Board of Directors
Artie T. Kos
Chairman of the Board
Winalta Inc.
Artie T. Kos was born and raised in Drayton Valley, Alberta, on a small farm north of town. After graduating from high school in 1978, Mr. Kos began his career in the oilfield transportation business as an employee with Mack & Mann Trucking. His entrepreneurial spirit took over, and he bought his first truck in 1983 at age 23. In 1985, he incorporated his own company, Artie T. Kos Trucking Ltd. His company grew over the next 20 years into one of North America's largest privately owned oilfield transportation firms, with six offices in Alberta, 250 employees, and $77 million in annual sales. In the spring of 2006, Mr. Kos sold his interest in the oilfield transportation business, and founded the privately owned investment company, Kos Corp. Investments Ltd. Kos Corp. is involved in real estate and strategic acquisitions. The largest acquisition to date has been the purchase of a majority shareholding in Winalta Inc. Mr. Kos was then named President and CEO of Winalta in January 2007. In April 2009 Mr. Kos stepped down as President and CEO and took position as Chairman on the Board of Directors.
J. Blair Goertzen
Board Member
Winalta Inc.
J. Blair Goertzen is president and chief executive officer of Enerflex Systems Energy Trust. He joined the company in August 2003 as executive vice-president and chief operating officer and, in April 2005, assumed his present position. Between September 1999 and May 2003, Mr. Goertzen was president of IPEC Ltd. and then executive vice-president of Flint Energy Services. From 1989 to 1999 Mr. Goertzen served as vice-president of Enserv Corporation, a company acquired by Precision Drilling Corp. He subsequently became senior vice-president of Precision Corp.
Mel E. Benson
Board Member
Winalta Inc.
Mel E. Benson is president of Mel E. Benson Management Services Inc. an international consulting firm working in various countries with a focus on negotiations. He is also part owner of Tenax Energy Inc and Kanatex Energy Inc.
Mr. Benson has been a director of Suncor Energy since 2000, serving on the compensation committee and chairing the environment, health and safety committee. He has also served on the audit committee.
Mr. Benson retired from Exxon International and Imperial Oil Canada in 2000 after a long career as operations manager and senior member of project management based in Houston, Texas. Earlier in his career, Mr. Benson worked for a federal government secretary of state, and as an instructor of Native studies at Grant MacEwan College in Edmonton.
Mr. Benson is an active member of several charitable organizations. He is a past director of STARS, and past chairman of the Pembina Producers Association. He was recently appointed by Alberta's education minister to the board of governors of NAIT (Northern Alberta Institute of Technology). He was also appointed, through a cabinet Order-In-Council, to an advisory board on economic development.
Mr. Benson is a director of Hull Family Services. He received the 2003 National Aboriginal Achievement Award for Business, and has been honoured with many other community awards.
Brad R. Munro
Board Member
Winalta Inc.
Bradley R. Munro, President and CEO of Bittercreek Capital Corporation, holds a Bachelor of Commerce Degree from the University of Saskatchewan and has extensive experience in corporate finance and investment in the oil and gas and other industries. Mr. Munro currently serves as a director for Bonnett's Energy Services Trust, Fairmount Energy Inc., Galleon Energy Inc., 49 North Resource Fund and Flagship Energy Inc. Mr. Munro was also the lead director and chair of the independent committee on the privatization of CCS Income Trust.
Ron Berg
Board Member
Winalta Inc.
Ron Berg, President and Chief Executive Officer, started his career with Precision Drilling Trust (Precision) in 1984 as Rig Manager. By 1992, he had worked his way up to Field Superintendent, and in 1994 moved to Edmonton as Operations Manager. Four years later Ron returned to Calgary as Vice President of Operations for Precision`s drilling and well servicing divisions.
Mr. Berg’s focus was on the integration of the many companies Precision was acquiring and was also involved in day to day operations. In 2006, Ron was appointed as Senior Vice President of Operations for Precision. Ron previously held a director position on the Canadian Association of Oilwell Drilling Contractors (CAODC).
In October 2008, Ron was employed as Vice President of Corporate Development for the Industrial Division, Winalta Inc., and in April 2009 he was promoted President and CEO.
