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

Myron Stadnyk

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)

Robert Michaleski

Director (Independent)

William Roby

Technical Committee Chair (Independent)

Manjit Sharma

Audit Committee Chair (Independent)

Judy Steele

Director (Independent)

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 30-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.

Myron Stadnyk

Chairman (Independent)

Experience

Mr. Stadnyk brings over 35 years of domestic and international experience in the oil and gas industry, with expertise in project management, operations, and leadership. 

During his tenure as CEO at Arc Resources Ltd., Mr. Stadnyk led the transformation of the company from a royalty trust into a leading Montney producer, driving significant growth and operational success. 

Currently, Mr. Stadnyk sits on the board of Veren Energy Inc. and has previously served on the Board of Trustees for the University of Saskatchewan Engineering Advancement Trust, Prairie Sky Royalty Ltd. and Arc Resources Ltd.

Education

Mr. Stadnyk holds a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering from the University of Saskatchewan and is a graduate of the Harvard Business School Advanced Management program. He also holds an ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors and is a member of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geologists of Alberta (APEGA). In recognition of his professional achievements, he was named Distinguished Lecturer at the University of Saskatchewan’s CJ MacKenzie Gala. 

Dion Hatcher, P.Eng.

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 brings over 40 years of experience in human resources, business strategy and development, as well as crude oil and natural gas marketing. She spent 33 years at ConocoPhillips, where she held a range of leadership roles across multiple global business units. Most recently, she served as the Corporate Vice President of Global Human Resources. 

Currently, Ms. Knickel serves on the board of Hudbay Minerals Inc. She has previously served as Chair of the Compensation and HR Committee, and as a member of the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee and the Environment, Health, Safety, and Sustainability Committee. She has also served on the boards of Whiting Petroleum Corporation (now Chord Energy) and the National MS Society – Colorado/Wyoming Chapter. In these roles, she provided strategic oversight on a wide range of sustainability issues, including community relations and Indigenous Peoples engagement and development.

Education

Ms. Knickel holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business and Marketing from the University of Colorado and a Master of Science in Management from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where she was a Sloan Fellow.

James J. Kleckner Jr.

Director (Independent)

Experience

Mr. Kleckner has more than 35 years of experience in executive and senior leadership roles. Most recently, he served as Chief Executive Officer of Jagged Peak Energy, focusing on production and development in the Permian Basin. He has also held several executive positions at Anadarko Petroleum Corporation and Kerr-McGee Corporation. Mr. Kleckner has extensive operational and technical experience in U.S. onshore resource plays and international oil and gas operations. Throughout his career, he has been responsible for a broad range of exploration, development, and production activities, as well as mergers and acquisitions, health, safety and environmental management, community and government relations, and enterprise risk management. 

He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Great Western Petroleum, a private company. Previously, he served on the boards of Jagged Peak Energy, Parsley Energy Inc., and one private company: Delonex Energy Limited. 

Education

Mr. Kleckner holds a Bachelor of Science in Petroleum Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines and is a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE).

Stephen P. Larke

Sustainability Committee Chair (Independent)

Experience

Mr. Larke has over 25 years of experience in energy capital markets, with expertise spanning research, sales, trading, and equity finance. He is a former Operating Partner and Advisory Board member at Azimuth Capital Management, an energy-focused private equity firm based in Calgary, Alberta. Prior to joining Azimuth, Mr. Larke served as Managing Director and a member of the Executive Committee at Peters & Co., a Calgary-based firm, from 2005 to 2015. Earlier in his career, he was Vice President and Director at TD Newcrest. At both Peters & Co. and TD Newcrest, Mr. Larke earned top rankings in the Brendan Wood International survey of institutional investors. 

Mr. Larke currently serves on the boards of Headwater Exploration and Topaz Energy. 

Education

Mr. Larke holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree (with distinction) from the University of Calgary, along with a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation. He is also a designated Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD.D) member, an FSA Credential Holder, and holds the Global Competent Boards ESG designation.

Timothy R. Marchant

Health, Safety and Environment Committee Chair (Independent)

Experience

Dr. Marchant has over 40 years of experience in the oil and gas industry, both in Canada and internationally, with extensive expertise in exploration, foreign growth strategies, sustainability, and international operations. He is currently an Adjunct Professor of Strategy and Energy Geopolitics at the Haskayne School of Business, University of Calgary, where he teaches courses on energy, corporate social responsibility, and sustainability strategies. Additionally, he lectures on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) strategies for the Institute of Corporate Directors Education Program. 

Dr. Marchant has held a variety of senior executive positions with British Petroleum (BP) and Amoco, with assignments in North America and the Middle East. Prior to his international roles, he spent 17 years with Amoco Canada. 

Dr. Marchant currently serves as Director and Chair of the Board of Valeura Energy Inc. He has also previously served on the boards of Vaalco Energy Inc. (formerly TransGlobe Energy Inc.) and Cub Energy Inc. 

Education

Dr. Marchant holds 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.

Robert Michaleski

Director (Independent)

Experience

Mr. Michaleski has over 40 years of experience in senior management and executive roles at Pembina Pipeline Corporation, where he played a key role in the company’s transformation from a regional oil pipeline operator with an enterprise value of $450 million into one of North America’s leading integrated energy transportation and midstream services companies, valued at $12.5 billion. 

He served as Chief Executive Officer and President for over a decade, and held senior positions in finance, including Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Vice President of Finance, and Controller. Mr. Michaleski was also a director of Pembina for 20 years, shaping the company’s growth and strategic direction. 

In addition to his work at Pembina, Mr. Michaleski has served as a director of Essential Energy Services Ltd. and Coril Holdings Ltd. He is also dedicated to community service, having held various leadership roles with the United Way of Calgary and Area, including Co-Chair of the General Oil and Gas Division and Chair of the Board of Directors. 

Education

Mr. Michaleski holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree with Honours from the University of Manitoba and is a Chartered Accountant.

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. 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. 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. 

Mr. Roby currently serves on the board of the California Resources Corporation. 

Education

Mr. Roby has a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Louisiana State University and is a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE).

Manjit Sharma

Audit Committee Chair (Independent)

Experience

With over 30 years of leadership experience in complex global organizations, Ms. Sharma has built a distinguished career across a broad range of industries, including power, energy, transportation, oil & gas, financial services, mining, and consulting. Most recently, she served as the Chief Financial Officer of WSP Canada, having spent the majority of her career at GE Canada. At GE, Ms. Sharma held a series of progressively senior roles, culminating in the position of CFO, where she was responsible for driving strategic planning, overseeing mergers and acquisitions, managing risk and governance, and championing diversity and inclusion initiatives. 

Recognized as one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women in 2019, Ms. Sharma is widely regarded for her leadership, expertise, and impact on both the corporate world and broader society. In addition to her executive roles, she serves on the Board of Directors of Export Development Canada, Finning International Inc., and TransAlta Corporation. She has also held leadership positions with the GE Canada Company Board, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, the YMCA of Greater Toronto, and the GE Canada Pension Trust Investment Committee, among others. 

Education

A graduate of the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours), Ms. Sharma is a Fellow Chartered Professional Accountant and has completed the Institute of Corporate Directors Education Program. She has also participated in the Rotman School of Management’s prestigious Judy Project for Executive Women in Leadership and earned the Global Competent Boards Designation.

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

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