The 21st annual Alberta Business Hall of Fame – Southern Alberta Gala and Induction Ceremony will take place on October 16, 2025 at the BMO Centre. Presented by Junior Achievement (JA) Southern Alberta, the gala honours distinguished business leaders in Southern Alberta for their professional achievements and community service.
“Each year at our Gala and Induction Ceremony, recipients are celebrated for their lasting impact on the region’s economy and future growth,” explains Jessica Cohen, president and CEO of JA Southern Alberta. “The proceeds from the gala directly support JA Southern Alberta to help fund the educational programs for over 50,000 students each year.”
This year’s inductees are Jim Bertram, Heather and Michael Culbert, and Jeff McCaig. From a range of industries and community participation, they represent what’s best about Southern Alberta’s business leaders.
“Jim Bertram is the founding president and former CEO of Keyera Corp, one of Canada’s leading midstream energy companies,” says Cohen. “Under his leadership, Keyera grew from a $500 million enterprise in 2003 to a $10 billion industry leader with over 1,500 employees. Known for his steady leadership and deep commitment to community, he has championed corporate support for organizations like STARS Air Ambulance and the United Way.”
“Heather and Michael Culbert are widely recognized for their leadership in Canada’s energy sector and their deep philanthropic commitment to Calgary,” Cohen continues. “Michael, with over four decades in the industry, co-founded Progress Energy and led Pacific Northwest LNG. He also served as CEO and vice chair of PETRONAS Canada. Heather is a former senior VP at Enerplus and a respected corporate director and civic leader. Together, the Culberts have played key roles in initiatives such as the RESOLVE campaign and the United Way’s All In for Youth.”
“Jeff McCaig is a respected Calgary business leader whose career spans law, entrepreneurship and transportation,” she says. “As CEO of Trimac, he led its transformation into one of North America’s largest and most respected bulk transportation companies. McCaig is a co-owner of the Calgary Flames, chair of the Calgary Flames Foundation, and an active board member with companies such as Bantrel Co. and MEG Energy.”
JA Southern Alberta delivers hands-on, curriculum-aligned programs that equip students from kindergarten to grade 12 with critical skills in financial literacy, entrepreneurship and work readiness.
“Each year, we offer over 60,000 learning experiences to students across the region including Calgary, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Red Deer and beyond,” Cohen says. “One of our most impactful offerings is the Company Program, where high school students spend 20 weeks launching and managing a real business under the guidance of industry mentors.”
“What makes our work so important is our ability to bridge the gap between classroom learning and the demands of the real world,” she continues. “By introducing financial concepts, entrepreneurial thinking and career exploration at an early age, we ensure that young people are better prepared for life beyond school.”
JA Southern Alberta engages over 500 volunteers annually, including business professionals, post-secondary students and community members who bring real-world experience into the classroom. “These volunteers not only deliver lessons, but also act as mentors and role models, helping students develop confidence, problem-solving abilities and career awareness,” Cohen notes.
The Calgary business community plays a vital role in the success of JA Southern Alberta and the lives of the students it serves. “Its leaders generously give their time by mentoring in classrooms, leading events and sharing their real-world experiences,” she explains. “These connections not only help students learn from industry professionals, but also allow them to see themselves in those leaders.”
Importantly, JA Southern Alberta programs are offered free of charge, thanks to the ongoing financial support from the business community.
“There are many ways for individuals and organizations to get involved in the Gala and Induction Ceremony as attendees and sponsors,” Cohen says. “Please visit the link below to learn more.”
Link: https://south.abhf.ca/sponsorship.html
Jim Bertram
Growing up in the farming community of Piapot, Saskatchewan, Jim Bertram learned the value of hard work. The fourth generation of his family to live in the area, their humble home had no running water or indoor plumbing.
“But those weren’t hardships,” Bertram notes, “it just felt like that’s how everybody lives. It was a humble start to life, but I enjoyed every minute of it and had great support from my parents.”
That support extended to Bertram’s hockey career. An avid sports enthusiast, Bertram played many sports – baseball, football, and hockey – with talent. At 13, he picked up hockey. Three years later, he left Piapot to play junior in Alberta, first in Drumheller and then in Medicine Hat. He was the only member of his family to leave the farming community.
“Junior hockey took me away from Saskatchewan and into Alberta,” he reflects. “It just opened my eyes. From there I went on to university and fell into a job in Calgary.”
