Our Directors

The members of our Board of Directors are Vermilion’s highest governing body and proven leaders who guide our management, ensure the continued integrity of our people and processes, oversee risk management, and position our company to deliver on our purpose.

Meet our Board of Directors

Directors

Robert Michaleski

Chairman (Independent)

Dion Hatcher

President & Chief Executive Officer

Carin S. Knickel

Governance and Human Resources Committee Chair (Independent)

James J. Kleckner Jr.

Director (Independent)

Stephen P. Larke

Sustainability Committee Chair (Independent)

Timothy R. Marchant

Health, Safety and Environment Committee Chair (Independent)

William Roby

Technical Committee Chair (Independent)

Manjit Sharma

Audit Committee Chair (Independent)

Myron Stadnyk

Director (Independent)

Judy Steele

Director (Independent)

Corporate Secretary

Jamie Gagner

Corporate Secretary (Lawson Lundell LLP)

Structured Board Committees

Our directors oversee all matters related to performance, including our economic, environmental, social and governance impacts through five committees: Audit, Governance and Human Resources, Health, Safety and Environment, Sustainability, and Technical.

Audit

Manjit Sharma (Chair)

Robert Michaleski

Steve Larke

Judy Steele

Governance and Human Resources

Carin Knickel (Chair)

Steve Larke

Robert Michaleski

Manjit Sharma

Judy Steele

Health, Safety and Environment

Timothy Marchant (Chair)

Jim Kleckner Jr.

Carin Knickel

Bill Roby

Myron Stadnyk

Sustainability

Steve Larke (Chair)

Carin Knickel

Tim Marchant

William Roby

Judy Steele

Technical

William Roby (Chair)

Jim Kleckner Jr.

Tim Marchant

Myron Stadnyk

Our Leadership

Meet our Corporate Officers and Business Unit Management teams

Wandoo

Our History

Vermilion was founded in 1994 as a Canadian oil and gas exploration and production company focused on assets in Alberta, Canada.

Values

Our Values

Vermilion’s core values of Excellence, Trust, Respect and Responsibility have guided what we do and how we do it throughout our more than 20-year history.

Governance

Governance

Strong governance is in the best interests of our shareholders and promotes effective decision making at the Board level.

People

People

Our talented and innovative people have helped Vermilion earn the recognition as a Great Place to Work®. Our people help set the stage for success.

Robert Michaleski

Chairman (Independent)

Experience

Mr. Michaleski has 41 years of experience in various senior management and executive roles at Pembina Pipeline Corporation where he oversaw Pembina’s transformation from an Alberta-based oil pipeline company with an enterprise value of approximately $450 million into one of North America’s leading integrated energy transportation and midstream services company with an enterprise value of approximately $12.5 billion. Mr. Michaleski was the Chief Executive Officer from 2000 to 2013 and President from 2000 to 2012. Previously, he was Vice President and Chief Financial Officer from 1997 to 2000, Vice President of Finance from 1992 to 1997, Controller from 1980 to 1992, and Manager of Internal Audit from 1978 to 1980. He was a director of Pembina from 2000 to 2020.  He is currently a director of Essential Energy Services Ltd. (since 2012), and a director of Coril Holdings Ltd. (since 2003). His focus on corporate philanthropy and community engagement programs includes service to the community in increasingly senior voluntary leadership roles with the United Way of Calgary and Area, including Co-Chair of the General Oil and Gas Division of the United Way of Calgary and Area; member of the Board of Directors; and Chair of the Board of Directors.

Education

B.Comm. (Honors) Degree, University of Manitoba; Chartered Accountant designation

Dion Hatcher

President & Chief Executive Officer

Experience

Mr. Hatcher has over 25 years of industry experience focused on production and operations engineering, asset management and business development, working onshore and offshore in Europe and Canada. Mr. Hatcher joined Vermilion in 2006 as an exploitation engineer on the France team and in 2008 progressed to the role France Exploitation Manager. In 2010, he assumed responsibility for managing the development of Vermillion’s extensive Cardium and Mannville land position in the Drayton Valley area. In March 2023, Mr. Hatcher was promoted to the role of President and Chief Executive Officer, and appointed as a member of the Board of Directors of the Company. Previously, Mr. Hatcher was President of the Company, which he held from January 2022, Vice President, North America, from November 2020, and Vice President, Canada Business Unit from 2016. Prior to that, Mr. Hatcher served as Director Alberta Foothills, Canada Business Unit. Prior to joining Vermilion, Mr. Hatcher worked in various engineering, operations, exploitation and project management roles with Chevron Canada Resources.

