Leadership

Leadership Team

Scott Southward

President & Chief Executive Officer

Scott is president and CEO of Steel Reef, a market leader in emissions reduction through flare gas recovery that is emerging into their proven emissions-to-energy practice. As co-founder of Steel Reef, he has overseen the vision, strategy and remarkable sustainable growth across all functions, from deal flow and business development, to finance, engineering and operations since the company’s inception in 2012. Scott is now looking forward to extending the use of captured flare gas to increasingly power potential for communities and industry as demand for electricity grows through the energy transition. Steel Reef became the market leader in flare gas capture and intends to do same in the emerging gas to power sector.

Prior to Steel Reef, Scott spent 12 years as a developer of both midstream and downstream projects throughout the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin at Keyera Corp., BG International LTD., and SemCams. Through various roles at these firms, he was responsible for midstream growth and commercial investment in central Alberta and Northeast British Columbia where Scott successfully built, maintained and negotiated a large portfolio of commercial midstream deals and developed strategies for midstream involvement in emerging plays throughout the WCSB. Scott earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Calgary. Outside of the office, Scott enjoys travelling with his family.

Austin Voss

Vice President & Chief Operating Officer

Austin is the co-founder and Chief Operating Officer and Vice President of Steel Reef, overseeing the base business operations, engineering and safety. While embracing values of excellence, respect and discipline, Austin is focused on reducing emissions by recovering flare gas and developing additional electricity generating turbines powered by this recovered flare gas. By furthering Steel Reef’s emissions to energy practice, the company will support the energy transition with carbon-efficient energy.

Over the past 25 years, Austin operated major midstream facilities, performed asset management, and managed all classes of midstream projects in the construction phase. He held senior roles as facilities engineer, asset integrity engineer, and project engineer at firms including Keyera Corp., Skystone Engineering Inc., and Chevron Canada Resources. Austin holds a Masters of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Alberta and is a professional member of APEGA (Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta).

William Champion

Chief Financial Officer

Bill is the Chief Financial Officer at Steel Reef, providing leadership, encouragement and vigor to the accounting, finance, treasury, risk management, external communications and information systems teams. Since joining the firm in 2019, and through leadership values of accountability, transparency, and credibility; Bill has enabled acquisitions and organic growth to triple operating cash flow. Looking forward, Bill is focused on driving Steel Reef further into the energy transition with the construction of five, first of their kind, power plants behind the company’s existing facilities enabling Steel Reef to provide flare gas powered electricity to communities and adjacent industries. Building the energy infrastructure of the future sparks additional revenue and growth opportunities to Steel Reef.

Prior to Steel Reef, Bill spent 18 years in energy industry financial management. He served in executive finance and treasury roles managing capitalization strategies, financing and risk management, corporate development, and M&A and divestiture processes, and corporate lending at various private and public energy companies including Meritage Midstream, Wells Fargo, and CoBank. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Colorado State University with dual minors Finance and Management. Away from the office, Bill can be found wandering the mountains, fishing rod in hand, guiding his kids into the future as an assistant Cub Scout Den Leader and elementary school event volunteer.

Scott Allen

Vice President, Commercial

Scott is Vice President, Commercial at Steel Reef. He is responsible for growth strategy and execution and marketing. Through a lens of respect, transparency, and collaboration, Scott is focused on developing a skilled, driven team that will identify and execute on the best opportunities for the firm to help meet the growing demand for energy as a market leader in the flare gas-to-power space. The 2024 investment in Saskatchewan positions Steel Reef at the forefront of increasing efforts to turn previously wasted gas into valuable energy, while addressing the environmental impacts associated with oil and gas production emissions.

Prior to joining Steel Reef in 2016, Scott spent 15 years in the oil and gas sector with roles in finance, analysis, corporate development, strategy development, management, project management, acquisitions and divestitures and commercial development. He held leadership roles at Keyera, including Director of Gas Gathering and Processing and Director of NGL Infrastructure. Scott holds a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Calgary, a Bachelor of Commerce in Finance from the University of Lethbridge, and a business diploma from Mount Royal University. When he is not growing the business at Steel Reef, Scott can be found on a bike or the ski hill and is involved with his two kids’ sports and activities.

