Eric P. Newell (2004–)
Eric Patrick Newell is a retired Alberta business executive with a stellar history of corporate leadership and achievement, as well as an exemplary record of service to industry and community. He holds a Master of Science in Management Studies (1968) from the University of Birmingham, England and a Bachelor of Applied Science in Chemical Engineering (1967) from the University of British Columbia.
Newell has worked for companies such as Imperial Oil Limited and Esso Petroleum Canada but he is perhaps best known for his tenure at Syncrude Canada Ltd where he served for fourteen years as the company's Chief Executive Officer, from 1989 to 2003. He also served as Chairman for nine years, from 1994 to 2003, and as President, from 1989 to 1997. Under his leadership, Syncrude, which is the world's largest producer of crude oil from oil sand, became a key player in the western Canadian economy, an increasingly significant source of energy supply for the entire nation, and a model of a reliably operated, environmentally efficient, corporation. He retired from Syncrude in 2003.
During Newell's tenure at Syncrude, the company developed a strong sense of corporate social responsibility and spearheaded several education and community development initiatives. Syncrude also became Canada's largest industrial employer of Aboriginal people, and Newell's ongoing work with the Aboriginal community helped develop several educational opportunities.
Newell plays an active role promoting and creating opportunities for the wider community and is well known for his successful and ongoing efforts to strengthen partnerships between education and business, and for championing corporate social responsibility. Newell is involved with numerous organizations, including Careers: The Next Generation Foundation, The Centre for Family Literacy, and The Learning Partnership.
Newell served on the University of Alberta Board of Governors from 1996 to 2002, before becoming Chancellor of the University in 2004. Among his numerous awards are four honorary degrees. Newell was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2000 and was inducted into the Alberta Order of Excellence in 2004.