Education

B.Sc. Mechanical Engineering (Dean’s List), Memorial University of Newfoundland

Carin S. Knickel

Governance and Human Resources Committee Chair (Independent)

Experience

Ms. Knickel has over 40 years of experience in human resources, business strategy and development, and crude oil and natural gas marketing. She currently serves on the boards of Hudbay Minerals Inc. (since 2015), Whiting Petroleum Corporation (since 2015), and the National MS Society – Colorado/Wyoming Chapter (since 2014). Ms. Knickel served on Hudbay Board’s Compensation and HR Committee (2015 to 2019; Chair 2018 to 2019); Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee (2018 to 2019); and Environment, Health, Safety and Sustainability Committee (2015 to 2018), which provided oversight on a wide range of sustainability issues, including community and Indigenous Peoples engagement and development. Ms. Knickel served on Whiting Petroleum Board’s Compensation Committee (2015 to 2019); and chaired the Sustainability Committee beginning in 2019. Prior to joining these boards, Ms. Knickel worked at ConocoPhillips for 33 years, where she held a variety of leadership positions globally across several business lines, most recently as the Corporate Vice President of Global Human Resources.

Education

B.Sc. Business, Marketing, University of Colorado at Boulder; MSc (Sloan Fellowship, Management), Massachusetts Institute of Technology 

James J. Kleckner Jr.

Director (Independent)

Experience

Mr. Kleckner has more than 35 years of experience in various executive and senior leadership roles. He was most recently Chief Executive Officer of Jagged Peak Energy with a focus on production and development in the Permian Basin and held several executive positions with Anadarko Petroleum Corporation and Kerr McGee Corporation. He has extensive operational and technical experience in US onshore resource plays and international oil and gas operations. During his career, he held leadership roles responsible for a full range of exploration, development, production and operational priorities, including mergers and acquisitions, health safety and environment, community and government relations and enterprise risk management. Mr. Kleckner currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors for Great Western Petroleum, a private company. Previously, he served as a member of the Board of Directors of Jagged Peak Energy, Parsley Energy Inc., and two private companies: Delonex Energy Limited and Hawkwood Energy LLC. He has served on the Industry and Advisory Board of the School of Energy Research at the University of Wyoming, the Petroleum Engineering Advisory Board at the Colorado School of Mines, the Executive Board for the Colorado Oil and Gas Association, and the Executive Board for the Independent Petroleum Association of Mountain States.

Education

B.Sc. Petroleum Engineering, Colorado School of Mines 

Stephen P. Larke

Sustainability Committee Chair (Independent)

Experience

Mr. Larke has over 20 years of experience in energy capital markets, including research, sales, trading and equity finance, and currently serves on the boards of Headwater Exploration (since 2020) and Topaz Energy (since 2019). He is formerly an Operating Partner and Advisory Board member with Azimuth Capital Management, an energy-focused private equity fund based in Calgary, Alberta. Prior to joining Azimuth, Mr. Larke was Managing Director and Executive Committee member with Calgary-based Peters & Co., from 2005 to 2015, and prior to, was Vice-President and Director with TD Newcrest from 1997 to 2005. Both at Peters & Co. and TD Newcrest, Mr. Larke received leading rankings in the Brendan Wood International survey of institutional investors.

Education

B.Comm. (Distinction), University of Calgary; Chartered Financial Analyst designation; Institute of Corporate Directors Education Program, FSA Credential Holder

Timothy R. Marchant

Health, Safety and Environment Committee Chair (Independent)

Experience

Dr. Marchant has 40 years of oil and gas industry experience in Canada and international locations, with extensive experience in exploration, foreign growth strategies, sustainability and international operations. Currently, he is the Adjunct Professor of Strategy and Energy Geopolitics at the Haskayne School of Business, University of Calgary where he teaches energy, corporate social responsibility and sustainability strategies; he also lectures on board environment, social and governance strategies for the Institute of Corporate Directors Education Program. Dr. Marchant serves as a director (since 2015) and Chair of the Board (since 2018) of Valeura Energy Inc. and a director of TransGlobe Energy Corporation (since 2020). He was a director of Cub Energy Inc. from 2013 to 2020. He was Executive Chairman of Anatolia Energy Corp. from 2011 to 2013. Dr. Marchant has served in a variety of senior executive positions with British Petroleum and Amoco in North America and the Middle East. Prior to his international assignments, he spent 17 years with Amoco Canada. Dr. Marchant has a Ph.D. in Geology from Trinity College, University of Dublin, Ireland. He completed the Executive Program at the Ivey School of Business, University of Western Ontario in 1994 and the Institute of Corporate Directors Education Program in 2011.