Don Boll

Vice President, Engineering

Don is Vice President, Engineering at Steel Reef, where he oversees the project and operations engineering teams. This includes project development, design, construction and commissioning as well as overall engineering aspects for operating facilities, risk reduction, infrastructure integrity, and process engineering. Having built out the flare gas-to-power infrastructure at Steel Reef, Don is focused on continued growth and vertical integration as the firm moves further into electricity generation, expanding its role in the energy transition.

Over the last 20 years, Don has worked in the oil and gas sector in areas such as project execution, operations engineering and business development—from project inception to operational commissioning—gaining experience in the Environment, Procurement and Construction (EPC) environment and Keyera Corp. Don graduated with distinction from University of Calgary with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. An avid outdoorsman, he enjoys hiking and cross-country skiing with his wife and two children.

Al Eggum

Vice President, Operations

Al is Vice President, Operations at Steel Reef and is responsible for the safe and reliable operations of the firm’s facilities, infrastructure and commercial operations. With a focus on engagement, collaboration and performance, Al is a key driver of Steel Reef’s culture of operations risk management and management of process safety risk. With a strong track record of processing reliability, Steel Reef has a strong growth trajectory and is now dominant player in the energy transition by establishing itself as leaders in flare gas capture to create energy to heat homes, dry crops and fuel operations.

Al has more than 29 years of experience in the oil and gas industry and has extensive experience with all aspects of midstream infrastructure operations. In various roles throughout North America, Al has expertise in areas such as operations engineering, operations management, project management, strategic planning, engineering management, integrity management and inspection. Prior to joining Steel Reef, he worked with Amoco Canada and BP. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Saskatchewan and a Bachelor of Music in Performance from the University of Regina. Al is a Registered Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) with APEGA (Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta). When not in the field with Steel Reef, Al is an avid traveler.

Lisa MacLeod

Vice President, Controller

Lisa is Vice President, Controller at Steel Reef, where she is responsible for the accounting, external financial reporting, budgeting, and financial planning and analysis functions of the organization. She was instrumental in the integration of various asset and corporate acquisitions, most notably the nine natural gas processing facilities and associated processing and sales infrastructure in 2020, which allowed Steel Reef to become the market leader in flare gas capture. Steel Reef is increasingly focused on reducing emissions by capturing flare gas that may have otherwise been released into the atmosphere, using it as a new energy source to backfill power and electricity demand as the energy transition moves beyond coal – powering a new growth trajectory for the firm.

Lisa brings more than 15 years of experience as a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) and a Chartered Accountant (CA). Prior to joining Steel Reef in 2015, Lisa gained experience with her positions at Long Run Exploration Ltd., WestFire Energy Ltd. and MNP LLP. Lisa holds a Bachelor of Management in Accounting from the University of Lethbridge. Evenings and weekends take Lisa to the bleachers in the arena or the sidelines of the ball field with two busy children.

Scott Megaffin

Vice President, Treasurer

Scott is Vice President, Treasurer at Steel Reef, where he is responsible for risk and insurance, capital markets, cash management, tax, corporate planning, communications and investor relations, and information services. Through effective, conservative, and growth-oriented development of Steel Reef’s balance sheet, the firm has built a foundation for exponential growth to be realized with capital providers who share a vision of capturing otherwise flared gas and putting it to productive use to meet increasing energy demands.

Scott joined Steel Reef in 2018 overseeing corporate budgeting, forecasting and valuation. He refinanced the firm’s corporate lending structure to meet growth needs and accommodate acquisitions and built the risk and corporate planning functions. Prior to joining Steel Reef, he built a diverse financial background over 20 years comprised of equity research, corporate reporting, capital markets, and acquisitions and divestitures (A&D) within the oil and gas sector. Scott gained experience at numerous firms including Pengrowth Energy Corporation, Peters & Co., and Ernst & Young, LLP. He holds a Bachelors of Commerce with Honours with a major in Finance and holds designations as a Chartered Accountant (CA) and Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA). Away from the office, Scott can be found skiing, fishing, camping in the mountains or volunteering with local minor sports leagues.

Jodi Wilson

Vice President, General Counsel

Jodi is Vice President and General Counsel at Steel Reef, overseeing the legal, corporate secretarial, land, regulatory and environment functions. Jodi joined Steel Reef in 2021, enabling the corporate secretarial function to move in-house, facilitating rapid support for the commercial project teams in various deals to build out the flare gas capture practice. With the 2024 independent power production mandate in Saskatchewan, Jodi is looking forward to supporting the expanding infrastructure network to push the boundaries of what is possible to power the ever-increasing demand for electricity.

