A proven team.

Ian MacGregor is a fourth generation Calgarian.

Ian is an entrepreneur who likes to start from scratch and likes the technically complex. He likes commercial opportunity that permits growth to world scale.  He likes to avoid competition and often embarks on endeavors where others conclude an idea isn’t viable. 

These likes have led to the founding and growth of many businesses.

He has never done the same thing twice. Like his mom, he has a childlike interest in any new topic that involves building something.  

He has never had a permanent job that he did not create for himself. He has been doing this now for more than 40 years and calls it “having fun”.

Ian is currently working as the Executive Chair of Hydrogen Naturally, a startup which is building large scale, proven technology based facilities to extract CO₂ from the atmosphere by converting waste wood fibre to hydrogen combined with carbon capture and storage.

Ian received his BSC in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Calgary. He attended the Harvard Business School’s SCMP program part-time while running his first welding shop.

Business where Ian was the founder and had significant managerial involvement during financing, construction, and operations:

• North West Refining and the Sturgeon Refinery

•  A $10 billion startup which incorporates the world’s largest operational blue hydrogen plant www.nwrefining.com

• Enhance Energy:   A $1 billion startup that built of the world’s largest operational system (15 MT per year) to capture and utilize manmade CO2 for both enhanced oil recovery and pure sequestration. www.enhanceenergy.com

• North West Capital:  A private investment company.

• Carraig Ridge:   Developer of a private park in the Canadian Rockies. www.carraigridge.com

• Shackleton Exploration:  Resource development in Alberta.

• Qube Technologies:  Applying a proprietary IIOT and artificial intelligence to reduce costs of regulatory compliance and improve the accuracy of methane emissions management.

Ancient Experience where Ian was a founder, financier, and operator: 

• Menlo Park Capital, Partnership with PanCanadian that started many oilfield businesses.

• East Coast Drilling Partnership which owned the Erik Raude deep water drilling rig.

• Big Country Energy Services, a pipeline construction company.

• Taylor Gas Liquids, which owned the Younger Straddle plant. 

• Solex Energy, a gas processing business.

• Deltx Windpump, designer, and builder of the world’s largest wind water pump. 

• Abacus Engineering, a machine and welding shop.

• Previously a director of not-for-profit or municipally owned operations such as Enmax. 

Other Interests: 

The Canadian Museum of Making. www.museumofmaking.org

Ian likes to make things, he can weld, machine, mechanic, design and draw. He has built buildings, process plants, special purpose machines and a lot of other stuff that didn’t work. 

He plans to keep “having fun” while vertical.

As a teenager Brian began his career working in sawmills across northern British Columbia. In 1983, in partnership with his father Ike and brother David, he founded a sawmill maintenance and construction company called BID. Over a period of 40 years, the Fehr Family transformed the BID Group into a billion-dollar company with thousands of employees from rural communities across Canada.

As an innovator, Brian foresaw the application of artificial intelligence in manufacturing. Using technology, his company developed an automatic lumber grading system that improved productivity. For sawmills, Brian transformed equipment maintenance practices, increased worker safety and improved efficiency with his predictive maintenance program. Under his direction, the BID Group subsidiary DelTech led the development of innovative biomass energy systems that lower energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions.

In 2018, Brian won the Order of British Columbia for his contribution to helping sustain and grow northern communities in British Columbia. The Order of British Columbia is given to individuals who excel in any field that benefits the people of British Columbia.

Brian has extensive expertise in construction, fabrication, installation and energy solutions, including 18 wood products facilities for clients such as Canfor, Tolko, Biewer, Two Rivers, Slocan Forest Products and Yakama Forest Products

Brett has been through every role in his own companies and others. Having grown up west of Calgary, he learned early on that a workshop and space to roam were a recipe for big ideas and hands on learning. When he was 17 he purchased a small company called Agri-Steel to become a bona-fide business owner before he enrolled in engineering studies.

Throughout his engineering program he concurrently pursued design and steel-based manufacturing projects to build his company while also working with a Calgary based precast form company as a summer student. His position as summer student evolved into working through every role in the precast form company from the shop floor to production management, sales and eventually general management.

In 2010, he formed Cenairus which engineers and manufactures some of the most complex engineering intensive steel forms and machinery for the precast concrete market in Canada and the United States. Including extensive forming systems for the bridge infrastructure and commercial structure markets such as major league stadiums and multi-rise development. 

In 2018, Brett formed Twin Projects Ltd to assist in the development and manufacturing of gasification systems for use in heavy residual to hydrogen production. Twin established a fabrication facility capable of achieving very high tolerances and meeting specialty welding requirements for oxygen service equipment to support the gasifier development.

Bridging the span from concept to delivery is Brett’s focus, especially in the world of finance, engineering, manufacturing and construction.

Brett holds a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Calgary and attended the Harvard Owner President Management Program.

Larry has over 40 years of experience in various management roles including 30 years with Shell Canada including leading the Shell Canada Scotford refinery complex as the site General Manager.  Following his role at Shell, Larry joined North West Refining (NWR) in 2009 as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. In conjunction with his role at NWR, he acted as Senior Vice President of Operations and Development for the North West Redwater Partnership overseeing the Sturgeon Refinery Operations organization. 

