Board of Directors
Productivity Alberta is industry’s connection to all things productivity in Alberta and beyond. We’re different from any other organization out there in having industry at the table every step of the way, from the very beginning when we were developing a name and brand to today as we develop tools and deliver programs and services.
Our Board of Directors is comprised of senior leaders from some of Alberta’s most innovative and productive companies from a variety of sectors across industry. Take a minute to meet the members of the Board.
Larry Kaumeyer, President, Almita Piling Inc.
Larry Kaumeyer is Chair of the Productivity Alberta Board of Directors.
Larry Kaumeyer is President of Almita Piling Inc., Canada’s leader in the design, fabrication and installation of screw piles. Large capacity screw piles are an emerging foundation used in oil and gas, alternate energy, transmission and distribution, and pipelines. Mr. Kaumeyer has a long track record of building and leading high performing teams in business.
In addition to his success in growing Almita, Larry’s work experience includes financial services, government, and investment banking. Prior to joining Almita, he held three senior executive roles with ATB Financial.
Andy Mackintosh, EVP Hydrocarbons & Chemicals, SNC-Lavalin
Andy Mackintosh is Vice Chair on the Board of Directors, and Calgary-based at www.snclavalin.com
Andy was most recently the President & CEO of a highly successful start-up joint venture company. Under his leadership, the company secured a number of high profile oil & gas clients including one of the largest industrial asset management contracts awarded globally in recent times. Prior to relocating to Canada from Perth in Australia, he held the position of Executive General Manager – Asia & North America for an ASX Top 100 publicly listed company.
Andy started his career as a mechanical & production engineer working with McDermott Inc. in Scotland followed by a number of years based in Aberdeen (Scotland) and Perth (Australia) where he held senior executive and board positions. He has more than 25 years of international experience across a wide range of industry sectors throughout Europe, Asia and North America.
He is a Chartered Manager (UK), Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute (UK), Member of the Association of Project Managers (UK), and Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He holds an MSc Project Management from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland.
Jeff Clark, President, Kitchen Partners Limited
Jeff Clark was appointed President and COO of Kitchen Partners Limited in January 2005 to lead the re-shaping and growth of the organization. Since that time, Kitchen Partners has transformed and grown rapidly, creating and producing custom food products for food service operators across Canada.
Jeff has extensive general management experience gained through holding senior executive positions at Labatt Breweries in North and South America. He also has comprehensive sales and marketing as well as distribution expertise gained in a variety of senior management positions related to brand management, customer marketing, and sales.
Bob Holmes, Vice President, Tracer Industries Canada Limited
Bob is responsible for the Canadian operations of Tracer Industries Canada Limited, an engineering, procurement, and construction services organization primarily serving Alberta’s oil sands and heavy construction sector.
From start-up and throughout his 16-year tenure at Tracer, Bob has led the company’s growth based on values that allow employees to grow within a high performing organization. He has also championed the company’s Operational Excellence activities including Lean and Six Sigma, and witnessed firsthand the impact that productivity initiatives can have on that growth.
Prior to Tracer, Bob’s work experience includes oil and gas service, commercial and institutional design and construction, and then founding, operating, and subsequently divesting of three Alberta firms.
Bob holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Alberta.
Ray Mills, CEO, Kudu Industries Inc.
Ray Mills co-founded Kudu Industries Inc. in 1989 with his father. He has held various positions in the company including: General Manager, VP USA Operations, VP Sales and Operations, VP Sales, and currently as CEO. Ray has been instrumental in the growth of Kudu through customer service, development of new technologies and adoption of Lean management.
Prior to Kudu, Ray worked for several oil and gas industry service companies including Tundra Valve and Wellhead, Newmat Drilling, Canadian Hydraulic Workovers, Artic Construction and Norex Consulting.
Ray studied chemistry at the University of Western Ontario before transferring to the University of Alberta to study engineering.
Ray has three children: Thomas, Patrick, and Josephine. When not being a “Hockey/Soccer Dad”, Ray enjoys skiing, tennis and playing hockey. Ray currently sits on the boards of the Petroleum Services Association of Canada (PSAC), Manufacturing Action Committee (MAC, affiliated with Calgary Economic Development), and Productivity Alberta.
Liz Stretch, VP Sales & Service, Strategy, ATB Financial
Liz joined ATB in January 2010 as the VP Sales & Service, Strategy within Independent Business and Agriculture. During her time there, Liz created a team that focused on delivering on the Associate and Customer value propositions. Prior to joining ATB, Liz worked within the financial industry for 23 years in numerous positions.
Liz has earned the FICB designation, an MBA from Dalhousie University, and is a Certified Financial Planner.
In Jan 2012, Liz took on a new role and is now charged with the strategic areas of: acting as a catalyst and steward of ATB 2.0 (ATB’s over arching strategy); enabling and accelerating multi-line strategies; and being a thought starter of the un-enunciated needs of our customers. Reporting to Liz is the Alberta Intelligence & Innovation group, Corporate Business Planning team, and the Business Process Management team. These areas ensure ATB has a unique understanding of Albertans and strong collaboration with all the line of businesses, therefore creating a consistency in planning.
Liz is a proud and longtime supporter of the United Way and in the past acted as Treasurer for the Calgary Interfaith Food Bank. Liz resides in Calgary with her husband Todd and their three children. In her spare time, she enjoys skiing, biking, hiking and traveling.
Paul Verhesen, President, Clark Builders
As President, Paul Verhesen is responsible for business strategies and overall operations of Clark Builders. Over the past 30 years, Paul’s keen ability to apply value engineering principles and big-picture perspective to a variety of project types has complemented his commitment to exceed client expectations. This guiding principle is a testament to the importance he places on building positive relationships and effective teams.
His experience in all types and sizes of construction projects lends itself to the growing team of Clark Builders, where his passion for “doing the right thing every day” has become his trademark leadership style. A vested interest in contributing to the ongoing development of Alberta’s business and non-profit sectors is evident in the way he contributes his time, energy and expertise to a number of professional and community organizations, including, but not limited to:
- President, Edmonton Construction Association
- NRC-IRC (National Research Council Canada – Institute for Research in Construction) Advisory Board Member
- Productivity Alberta Industry Advisory Committee Member
- Women Building Futures, Board Member