Education

Ph.D. Geology, Trinity College, University of Dublin, Ireland; Executive Program completed, Ivey School of Business, University of Western Ontario; Institute of Corporate Directors Education Program

William Roby

Technical Committee Chair (Independent)

Experience

Mr. Roby has over 40 years of experience in various senior management and executive positions. In these roles, he held leadership responsibility for a full range of exploration, production and operational priorities, including international business development, business ethics, health, safety and environment, and community engagement work with Indigenous Peoples. His significant expertise in CO2 sequestration and injection has been called upon by both federal and state governments in the United States. He currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Shepherd Energy, LLC (since 2015). From 2000 to 2013, he held a number of U.S. and international management positions with Occidental Petroleum Corporation, most recently as Senior Vice President, Worldwide Operations and Production/Facility Engineering. From 2013 to 2014, he acted as Chief Operating Officer of Sheridan Production Company, LLC, a Houston-based oil and gas company with production in excess of 50,000 boe/d. Prior to Occidental, he was Operations VP of Altura a JV between Shell and Amoco in the Permian Basin which combined the two largest Permian operators into one entity making Altura the largest Permian operator.

Education

B.Sc. Mechanical Engineering, Louisiana State University

Manjit Sharma

Audit Committee Chair (Independent)

Experience

Ms. Sharma has over 30 years of experience operating in complex global organizations across many industry sectors including power, energy, transportation, oil & gas, financial services, mining, and consulting. While Ms. Sharma most recently served as Chief Financial Officer of WSP Canada, the bulk of her career has been with GE Canada. While at GE, Ms. Sharma held a variety of progressively senior management roles, lastly as its Chief Financial Officer, her responsibilities spanned strategic planning and analysis, mergers and acquisitions, tax oversight, risk, governance, diversity and inclusion. Ms. Sharma serves as a member of the Board of Directors for Export Development Canada, Finning International Inc., TransAlta Corporation, and is a member of the GE Canada Pension Trust Investment Committee. She previously served as a Director of the BGO Prime Canadian Property Fund, the Board of GE Canada Company, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce and the YMCA of the Greater Toronto Area. Ms. Sharma was also recognized as one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women in 2019. Ms. Sharma holds a Bachelors of Commerce degree from the University of Toronto, is a FCPA FCA, and has completed both the Institute of Corporate Directors Education Program and the Global Competent Boards Designation.

Education

B.Comm. (Honours), University of Toronto; Fellow Chartered Professional Accountant Designation; Rotman School of Management’s Judy Project for Executive Women in Leadership; Institute of Corporate Directors Education Program 

Myron Stadnyk

Director (Independent)

Experience

Mr. Stadnyk brings over 35 years of business and industry knowledge, with extensive experience in senior leadership, cost management, operational effectiveness, governance, health, safety, and environment. He most recently served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of ARC Resources Ltd. where he led ARC’s transformation from a royalty trust to a top-tier Montney producer demonstrating outstanding strategic leadership. Prior to ARC, Mr. Stadnyk worked at a major oil and gas company in both domestic and international operations. He currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors for Crescent Point Energy Corp. and the University of Saskatchewan Engineering Trust. Mr. Stadnyk is also a member of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta. He served as a member of the Board of Directors for Prairie Sky Royalty Ltd. and was Governor for the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers for over 10 years. Mr. Stadnyk holds the ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors.

 

Education

B.Sc. Mechanical Engineering, University of Saskatchewan; Harvard Business School Advanced Management Program graduate

Judy Steele

Director (Independent)

Experience

Ms. Steele has more than 35 years of experience in various energy businesses including hydro, wind, biomass and natural gas fired electrical generating facilities. Currently, Ms. Steele is the President & Chief Operating Officer of Emera Energy Inc., where she is responsible for commercial performance, operations, business growth and development, risk management, and team leadership and development. She is a member of the Emera Inc. Corporate Leadership Team and Emera’s Sustainability Management Committee and Leadership Safety Advisory Council. Prior to her current role, Ms. Steele held a variety of executive and senior management positions within Emera Inc. Ms. Steele is currently a Board member of Canadian Blood Services and a Governor of St. Francis Xavier University. She previously served as a Director and Chair of the Audit Committee for The Halifax Port Authority and was National Chair of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. Ms. Steele is a recipient of the Chartered Accountant of the Year Award, from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nova Scotia, for outstanding community leadership.

Education

Bachelors of Public Relations, Mount Saint Vincent University; Fellow Chartered Accountant designation

Jamie Gagner

Corporate Secretary (Independent)

Experience

Mr. Gagner is a corporate finance and securities lawyer. In addition to corporate finance and securities, he focuses on governance and directors’ liability, mergers and acquisitions and corporate and commercial matters. Mr. Gagner advises on a broad range of securities, corporate and commercial law matters including public and private financings, mergers and acquisitions, reorganizations, and purchases and sales of businesses and assets. He also regularly advises clients on corporate governance, regulatory compliance, continuous disclosure and general corporate and commercial matters.

Education

LL.B University of Saskatchewan; B.A. University of British Columbia; Alberta Bar

INCIDENT NOTIFICATION & UPDATES
Provide further details