The
Advisory Committee
A world-class research team with an interdisciplinary multi-scaled approach
Steve Saddleback
Co-chair of the REDEVELOP Advisory Committee and Director of the National Energy Business Centre of Excellence (NEBCE) at the Indian Resource Council of Canada (IRC), and Member of Treaty 6 from the Samson Cree Nation, located in Maskwacis, AB.
Steve has worked for a number of national organizations in finance, real estate investment, economic development and relationship-building. He is also co-owner of a successful Oil and Gas Road Lease Building Company in Northeast British Columbia. Steve volunteers his time on numerous boards, including: the Indigenous Opportunities Committee at the Calgary Chamber of Commerce, SADLBAK Trucking, Samson Cree Nation – Nipishkopahk Wellness and Socio Development Committee, Nipisihkopahk Miyomacihowyn Society, the Circle for Aboriginal Relations Society and the CREATE REDEVELOP Program at the University of Calgary. Steve is adamant on working towards meaningful involvement of Indigenous communities in all areas of the economy with a focus on the Energy sector.
André Buret, PhD
Co-chair of the REDEVELOP Advisory Committee and Professor & Assoc. VP Research in the Biological Sciences Department, University of Calgary.
Andre was the successful Chair of the NSERC CREATE Award in Host-Parasite Interactions from 2012 – 2018, when the program became sustainable with the support of industry. Dr. Buret is also a world-renowned scientific leader, simultaneously holding the positions of Adjunct Professor in Physiology an Pharmacology, Co-founder and VP Research of Antibe Therapeutics and VP Research of the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology. Andre received an MSc in Parasitology (1988) and a PhD in Pathophysiology of Infectious Diseases (1991) from the University of Calgary, followed by PDFs in Mucosal Immunology at the University of Newcastle, in Australia, and in Gastrointestinal Physiology at the University of Calgary. Dr. Buret has published >120 peer-reviewed articles, 15 book chapters, holds over 20 issued patents, and contributed to the creation of 3 biotech spin-off companies. He has mentored >40 graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, who have gone on to obtain positions in industry, academia, and government. He has served on numerous local, national and international grant and government committees, as well as advisory boards for private companies.
Jérôme Marty, PhD
Project Director at the Council of Canadian Academies (CCA), based in Ottawa.
Prior to joining the CCA in 2016, Jérôme held positions as a research scientist at the St. Lawrence River Institute (SLRI), as director of environment in a large consulting firm (WSP Canada), and recently as a science advisor at Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO). He led the first national risk assessment for oil and chemical spills in Canada and contributed as an expert to the CCA Commercial Marine Shipping Accidents report. Trained as a freshwater ecologist, Jérôme holds a MSc and PhD in Biology from Université de Montréal and Université du Québec à Montréal respectively. He is a Part-time Professor at the University of Ottawa and Adjunct Professor in Biology at the University of Waterloo. In 2017, he led a report for the Great Lakes Commission on the sensitivity of the Great Lakes to oil exposure using multiple modes of transport. He continues to advise governments and promote freshwater sciences as part of the Lake Kivu expert panel (Rwanda), the board of Watershed Canada, the Canadian Society of Limnology and the St. Lawrence River Institute.
Sara Hastings-Simon, PhD
Managing Director of the Alberta Clean Economy Program at the Pembina Institute, Canada’s leading energy think tank.
Sara has expertise in clean tech, electricity grids and markets, and emissions reduction policy. She sits on the board of Emissions Reduction Alberta and is a member of the Alberta Clean Technology Task Force. She has worked with governments (provincial and national), utilities, renewable energy developers, financial institutions, and oil and gas companies. Her work has included development of a detailed model of the North American power sector, research on success factors in the cleantech industry, and development of international and domestic policy for climate change and emissions reduction. Prior to joining the Pembina Institute, Sara was Manager of the Cleantech Practice at McKinsey & Company, a global management consulting firm. Sara holds a PhD in Physics from the University of Geneva, in Switzerland.
Fiona Salkie
Director of Continuation & Validation Analysis, PNG Tenure Operations, Alberta Department of Energy.
Fiona has over 15 years’ of experience working on natural resources and economic development issues, as well as innovation programs at the provincial and federal levels. Her area of expertise is working with stakeholders across academia, industry and government, to successfully develop and implement policy and programs. Prior to joining the Government of Alberta, Fiona spent 10 years at the University of Alberta as a Research Associate / Project Manager on projects related to sustainable forest management, agroforestry and welfare reform. While with the Sustainable Forest Management Network of Centers of Excellence, Fiona spearheaded a committee of senior reps from academic, government and industry to ensure students involved in the network received the training and support they needed to be successful in their careers. Fiona has a BSc in Agriculture/Economics, and an MSc in Resource Economics from the University of Alberta.