edlághį / ABOUT US

Leadership

Chief Jim Boucher

Co-Founder, President and Chairman

Jim Boucher has been, and continues to be one of the most influential and successful Indigenous leaders internationally. Jim believes practice and preservation of one's traditional way of life can occur simultaneously alongside continuous and long-term sustainable oil sands development. Jim has effectively built relationships with the oil and gas industry and all levels of government. This has built Fort McKay's social and economic strength, facilitated proper consultation and advanced the rights of his community and it's people.

Jim Boucher was born in Fort McKay, Alberta, a community of about 800 Dene, Cree and Métis on the bank of the Athabasca River. The middle child of seven, he is a direct descendant of Headman Adam Boucher who signed Treaty 8 on August 4, 1899. Raised by his grandparents, Jim’s first languages were Cree and Dene. The family lived off the land with Jim helping on the trap line as a young boy. “It was a very good life. I grew up with people helping each other. Everybody had a responsibility, a function. Everyone contributed, even children. Living off the land was a beautiful experience,” remembers Jim. When he was 13, Jim and his younger siblings were placed in Blue Quills Indian Residential School in St. Paul, his three older sisters having already been sent several years before. “We were deprived of our family and community. For all that was lost as a result of the residential school system – our language, traditional way of life – the greatest loss of all to me was the loss of my mother. She lost her life of a broken heart, we were taken from her, and she was taken from us,” remembers Jim.

In 1986, he established the Fort McKay Group of Companies and numerous First Nation joint ventures. From the very beginning, Jim focused on three goals: creating employment, building educational opportunities, and turning a profit to provide a higher standard of living for the community. He achieved each of these goals in short order, then improved on them year after year. As Board Chairman, Jim has developed and sustained successful First Nation-owned businesses that create economic wealth and opportunities for the people of Fort McKay. These Fort McKay First Nation majority-owned businesses include the 100 percent band-owned and operated Fort McKay Group of Companies and many Jointly owned partnerships. Under his leadership, FMFN has grown into a successful, healthy community with next to zero unemployment, a per capita average household income higher than the Alberta and National average, a $65 million (and counting) trust fund, and control of companies that have generated $2.36 billion in revenue from 2013-2018. That makes FMFN a net contributor to Alberta’s and Canada’s economies.

Jim was a driving force in the Fort McKay First Nation making an historic investment ($545 million), in Suncor's East Tank Farm on November 22nd, 2017. Jim’s collaborative leadership led to a $545 million deal with Suncor Energy, which turned over 49 per cent of its East Tank Farm to Indigenous ownership. The transaction built upon on a foundation of trust and collaboration and serves as a model for how First Nations and resource development companies can work together to achieve mutual long-term benefit. The deal represents the largest business investment to date by an Indigenous company in Canada, and it is the first time the energy industry has given a majority stake to an outside party.

In 2020, Jim Boucher established the Saa Dene Group of Companies, as a vehicle to continue to continue his advocacy journey for the economic and social empowerment for Indigenous people.

Executive Team

Mike Maguire

Chief Executive Officer

In June of 2020, Mr. Maguire was appointed Chief Executive Office. He has over 25 years of oilfield drilling and well servicing experience. Prior to joining High Arctic Mr. Maguire held senior management positions with two of the largest Australian oilfield service companies, Oil Drilling & Exploration Ltd. and more recently Easternwell. Mr. Maguire holds a Bachelor’s Degree (Hons) in Petroleum Engineering from the University of New South Wales, and is a former Vice Chairman of the Australian chapter of the International Association of Drilling Contractors. nous people.

Jauvonne Kitto

Co-Founder and Chief Commercial Officer

As a member of Saa Dene and Seh' Chene team, her role is to support the company's existing sales efforts and partner teams. Leading and supporting these teams, the executive in this role will drive the company's strategic approach and overall strategic vision of Seh' Chene.

Ms. Kitto has years of combined executive management and governance experience. Her career has spanned work in the public, private, government and non-profit sectors. Specializing in guiding organizations to operate more efficiently and profitably by focusing on the spectrum of challenges that business leaders and governments face – from long range strategic planning and is the critical day-to-day business matters.

Deirdre Maloney

Commercial Manager

Ms. Maloney joined the Seh' Chene team in November 2020. She has been with High Arctic since January of 2016 as Contracts Analyst for the international business unit. In March of 2020, Ms. Maloney was appointed Commercial Manager across the global HAES business. She has over 7 years’ experience in oil and gas contract and commercial management. Prior to joining Seh' Chene and High Arctic Ms. Maloney was part of the team responsible for managing the Drilling and Exploration contracts portfolio for Oil Search Limited. Ms. Maloney holds a Bachelors Degree in Business Studies and is a member of the International Association for Contract & Commercial Management.

Paul Rose

Field Sales and Indigenous Relations

Paul Rose has 25 years of oilfield experience. He started with Hi-West Well Servicing in 1995 as a floorhand, and worked his way up to Rig Manager by 2002. During that time he spent the first 4 years working on a double, then moving to a slant rig where he spent the majority of his experience. After he became a Rig Manager, he assisted in the design and build of two SAGD slant rigs for Fort McMurray, managing both. In 2006 Concord acquired Hi-West and in 2007 Paul moved to a field superintendent position. In 2013 He was promoted to Regional Operations Manager and was apart of the transition to High Arctic Energy Services Inc in 2016. In 2020 Paul moved into the role of Field Sales and Indigenous Relations within the Seh' Chene Well Services and the High Arctic Organization.

Don Pack

Executive Vice President

Mr. Pack has over 35 years of Well Servicing experience prior to joining High Arctic in 2017 and Seh' Chene in 2019. He began his career in the industry in 1980 working for Mountain Well Servicing where he held various positions from Rig Operator to Field Supervisor. In 1990 Mr. Pack moved to Precision Well Servicing where he began his tenure there as Operations Manager and was promoted to Vice President Operations where he oversaw the ongoing operations of the Completions and Production Services Department. Mr. Pack has been an active volunteer with the CAODC and has been a Director with PITS/Enform.

Well Servicing l Drilling Rigs l Snubbing l Rentals