Eric Newell stated in the book,
A
Billion Barrels for Canada-the Syncrude Story:
“We have to demonstrate
once and for all that oil sands development is
Canada’s best choice to meet Canada’s energy
requirements. I know we can do it, if we work as
a team.”
Through
his leadership of Syncrude and work with the
National Oil Sands Task Force, Eric Newell has been
instrumental in the exploration of the oil sands and
its benefits to Canada’s energy industry. Eric
Newell was born in 1944 in Kamloops, British
Columbia and raised in Victoria. He has a Bachelor
of Applied Science degree in Chemical Engineering
from the University of British Columbia and a Master
of Science degree in Management Studies from the
University of Birmingham, England. His career began
with Imperial Oil and Esso, where he was often sent
to sites across North America, moving constantly
until he settled in Alberta in 1986. The pinnacle of
his career was with Syncrude Canada Ltd, where he
served as the company’s Chief Executive Officer and
as Chairman. He also served as president from 1989
to 1997. Under Newell, Syncrude became a major
player in Canada as a supplier of oil and gas, with
a strong corporate and environmental stewardship
program. He retired from Syncrude in 2003.
Currently, Newell serves as Chair for Careers:
The Next Generation Foundation and Director for
Nexen Inc., Canfor Corporation, Terasen Inc., C.D.
Howe Institute, and Policy Advisor to the Learning
Partnership. Many of his volunteer and community
projects are with various environmental, cultural,
and educational organizations. Newell’s
long-standing association with the University of
Alberta, including as Chair of the Board of
Governors, continues today as he serves as
chancellor since 2004. He is an Officer of the Order
of Canada and has had honorary Doctorates conferred
on him by the University of British Columbia (2003),
the University of Alberta (2002), and Athabasca
University (1995). Newell’s continued commitment to
the engineering profession can be seen in his
commitment to his old Alma Mater. Eric P. Newell
Leadership Award in Engineering at UBC was created
from his endowment to the University in 2004.
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