Chris Carlsen
President and Chief Executive Officer
Mr. Carlsen is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Birchcliff and is responsible for the overall strategic direction and financial and operational performance of the Corporation. He is a Professional Engineer with over 20 years of experience in the oil and natural gas industry, including in the areas of executive leadership, engineering, operations, finance, acquisitions and divestitures, business development, marketing and sustainability.
Mr. Carlsen joined Birchcliff in 2008 and has been a member of the Corporation’s Executive Team since 2013, serving as the President and Chief Operating Officer from January 2022 to December 2023 and as the Vice President, Engineering from July 2013 to December 2021. Prior to joining Birchcliff, Mr. Carlsen was the Senior Engineer at Greenfield Resources Ltd. and held various engineering positions at both Encana Corporation and PanCanadian Petroleum Ltd.
Mr. Carlsen holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Saskatchewan and is a member of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta. He is also a member of the board of directors of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers and the board of governors of the Explorers and Producers Association of Canada and a member of the Business Council of Alberta.
Bruno Geremia
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Mr. Geremia is the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Birchcliff and is responsible for overseeing the Corporation’s finance, accounting, payroll, investor relations and information technology teams. He is a Chartered Accountant with over 30 years of experience in the oil and natural gas industry, including in the areas of executive leadership, accounting, finance, taxation and acquisitions and divestitures.
Mr. Geremia is one of the founders of Birchcliff and served as the Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Corporation and its predecessor entities from July 2004 to December 2021. Prior to Birchcliff, he served as the Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of both Case Resources Inc. and Big Bear Exploration Ltd., as the Director, Commercial of Gulf Canada Resources and as the Manager, Special Projects of Stampeder Exploration Ltd. Mr. Geremia was previously a Chartered Accountant with Deloitte LLP.
Mr. Geremia holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Calgary. He is a Chartered Accountant with the Chartered Professional Accountants of Alberta.
Theo van der Werken
Chief Operating Officer
Mr. van der Werken is the Chief Operating Officer of Birchcliff and is responsible for overseeing the Corporation’s day-to-day business, including leading all aspects of Birchcliff’s operations and ensuring the Corporation’s ongoing commitment to operational excellence. He is a Professional Engineer with over 20 years of industry experience focused on asset management and operations engineering, working onshore and offshore in Europe, the Middle East and North America.
Mr. van der Werken joined Birchcliff in April 2011 and has been a member of the Corporation’s Executive Team since January 2022, serving as Vice President, Engineering from January 2022 to December 2023. Prior thereto, Mr. van der Werken was the Asset Team Lead/Asset Manager for Birchcliff’s Pouce Coupe assets from November 2011 to December 2021. Before joining Birchcliff, he worked for Equal Energy, Seven Energy (Canada) Inc., ConocoPhillips Canada and Weatherford International.
Mr. van der Werken holds a Master of Science degree in Mining Engineering from the Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands and a Master of Business Administration from the Haskayne School of Business at the University of Calgary in the Global Energy Executive MBA program. He is a member of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta and is currently serving as the chair of the Society of Petroleum Engineers Canada.
Robyn Bourgeois
Vice President, Legal, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary
Ms. Bourgeois is the Vice President, Legal, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Birchcliff and is responsible for overseeing the Corporation’s legal team and corporate secretarial function. She has over 20 years of experience in corporate governance, M&A, corporate finance and commercial contract negotiation.
Ms. Bourgeois joined Birchcliff as General Counsel in December 2014 and was appointed as Corporate Secretary on June 30, 2017. Prior to joining Birchcliff, she was a partner with Borden Ladner Gervais LLP specializing in securities, corporate governance and mergers and acquisitions law.
Ms. Bourgeois holds a Bachelor of Science degree with distinction in Psychology from the University of Calgary and a Bachelor of Laws degree with distinction from the University of Alberta. She is a member of the Law Society of Alberta and a member of the Alberta Securities Commission’s Energy Advisory Committee.
Duane Thompson
Vice President, Operations
Mr. Thompson is the Vice President, Operations of Birchcliff and is responsible for overseeing the Corporation’s drilling and completions, facilities, production, surface land, health and safety and environmental teams. He has over 25 years of industry experience focused on production operations, project management, facilities and pipeline construction and health and safety.
Mr. Thompson joined Birchcliff as Production Manager in May 2017, where he was responsible for managing all aspects of the Corporation’s production operations, including overseeing Birchcliff’s production engineering, measurement and plant/field operations teams. Prior to joining Birchcliff, his career was primarily focused on upstream operations with Canadian producers, including Cardinal Energy Ltd., Angle Energy Inc., True Energy Ltd., Husky Energy Inc. and Renaissance Energy Ltd.
Mr. Thompson holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry with a minor in Biology from Cameron University in Lawton, Oklahoma.
Hue Tran
Vice President, Business Development and Marketing
Mr. Tran is the Vice President, Business Development and Marketing of Birchcliff and is responsible for overseeing the Corporation’s marketing and business innovation teams. He has over 20 years of experience in the oil and natural gas industry, including in the areas of marketing, joint ventures, business development and finance.
Since joining Birchcliff in February 2010, Mr. Tran has held a number of roles with increasing responsibility. Prior to his appointment as Vice President, Business Development and Marketing in January 2022, Mr. Tran held the position of Business Development Manager from January 2018 to December 2021. Prior to joining Birchcliff, he worked for Provident Energy Ltd. and Samson Canada Ltd.
Mr. Tran holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the University of Calgary.