Senior Management
Storm Ventures International is led by a team of professionals who have demonstrated a successful track record of corporate and project initiation, growth and value crystallization in Western Canada over the last 25 years. Between them, the partners possess 50 + years of strong "hands on" production, project management and business development skills that have been focused on international oil operations in North Africa and the Middle East.
Matthew Brister, President and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Brister is a registered Professional Geologist with 25 years experience in Western Canada (Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, NWT), North Africa and the North Sea. Mr. Brister was the President and C.E.O. of three successful junior oil and gas producers that were profitably grown and sold over the last ten years. In that role, he gained valuable oil, gas, heavy oil and power project experience in generation, execution and management as well as capital markets experience in Canada and the United States.
P. Grant Wierzba, Vice President, Production, Chief Operating Officer, Canada. Mr. Wierzba has over 30 years of experience in Western Canada including senior management level with the most aggressive exploitation operations in Western Canada while at Renaissance Energy Ltd. and Pinnacle Resources Inc. Mr. Wierzba has valuable expertise in production optimization, and facility design, construction and operation as well as drilling and completions. Mr. Wierzba has strong contacts across the Canadian oilfield service sector and has international experience in Iran.
Roy Smitshoek, Chief Operating Officer, International. A professional engineer with 25 years of varied experience in the energy business much of it in senior management capacities in both small and large organizations. At Renaissance Energy Ltd. Mr. Smitshoek led the development of the Exploitation Department and subsequently headed up corporate development. He was responsible for property and corporate acquisitions as well as international business development. He has experience in Western Canada, the North Sea and other producing regions.
L. Geoffrey Barlow, Chief Financial Officer and Vice-President, Finance. Mr. Barlow was appointed Chief Financial Officer effective November 1st 2007. Previously he was Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer of a major publicly held integrated energy and energy related company headquartered in Calgary, Alberta. He also held senior management positions at Renaissance Energy. Mr. Barlow is a Chartered Accountant and a member of the Institute of Charted Accountants of Alberta and Financial Executive Institute of Canada.
Tom Lindskog, Vice President, Exploration. Mr. Lindskog is a registered Professional Geologist with 25 years experience in Western Canada and North Africa. Mr. Lindskog has successfully managed a team of technical professionals in the execution of annual drilling programs encompassing over 250 wells and budgets of more than $100 million in addition to having play generation experience and success over a wide range of play types in Western Canada. Tom has found new reserves and production in a number of areas including Peace River Arch, Bigoray and Calling Lake.
Travis Stephenson, Vice President, Engineering of SVI since March 2010. Senior Engineer of SVI from August 2007 to March 2010, Senior Engineer of Trident Exploration Corp. (oil and gas company) from June 2006 to July 2007 and prior thereto, Senior Engineer of Vault Energy Inc. (administrator of Vault Energy Trust, an oil and gas trust).
Tim Halpen, Vice President, Exploitation of SVI since March 2010. Consultant to SVI from September 2009 to February 2010 and prior thereto, Vice President, Engineering of Wilderness Energy Corp. (oil and gas company) and prior thereto held various engineering positions of increasing responsibility with Cometra Energy Ltd. and its purchaser Vintage Energy (Canada) Ltd.
Walter Vrataric, Vice President, Business Development and Land of SVI since March 2010. Prior thereto, President and Chief Executive Officer of One Exploration Inc. (oil and gas company) from September 2006 until January 2010 and prior thereto, Vice-President, Land of Rock Creek Resources Ltd. (oil and gas company).
Fred D. Davidson, Partner, Burnet, Duckworth & Palmer LLP (law firm).
Jameleddine Lazreg, General Manager, North Africa. Prior to joining Storm Ventures International in 2005, Jamel was with Entreprise Tunisienne D’Activités Pétrolières (ETAP) in the capacity of Manager Promotions where he was responsible for the introduction of Tunisian business opportunities to prospective new entrants to the country on behalf of ETAP and the Directorate of Energy, Ministry of Industry and Energy, Tunisia (DGE). He facilitated the technical review and business negotiations leading to several block awards. Jamel also has a good grasp on the regional prospectivity and specific potential of many of the blocks in Tunisia. He also has input into business development roles throughout the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.