Having practiced law for 20 years, Jodi brings a broad range of legal and commercial experience to the firm. Prior to joining Steel Reef, she spent more than 13 years working as in-house counsel in the oil and gas industry at ARC Resources Ltd and Keyera Corp. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Calgary, a Bachelor of Laws (J.D.) from the University of Alberta and a Certified In-House Counsel (CIC.C) Certificate from the University of Toronto. Jodi continues to hold various community and volunteer positions. She shares her passion for hiking and skiing with her husband and two sons.

Board of Directors

Greg Pollard

Chair of the Board

Greg brings more than 40 years’ experience in multiple industry sectors. From 2017 to 2019, Mr. Pollard was the interim Chief Financial Officer of Eguana Technologies Inc., a TSX Venture Exchange listed developer and manufacturer of advanced power inverters for the emerging alternative and renewable energy industry. Following his retirement from Ernst & Young LLP, from 2012 to 2015, Mr. Pollard was the Chief Financial Officer of Connacher Oil and Gas Limited, an in-situ oil sands developer, producer and marketer of bitumen in Alberta. He led Ernst & Young LLP’s Transaction Advisory Services practice in Calgary from 2008 to 2012 following his return from Ernst & Young’s Houston, Texas office where he served as Gulf Coast Transaction Advisory Services practice and market leader, as well as oil and gas industry sector leader in the Americas. He also serves as a director of Quorum Information Technologies Inc., a TSX Venture Exchange listed SaaS software and services company and as a director for several legal entities within the Walton Group of Companies. He is a Chartered Accountant (1979), a Chartered Insolvency and Restructuring Professional (CAIRP – 1992) (ret.), and a graduate of the Kellogg School of Management Executive Program (2007). In 2012, he received his ICD.D from the Institute of Corporate Directors.

Sarah Borg-Olivier

Sarah is Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice President for Instar where she is responsible for overseeing fund administration activities and non-investment operations, including investor relations, business development, brand, environmental, social and governance initiatives, and human resources and professional development strategies. Ms. Borg-Olivier has more than 20 years of experience in designing and executing initiatives to drive business growth and brand leadership and create value for investors, corporate and community partners. She formerly held executive roles with Capstone Infrastructure Corporation, a publicly traded diversified infrastructure company, as well as Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets Canada Ltd. Ms. Borg-Olivier also previously led the investor relations practice of a Toronto-based consulting firm where she provided strategic counsel to a diverse North American client base and managed a team of consultants. Ms. Borg-Olivier holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from the University of Toronto. She served for a number of years on the Board of Directors of the Canadian Investor Relations Institute’s Ontario chapter. She is a frequent speaker in industry and ESG forums.

Rob Duguid

Rob is a founding partner of SaskWorks Venture Fund and a partner in PFM Capital (2010) Inc. Mr. Duguid holds the position of Chief Executive Officer and founding partner for PFM Capital (2010) Inc., Vice President, Investments of Apex Investment Fund and CEO of Apex II Investment Fund, Apex III Investment Fund, and Apex IV Investment Fund. Mr. Duguid is CEO, Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Secretary of SaskWorks Venture Fund Inc. From 2000 to 2003, Mr. Duguid was a partner with Crown Capital Partners Inc. From 1994 to 2000, he held the position of Vice President, Investments with the Saskatchewan Government Growth Fund Management Corporation. Prior to this, Mr. Duguid was Vice President Finance and Investments with the International Centre for Agricultural Science and Technology (ICAST) from 1992 to 1994. Before joining ICAST, Mr. Duguid was a Manager with KPMG Management Consultants where he was responsible for the Regina practice. Mr. Duguid currently holds several directorships in investee companies, including, All-Fab Building Components Ltd., I.M.Wireless Communications Inc., Avalon Oil & Gas Ltd., Auctus Property Fund LP, HiTec Profiles Inc., James Hill Road Villa LP, the Sexton Family of Companies and Prairie Soil Services Inc. Mr. Duguid holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Regina.

