values of excellence, innovation, collaboration and leadership. These values are also the foundation of the Canadian Chamber’s continued commitment to building thriving businesses, a strong economy and a better life for all Canadians.  

I would like to thank the Hyatt Regency hotel, our esteemed sponsors and all those whose dedication have made tonight’s event possible. Please enjoy yourselves as you participate in what is sure to be a memorable evening! 

Candace Laing
President and CEO
Canadian Chamber of Commerce

Evening Program

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5:00 p.m.	Cocktail Reception
6:00 p.m.	Opening Remarks by Linda Olsen and Candace Laing
6:45 p.m.	Presentation of the Canadian Business Leader of the Year Award
7:15 p.m.	Main Course Followed by Dessert, Coffee and Tea with Instrumental Entertainment by The Swingsetters
8:00 p.m.	Presentation of the Canadian Business Leader Lifetime Achievement Award
8:25 p.m.	Closing Remarks
8:30 p.m.	Evening Concludes

About the Canadian Business Leader Awards 

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Our Canadian Business Leader of the Year Award and Canadian Business Leader Lifetime Achievement Award were established to celebrate and recognize Canadian business executives at the top of their fields who have distinguished themselves through stellar corporate leadership and meaningful contributions to their communities. 

Past Recipients  

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2024 Honourees | Calgary, AB

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Canadian Business Leader of the Year Award

Sue Riddell Rose  
President and CEO
Perpetual Energy & Rubellite Energy

Sue Riddell Rose has been President and Chief Executive Officer of Perpetual Energy Inc. since its inception as Paramount Energy Trust in June 2002 and through its corporate conversion to a junior oil and gas exploration and production company in 2010. Sue is also the President and CEO of Rubellite Energy Inc., formed as a new growth-oriented E&P start-up in July 2021 to focus on the Clearwater Formation using innovative multi-lateral drilling technology.

Sue graduated from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, with a Bachelor of Science in Geological Engineering (1986) and began her career with Shell Canada before joining Paramount Resources. She is a director of Paramount Resources, Secure Energy and Altalink, a governor of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, and one of the founders and Acting Chair of Canada Powered by Women. Sue has also been actively involved with a number of not-for-profit organizations, including UNICEF Canada, Fulbright Canada, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, and the Alberta Children’s Hospital. She is a past chair of the board of the United Way of Calgary and Area and of Alberta’s Promise and has previously served as a member of the board of trustees of Queen’s University and Mount Royal University. 

Canadian Business Leader Lifetime Achievement Award    

Alex Pourbaix 
Executive Chair, Board of Directors
Cenovus Energy

Alex Pourbaix is the former President and Chief Executive Officer of Cenovus Energy. He is currently Executive Chair of the Cenovus board of directors, where he is responsible for providing leadership to the board and ensuring ongoing strong governance while supporting management’s execution of the company’s strategy. He continues to support Cenovus’s advocacy efforts, including industry initiatives, government relations and ESG engagement, and provides ongoing leadership with the Pathways Alliance.  

Prior to joining Cenovus, Alex spent 27 years with TC Energy and its affiliates in a broad range of leadership roles, including as Chief Operating Officer, where he was responsible for the company’s commercial activity and overseeing major energy infrastructure projects. Alex currently serves on the boards of NRG Energy Inc., Canadian Utilities Limited, the Business Council of Alberta, and the Alberta regional board of Nature Conservancy Canada. In 2022, Alex was awarded the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medal in recognition of the contributions he has made to Alberta. 

Master of Ceremonies

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Linda Olsen

Award-winning journalist Linda Olsen is a proud born and raised Calgarian. She graduated from the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) in 1988 with Honours in Broadcast Journalism and started her career right out of school at Global News Saskatoon. 

Within six months, Linda was back in her hometown working at CTV Calgary. 

During her time at Global, Linda covered a royal visit, live province-wide television specials, including awards shows, Grey Cup celebrations, and elections, and received recognition on several occasions for Global News’s election night broadcasts. 

Linda was also host and producer of Global’s Woman of Vision series. For 15 years, she highlighted the stories of inspirational women in the community with monthly television news features and columns in the Calgary Herald. 

After almost 30 years at Global News Calgary, Linda recently retired from the TV station and looks forward to continuing her community-related work. 

A passionate community leader and advocate who believes in giving back, Linda is a constant presence in the city at charitable events. She is a board member with the Calgary Children’s Foundation and an honorary board member with Believe in the Gold, a local grassroots charity raising awareness and supporting research for children facing cancer.

Entertainment

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About The Swingsetters

The Swingsetters are a group of young, tight and lively jazz musicians from Calgary. Austin, Alex and Ben play a mix of West Coast cool jazz, modern hits jazzed up and classic jazz standards, and their improvisation is creative and compelling. 

Alex is the drum master and his flow, improvisational skills and the ability to read a room are unmatched. He has a breadth of gigging experience around Calgary and is a former drum teacher at Beat It Music. His ability to enhance and bring to life a song in new ways is something that creates a memorable performance for every event. 

Austin is the virtuoso electric guitar player and his jazzy, funky and tasteful licks dance over any song. He sings with a smooth jazz tone that brings new life to classic songs. He has an impeccable ability to play melodically and improvise on his instrument. With his energetic stage presence and vast repertoire of songs, he helps bring life to every event. 

Ben is the bass player who holds down the groove of the songs. He is a music producer at White Spruce Music and has post-secondary music experience. His walking bass lines and creativity help take the group’s songs to a new level. His deep repertoire and ability to adapt quickly make him a true asset to the group. 

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