Leadership

Ms. Sullivan brings more than 20 years of leadership and utility industry experience to her role as President and Chief Executive Officer of FortisAlberta. Ms. Sullivan has held multiple Executive and Director positions with both FortisAlberta and Newfoundland Power, guiding those organizations through complex developments in utility regulation and implementing effective financial and operational strategies.  In her most recent role as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of FortisAlberta, Ms. Sullivan led the company’s finance, supply chain, regulatory and legal functions, and was responsible for government and stakeholder relations. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) degree from Memorial University and received her Chartered Accountant Designation in 1995. She is a member of the Institutes of Chartered Professional Accountants of Alberta and Newfoundland and Labrador. Ms. Sullivan also serves on the Board of Directors of FortisBC.

Mr. Aplin brings more than 30 years of experience to his role of Vice President, Operations. He began his career as a Journeyman Power Line Technician and has since held increasingly senior leadership positions within the company. Prior to his role on the FortisAlberta Executive team, Mr. Aplin served as Director, Field Operations and served in senior leadership roles where he oversaw the company’s engineering, procurement and construction functions. In his role as Vice President, Operations, Mr. Aplin is responsible for Field Operations, Health, Safety and Environment, System Operations, Project Delivery and Fleet services. He is a graduate of the Queen's University Executive Leadership program and holds a Master of Business Administration Degree from Queen's University.

Mr. Dettling brings more than 30 years of experience in the utility industry in Alberta. He began his career in distribution design and has held increasingly senior leadership roles within FortisAlberta, including ones where he was responsible for the oversight of Operations Contracts, Forestry and Supply Chain Management. He also served in director roles in the areas of Field Operations, Project Management and Grid Connections and led operational changes to enhance the customer experience. In his role as Vice President, Customer Service, Mr. Dettling oversees multiple customer facing and communications functions. Mr. Dettling is a graduate of Civil Engineering Technology at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, and a graduate of the Queen’s University Executive Program in General Management.

Mr. Eck has more than 25 years of engineering experience in the electricity industry and he contributes a broad exposure to Alberta’s regulatory environment. In his role of Vice President, Engineering, Mr. Eck is responsible for the strategic oversight of the Company’s capital expenditure program and for providing leadership and direction to the Company’s Engineering, Asset Management, Forestry, and Facilities functions. Prior to joining FortisAlberta as Director, Engineering, Mr. Eck was Vice President, Customer Care and Operations for Belize Electricity Limited. He holds a Masters of Engineering degree from the University of Colorado and is a registered Professional Engineer in Alberta.

Mr. Finn brings more than 15 years of combined legal and regulatory experience, including Regulatory Counsel and Director roles with FortisAlberta. In his prior role as Director of Legal and Regulatory, Corporate Secretary, Mr. Finn worked closely with FortisAlberta’s Regulatory Finance and Engineering teams on a variety of significant regulatory matters and supported the Company’s corporate planning activities. As FortisAlberta’s Corporate Secretary, he was also responsible for general corporate matters and governance. Mr. Finn holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Memorial University of Newfoundland, a Master of Science degree from McGill University and a Bachelor of Laws degree from the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University. Mr. Finn is a member of the Law Society of Alberta and a past member of the Law Society of Upper Canada. 

Mr. Henderson has more than 18 years of utility industry experience, including 15 years of various financial leadership roles at FortisBC. In his prior role as Director, Finance and Accounting at FortisBC, he was responsible for all matters related to financial reporting and accounting and was a key participant in various regulatory filings and proceedings over the years. Mr. Henderson holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from University of Manitoba, received his Chartered Accountant Designation in 2000 and is a member of the Institute of Chartered Professional Accountants of British Columbia and Manitoba.

Ms. Speers brings more than 15 years of leadership experience with FortisAlberta, offering a broad range of experience, business acumen and expertise in the areas of human resources, labour relations, customer service and billing operations. In her role as Vice President, Human Resources, Ms. Speers is accountable for the effective delivery of FortisAlberta programs that support employees, ensuring the company's culture and values remain consistent in this delivery and that they are top of mind in the ongoing development of the company’s programs and practices. Her areas of leadership responsibility include employee and labour relations, talent management, total rewards and employee wellness. Ms. Speers holds a Professional Management Certificate from the University of Calgary.

Mr. Tisdale brings more than 25 years of experience in information technology and finance roles and has extensive knowledge of FortisAlberta’s information technology systems to support improvements in customer service through technology enhancements. In his role as Vice President, Information Technology, Mr. Tisdale is responsible for leveraging the company’s existing technology to improve customer service and productivity. Mr. Tisdale’s previous leadership experience included roles in Enterprise Solutions and Business Solutions for FortisAlberta. Mr. Tisdale holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Alberta, is a graduate of the Queen’s University Executive Leadership program and he holds a Chartered Professional Accountant designation.