Steve Magus

Steve has 33 years of experience in the Canadian oil and gas sector in drilling management, engineering, completions, abandonment and construction. Mr. Magus is Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice President of Magus Engineering Limited, a leading privately held engineering and consulting firm, with over 40 employees and well site consultants. Mr. Magus focuses on assisting upstream oil and gas companies design all types of drilling projects, including horizontal wells with multi-stage completion systems, vertical and directional wells, shallow gas wells and oil sands delineation wells. Mr. Magus holds a diploma in Petroleum Technology from the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology and a Bachelor of Science degree in Petroleum Engineering from the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology.

Gregory J. Smith

Gregory brings nearly 30 years of experience in the investment, operation, acquisition and financing of private equity investments, including public and private infrastructure, real estate, power and utility businesses. He is founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of Instar Asset Management Inc. Mr. Smith was previously Managing Partner and head of Brookfield Financials’ Global Infrastructure Advisory Group and also served as the President of Macquarie Capital Funds Canada Ltd., President and Chief Executive Officer of Macquarie Power & Infrastructure Income Fund, a fund listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange, and as a Director and Chief Executive Officer of Macquarie Essential Assets Partnership, a private fund. Prior to Macquarie, Mr. Smith was Managing Director and Co-Head of RBC Capital Partners – Mezzanine Fund and a Managing Director at Deloitte & Touche Corporate Finance. Mr. Smith is a Chartered Accountant and a Chartered Business Valuator and holds an Honours Bachelor of Commerce degree from Queen’s University.

Laryssa Topolnytsky

Laryssa is the Head of the CEO and Board Effectiveness Practice, Americas for Heidrick Consulting. Ms. Topolnytsky specializes in CEO succession and executive team performance. She also advises boards on CEO effectiveness, HR strategy, and succession issues. Before joining Heidrick Consulting, Ms. Topolnytsky was a Senior Partner and member of Korn Ferry’s CEO and Board Effectiveness Practice. Prior to Korn Ferry, Ms. Topolnytsky worked with Mercer Delta Consulting as a founding member of the firm’s first international office. She has also worked for Enbridge, Inc. supporting various organizational development initiatives and as a consultant in Ernst & Young’s Change Management Practice. Ms. Topolnytsky is an accomplished author and has co-authored a book on employee retention and numerous peer-reviewed articles on employee commitment and organizational change. She regularly speaks at conferences and client events as a keynote speaker on these topics, as well as topics related to leading in times of change and advancing women. Ms. Topolnytsky holds a Doctorate in Industrial and Organizational Psychology and a Master’s degree in the same field. Both degrees are from Western University in Ontario, Canada. She also holds an ICD.D from The Rotman School of Business.

Special Advisors

Ryan Kopseng

Ryan was born in Bismarck, North Dakota. He is a graduate of the University of North Dakota with a Bachelors of Business Administration. Currently, he is the Executive Vice President of United Energy Corporation (UEC). UEC has four primary subsidiaries – Missouri River Royalty Corporation, Rainbow Gas Company, Rainbow Energy Marketing Corporation, and United Energy Trading, LLC. UEC, through its subsidiaries, owns an interest in over 4,000 wells in the Williston Basin. Further, it is a purchaser and trader of crude oil, electric power, and natural gas in the Bakken, and throughout North America. Ryan is a Director of the North Dakota Petroleum Council, and is the Chairman of the North Dakota Oil and Gas Research Council. Ryan and his wife Stephanie and their three kids reside in Bismarck, ND.

Dean Potter

Dean holds a Masters of Science in Geology and is a proven and successful oil and gas exploration oriented geologist with over 28 years of experience in the upstream energy sector. Dean is currently the President and CEO of Burgess Creek Exploration Inc. and has founded a number of successful private upstream oil and gas companies, including Elkhorn Resources Inc., Medora Resources Inc., DPX Inc., and SITO Geo-Consulting Ltd. Dean brings to the advisory group strong geological experience and opinion drawing upon a diverse technical background across a wide variety of petroleum reservoirs in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin.

Neil Roszell

Neil has over 20 years of industry experience in the upstream energy sector and is currently the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Headwater Exploration Inc. He has founded a number of successful public upstream oil and gas companies including Raging River Exploration Inc., Wild Stream Exploration Inc. (formerly Eagle Rock Exploration Ltd.), Wild River Resources, Prairie Schooner Petroleum Ltd. And Point North Energy Ltd.