His earlier experience also included supporting the start-up of the Athabasca Oil Sands Project and the front-end development of the phase one expansion as General Manager Oil Sands Growth and Technology.

His background also includes complex facility development, maintenance and operations and hydrogen production via gasification.

Larry holds a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Windsor.

Stuart has held numerous roles over the last 15 years in both the private and public equity markets and is Hydrogen Naturally’s Chief Financial Officer. 

Stuart is also a Partner in North West Capital where he is responsible for deal sourcing, due diligence, and investment execution for private equity investments, as well as business development activities. Previously, Stuart worked as an investment banking analyst at RBC Capital Markets where he focused on equity and M&A transactions in the energy sector.

His background also includes commercial structuring, acquisitions and dispositions, investor relations, economic modeling and corporate finance including acting as CFO for several companies including North West Refining, Enhance Energy and Ambyint.

Stuart holds an Honors Bachelor of Commerce degree (First Class Honors) from the University of Alberta.

Gary is a Partner and Co-founder of North West Capital where he was part of the founding team that started the Sturgeon Refinery in 2004. Gary was a practicing lawyer from 1981 acting as the chief legal counsel to several national and international companies in connection with numerous commercial transactions. Gary’s law practice was primarily focused in the areas of corporate finance (equity, debt and project financings), partnerships and joint ventures, and acquisitions and dispositions. Since leaving the practice of law, Gary has co-founded several ventures in the energy industry as a principal with North West Capital and related companies.

Gary was appointed Executive Advisor & Corporate Secretary in North West Refining in 2014 and has been a director since its inception in 2004.

Gary holds a Bachelor of Arts (Economics) degree and a law degree (J.D.) from Brigham Young University.

For more than 25 years Scott has worked across the forest products industry in diverse leadership roles including forest management and harvest operations, mill operations and residual based renewable energy products (wood pellets) as well as major capital projects execution and commissioning. As the Vice President Forestry for Hydrogen Naturally, Scott is responsible for all aspects of forest management, sustainability, certification and operational execution of forestry and fibre matters. Scott also serves as the CEO of Peak Renewables, a bioenergy company that is working on various projects to produce renewable fuels such as, bio-coal, biochemicals to displace coal in power generation & steel manufacturing. 

Prior to joining Hydrogen Naturally, Scott served as the Chief Operating Officer at Pinnacle Renewable Energy. During his tenure there, Scott was responsible for all forestry and operational aspects of Pinnacle’s operations, helping lead Pinnacle’s growth as a wood pellet producer from 800,000 MT of annual production to becoming the world’s second largest wood pellet producer with production capacity of 2.8 MM MT/yr and annual revenue exceeding $400MM.  A champion of safety driven cultures and enthusiastic leader, Scott was integral in the execution of sustainable, certified fibre operations and First Nations relationships. 

Scott holds an MBA from the University of Alberta, a Master of Forestry from the University of Alberta and a B.Sc. (Env) from the University of Guelph.

Dave previously served the B.C. government as Deputy Minister responsible for mining, BC Hydro, independent power producers, oil, natural gas and pipeline affairs for seven years. Prior to that Dave’s roles with the Province of B.C. included, Associate Deputy Minister of the Environmental Assessment Office, where he acted as Chief Executive of the stand-alone office responsible for environmental assessments of major projects in B.C., and Associate Deputy Minister and Chief Information Officer.

Having led the process for several of the province’s most high-profile mining and oil and gas projects, Dave possesses unparalleled technical skills, strategic insights into and knowledge of the commercial and political realities facing Canada’s energy and mining sectors.

Dave is also widely considered to be a global leader in Environmental, Social and Governance having worked extensively with Governments, industry and environmental organizations on ESG matters. Notably, Dave led the process with all levels of Government and First Nations to obtain a Final Investment Decision on the LNG Canada project – the single largest private sector investment in Canada’s history.

Throughout his career, Dave has established large networks domestically and in a number of international markets, including much of Asia.

Neil grew up in the UK, and after completing an Economics and Business Management degree, he started his career in the finance industry in London, England. After five years Neil pivoted and spent the next decade in the sports marketing industry, working with brands, events and teams negotiating and implementing sponsorship deals for the likes of the British Government, General Motors, Nivea and British Gas. In 2010 Neil established Sow Consulting, to help companies, sports organizations and event owners maximize the value of sustainability in their marketing and their own operations.

Having moved to Canada in 2012, Neil joined FortisBC to support their renewable natural gas offering and then energy efficiency and conservation programs. In 2015 Neil joined the BC Government, most recently filling the role as Executive Director, CleanBC Implementation and leading the work to develop the BC Governments GHG reduction strategy - CleanBC. Neil joined Hydrogen Naturally in March 2022, after a spell with Foresight – Canada’s leading cleantech accelerator.

Outside of work, Neil’s has a full of life, pre-teen son who shares his dad’s love of sport, a fiancé, step-daughter and step-dog, as well as family still in England. When not with his family, he also enjoys cycling, skiing, watching comedy shows, and the amazing coastal lifestyle around Victoria.