Ms. Sullivan brings more than 20 years of finance and regulatory experience to her role of President and Chief Executive Officer for the company, including through Executive and Director positions she held with FortisAlberta and Newfoundland Power. In her most recent role as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Ms. Sullivan established regulatory policy, led the organization through important and complex changes in distribution utility regulation and implemented related financial strategies. Ms. Sullivan holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Memorial University and received her Chartered Accountant Designation in 1995. She is a member of the Institutes of Chartered Professional Accountants of Alberta and Newfoundland and Labrador. 

Mr. Thomas was appointed to the FortisAlberta Board of Directors in April 2013, and currently serves in the role of Chair. He has more than 30 years of experience in the oil and gas industry. During his 30-year career with Nexen, Mr. Thomas held a variety of positions including Vice President, Specialty Chemicals; Vice President, Global Oil and Gas Marketing; Vice President, Corporate Planning; and Senior Vice President, Canadian Oil and Gas. He is a past Chair of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Past President of the Alberta Chamber of Resources, Past Chairman of the Canadian Oilmen’s Executive Association, Past Chairman of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP), and Past President of the Calgary Petroleum Club. Mr. Thomas is past Chairman of the Board of Maxxam Analytics International Corporation. He also serves on the Board of Phoenix Energy Services Corporation. He previously has served on the Boards of Flint Energy Services, Orion Energy, Griffiths Energy, WestFire Energy, The Glenbow Museum, The Calgary Science Centre and Ranch Ehrlo. Mr. Thomas attended the University of Toronto, graduating in 1974 with a B.A. in Economics/History. He is also a graduate of the Executive Program at the University of Michigan in 1994.

Ms. Ralston joined the FortisAlberta Board of Directors in April, 2015. Ms. Ralston is currently Principle of LRI Consulting Services. She has more than 30 years of management experience in sales, marketing, operations, general management, and human resources. Shelley most recently was the Vice President Corporate at Red Deer College. Ms. Ralston also held various senior management roles in a 20-year career with Xerox Canada and a term with TELUS. Ms. Ralston is an active community member in Central Alberta. Shelley was a board member and subsequently, Chair of the Board of Red Deer College Board of Governors 2010-2018. Shelley is also a past board member of both the Red Deer Rotary Club and the Women’s Leadership Foundation, past cabinet member of the Central Alberta United Way, and a marketing committee member for the Central Alberta Leadership Centre. She was the recipient of a Women of Excellence award in 2008 and was profiled as a Women Worth Watching in Diversity Magazine in 2013. Ms. Ralston has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Alberta.

Mr. Hutchens was appointed to the FortisAlberta Board of Directors in July 2016. Mr. Hutchens is President and Chief Executive Officer of Fortis Inc. His career in the energy sector spans more than 25 years, having held a variety of positions at the Corporation’s electric and gas utilities in Arizona as well as with Fortis Inc. Mr. Hutchens previously served as Chief Operating Officer of Fortis Inc. as well as Chief Executive Officer of UNS Energy in Arizona. Prior to that, he was Executive Vice President of Western Utility Operations of Fortis Inc. while also maintaining his responsibilities as President and CEO of UNS Energy. Mr. Hutchens serves on the Board of Fortis Inc., as well as ITC Holdings and FortisBC, all Fortis utilities. He is a member of the Edison Electric Institute’s Board of Directors and several other charitable and civic organizations. He holds a Bachelor of Aerospace Engineering and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Arizona and is a former nuclear submarine officer in the U.S. Navy.

Linda Apsey is President and CEO of ITC Holdings Corp. In this role, she is responsible for the strategic vision and overall business operation of ITC and its subsidiaries. Previously, Mrs. Apsey served as Executive Vice President and Chief Business Unit Officer, leading all aspects of the financial and operational performance of the company.

Mrs. Apsey also has served as Executive Vice President and Chief Business Officer, and President of ITC Michigan where she was responsible for the company's regulatory, marketing and communications, federal, state and local government affairs, and human resource functions.

