Executive

Don Lowry is the President and Chief Executive Officer of EPCOR. Since joining EPCOR in 1998, Mr. Lowry has led the transformation of EPCOR into a North American power and water company, doubling its earnings and assets in three years. Prior to joining EPCOR, he spent more than 20 years in the telecommunications industry, including six years as President and Chief Operating Officer of TELUS Communications Inc.

Mr. Lowry graduated from the University of Manitoba with a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours), followed by an MBA degree. He is a graduate of the Harvard Advanced Management Program and the Banff School of Management. He is the current Chair of the EPCOR Power L.P., the Canadian Electricity Association, and serves on several other Boards, including Canadian Oil Sands Trust, Alberta Climate Change Central, Alberta Economic Development Authority, and The Banff Centre. He is also a member of the Alberta Carbon Capture and Storage Development Council, which is responsible for developing a roadmap for implementing carbon capture and storage technology in Alberta.

Brian Vaasjo was appointed Chief Operating Officer of EPCOR in 2008. He also serves as Executive Vice President, a position he has held since 1998. Mr. Vaasjo has responsibility for regional operations and development, and advancing the company’s competitive power and water businesses across North America.

 

Mr. Vaasjo is also President of EPCOR Power L.P. (TSX:EP.UN), Canada’s largest power income fund with 20 power generation assets. EPCOR owns a 30.6% interest in the EPCOR Power L.P.

 

Before joining EPCOR, Mr. Vaasjo spent 19 years with the Enbridge Group of Companies. He holds an MBA from the University of Alberta where he also received his undergraduate degree. Mr. Vaasjo is a Fellow of the Society of Management Accountants (FCMA). In addition, he is past Chairman of the Board of the United Way, Alberta Capital Region, and a member of the Financial Executives Institute of Canada.

Dr. Ken Cory was appointed Executive Vice President of Finance and Administration in 2007 and is responsible for the creation of EPCOR’s long-term plan, its supporting financial strategy, and the oversight of the Information Technology function. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Finance from the University of South Florida and a PhD in Strategic Management from Texas A&M where he also served on the faculty.

Dr. Cory has over 12 years of industry experience in strategy/financial management that includes serving as the head of strategy for two Fortune 500 power companies (Calpine Corporation & TXU Corporation) and as a strategy consultant with Deloitte Consulting. He comes to EPCOR after serving as Chief Executive Officer of V3 Technologies, a start-up renewable-power generation company.

Mark Wiltzen has served as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer since 2001. He is responsible for EPCOR’s treasury, financial reporting, accounting, payroll, accounts payable, and tax functions. Prior to this appointment, he was EPCOR’s corporate controller.

 

Mr. Wiltzen held senior positions at BTS Byers Transportation Systems Inc., North West Trust Company, and Deloitte & Touche before joining EPCOR in 1996.
He holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Alberta and is a Chartered Accountant with over 25 years of financial and accounting experience. Mr. Wiltzen is a member of the Investment Committee of the Public Service Pension Plan of Alberta.

Denise Carpenter joined EPCOR in 2003 as Senior Vice President of Public & Government Affairs. Ms. Carpenter heads an integrated department that aligns corporate, government, and community relations.

 

Prior to joining EPCOR, she was Executive Vice President and General Manager of Western Canada operations for Weber Shandwick Worldwide. Ms. Carpenter has extensive experience in the governance of post-secondary institutions and community organizations.

 

She currently serves on the Board of Governors of the Alberta College of Art and Design, the Board of Directors of the Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation, and is a member of the Community Engagement Committee for the Edmonton Committee to End Homelessness. She has been past Board Chair of the Edmonton Space Sciences Foundation, President of the Edmonton Business Council for the Visual Arts, and Director for the Edmonton Downtown Business Association.

 

Peter Arnold joined EPCOR in 2004 and was appointed Vice President one year later. He leads EPCOR's Total Rewards, Labour Relations, Talent Management, Human Resources Consulting, and Corporate Health & Safety teams.
 

Mr. Arnold  has over 25 years of domestic and international HR experience, and has held several senior HR positions with leading energy organizations. These include Duke Energy and Nexen, where he served as Vice President of Human Resources and Corporate Services.  
 

Mr. Arnold is a graduate of Trent University (economics) and the University of Toronto (education). He is a member of the Conference Board of Canada’s Council of HR Executives, and a member of the Human Resources Institute of Alberta. Mr. Arnold holds a Certified Human Resources Professional designation (CHRP).
 

Kate Chisholm is a member of EPCOR's senior executive team and serves as EPCOR's Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary.  In this senior capacity, she directs all legal affairs for EPCOR, EPCOR Power L.P., and their subsidiaries.  She leads an expert environmental, regulatory, and legal team, and also has responsibility for corporate compliance and ethics.
 
Prior to joining EPCOR in 2004, Mrs. Chisholm held positions as Vice President Commercial & Legal at the electrical transmission administrator of Alberta, and Vice President Law & Corporate Secretary at a successful ‘dot-com’ start up venture. She also held various other senior legal and regulatory positions with electricity and natural gas transportation utilities.  Mrs. Chisholm started her career in private practice.
 
Mrs. Chisholm obtained her B.A. from Mount Allison University (1984), her LL.B. from the University of Alberta (1988), and her M.B.A. from Queen’s University (2004).  She was called to the Alberta Bar in 1989, and is a member of the Law Society of Alberta and the Canadian Bar Association. Mrs. Chisholm has been designated as a Certified Compliance and Ethics Professional in the United States, and is a graduate of the Directors Education Program of the Insitute of Corporate Directors.