Mrs. Apsey was Manager of Transmission Policy and Business Planning for ITC when the organization was a subsidiary of DTE Energy. Prior to that role, she held a variety of positions at Detroit Edison including Manager, Regulatory Relations, where she was responsible for developing and managing regulatory and communications activities with the Michigan Public Service Commission and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Mrs. Apsey earned her MBA and Bachelor of Science degree in Public Affairs Management from Michigan State University. She is a member of the Business Roundtable and serves on the boards of ITC Holdings Corp., FortisAlberta, the Edison Energy Institute (EEI), The Detroit Economic Club, The Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce, Business Leaders for Michigan, the Nature Conservancy (Michigan), the Board of Trustees at The Henry Ford, and The Eli Broad College of Business Alumni Board of Directors at Michigan State University. She is a past member of the Department of Energy’s Electricity Advisory Committee (EAC), the EAC’s Transmission Subcommittee, the Michigan Chamber Board of Directors, and the Board of Trustees for Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital. In addition, she is past chair of The Heat and Warmth Fund (THAW) and past President of the Novi Parks Foundation.

Mr. Bricker was appointed to the FortisAlberta Board of Directors in May 2017. He has established and grown a number of venture capital fund programs, participated as a partner in several venture capital funds, and has been involved in investing in more than 300 early stage technology and life sciences companies. Ross is currently the Managing Partner for Westcott Ventures Inc., Owner/operator for Chestermere Stock Farm, Director for several private companies, Chair of Genome Canada’s GAPP Core Evaluation, and an advisory committee member for several early-stage companies.  He is a past director for a number of private companies and with a number of industry organizations – most recently BioAlberta, the Alberta Life Technology Investor Forum, and the Canadian Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (CVCA). Mr. Bricker is a Professional Agrologist with a BSc. in Agriculture from the University of Alberta and a MBA from the University of Regina. His post-graduate work included Molecular and Cellular Biology, Department of Medical Biochemistry at the University of Calgary. He has completed his corporate banking accreditation in the areas of commercial and personal credit, investment and corporate finance with one of the Schedule I Banks, and is an ICD.D holder.

Mr. Price was appointed to the FortisAlberta Board of Directors in April 2018. Mr. Price is the President of the Sunterra Group of Companies, which includes Sunterra Meats, Sunterra Markets and Sunterra Farms based in Alberta with operations the Midwest United States. Mr. Price also serves as a Director on the Sunterra Board of Directors, the Canadian Meat Council and the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre. Mr. Price is a past Vice-Chair of the Board of Alberta Innovates – Bio Solutions and was a member of Government of Canada’s Council of Science and Technology Advisors. Ray proudly supports his community of Acme, Alberta by volunteering and contributing his time and expertise time to local organizations.

Lorne Rubis was appointed to the FortisAlberta Board of Directors in February 2019. He has more than 40 years of culture, leadership and transformation experience in in various C Suite roles at organizations throughout North America and Europe. He currently advises CEOs from start-ups to well established, large corporations in both the private and public sector. Previously, he held the positions of Chief Culture and Transformation Officer for Norquest College and of Chief Evangelist with ATB Financial where he was instrumental in advancing ATB Financials’ culture. He currently serves as the Chief People Advisor to the CEO of Air Protein, a biotechnology venture. Mr. Rubis held executive positions driving transformation for a number of companies in the United States, including as an officer of a Fortune 50 company and as Vice President, Operations with the Los Angeles Kings. He is a sought after thought leader, speaker, and cultural strategist. Mr. Rubis is a published author and was awarded the 2018 Canadian Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to the Human Resource community and advancing the workplace. He is a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors and an invited mentor at The Unreasonable Group. Mr. Rubis holds a Bachelor of Education degree from the University of Alberta and a Master of Science in Industrial and Labour Relations from the University of Oregon.

James R. Reid is Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary, Fortis Inc.

Mr. Reid serves as Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer with Forti­s Inc. and was previously a partner with Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP in Toronto where he practiced for 20 years. Prior to joining Fortis, Mr. Reid had a 15-year relationship with the Corporation, having advised on corporate governance matters, large capital market transactions, regulatory applications and mergers and acquisitions in both Canada and the United States.

He earned a Bachelor of Laws from the Peter A. Allard School of Law, University of British Columbia, and Bachelor of Arts (Political Science) from McGill University in Montreal.

Mr. Reid was an adjunct professor at Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto for 10 years, teaching the Advanced Business Law Workshop in corporate finance. He was also an original member of the Dean’s Advisory Committee for the Centre for Business Law at the University of British Columbia, serving until 2020.

Mr. Reid serves on the Boards of Directors of UNS Energy and FortisOntario, both Fortis utilities. He also serves on the Board of Directors of Wataynikaneyap Power PM, a Fortis subsidiary acting as the project manager for the Wataynikaneyap Power Transmission Project, a partnership with 24 First Nations that is building a transmission line to connect 17 First Nations communities in Northwestern Ontario to the power grid.