Bertram graduated in 1980 with a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Calgary. “One of the coaches of the university hockey team worked for a company called Aquitaine,” he recalls. “He hired four of us to come and work in his HR department that summer. That was my introduction to the oil and gas business.”
Aquitaine was taken over by Canterra, where Bertram worked in corporate economics and marketing for about eight years. “I was fortunate to be in the marketing world when energy markets deregulated,” he says. “So I was an early participant in the newly unregulated marketing world, which certainly helped grow my career.”
He then worked at Poco and Amerada Hess, which introduced him to industry leaders like Al Markin and John Hess, eventually ended up at Gulf Canada Resources in 1996. As Vice President of Marketing, Bertram eventually saw an opportunity to grow a midstream company – Keyera Corp – out of Gulf’s strategic assets in Alberta.
“Myself and Dave Smith, who ultimately became CFO of Keyera, proposed to the Gulf executive team to take some of Gulf’s assets which included certain gas plants in west/central Alberta and fractionation plants, pipelines and storage facilities at Edmonton/Fort Saskatchewan,” he recalls.
Also coming with the assets were 300 employees from Gulf to start the new midstream company. Bertram was CEO.
Currently board Chair (he stepped back from the CEO role in 2015), Bertram is proud of how far Keyera has come. “We have grown from a company with around $500 million market cap when we went public to close to $10 billion,” he says. “We’ve just completed building a natural gas liquids (NGL) pipeline from Fort Saskatchewan up past Grand Prairie. We’ve built or bought three large plants in the Montney formation over the last few years. And as recently as June we made the acquisition of Plains Midstream Canada’s NGL assets for $5.15 billion with a proposed closing at the end of the year.”
“We really pride ourselves as an Alberta company of roughly 1,500 people today [the closing of the Plains acquisition will add more people],” he continues. “We’ve become a pretty big Alberta story.”
Bertram also serves on the boards of Methanex Corporation and Emera Inc.
With assets all throughout Alberta, Keyera contributes to the communities it operates in. The company is a strong supporter of STARS Air Ambulance and the United Way.
“We have a lot of people driving and working in remote locations, so it makes sense to support STARS,” he explains. “And from day one we’ve supported United Way. We’ve made every United Way campaign a week long with everyone in the company encouraged to get involved.”
Bertram and his wife have been major contributors to the United Way and plan to continue that in retirement.
“Broaden your base,” is his advice to young people. “Don’t become an expert in just one area. Try to work in two, three or four different areas to understand the magnitude of the energy business. Be inquisitive and never stop learning. I think that’s what led to my success. I had a broad base in marketing, corporate economics and other aspects of the business, but I also got exposed to great leaders at the different companies I worked for.”
Heather & Mike Culbert
Over the course of Heather and Mike Culbert’s 46 year marriage, each spouse has achieved remarkable individual success. Mike’s 40-year career in Alberta’s oil and gas industry ultimately lead to his co-founding Progress Energy, and then to his leadership as CEO of PETRONAS and President of Pacific NorthWest LNG. Heather applied her background in technology to the energy sector, eventually becoming Senior Vice President of Corporate Services at Enerplus.
Together, they sit on the boards of major corporations, non-profit and charitable organizations, and have helped raise hundreds of millions of dollars for causes that have strengthened their city.
While their Individual accomplishments are noteworthy, it is as a couple that Heather and Mike Culbert are being inducted into the Southern Alberta Business Hall of Fame.
“We are deeply honoured,” Heather says. “As individuals, it represents a meaningful recognition of the paths we’ve taken, the risks we’ve embraced, and the people we’ve had the privilege to work alongside. As a couple, it’s especially meaningful – our journeys have always been interwoven, not only through shared values but also through supporting each other at every stage.”
Born and raised Albertans – Mike was born in Edmonton and Heather in Wainwright – they were each raised in Calgary, just blocks apart, unknowingly growing up in the same neighbourhood. – each grew up (in the same neighbourhood. That shared foundation, built on strong values and worth ethic, would only reveal itself later in their story.
“I grew up with a love for sports, the outdoors, and a curiosity for how things work – curiosity that later turned into a drive for business and innovation,” Mike recalls.
“My parents instilled in me a strong work ethic and an understanding that opportunities are meant to be created, not handed to you,” Heather says.
Heather graduated from SAIT, launching a tech-focused career in the energy sector, and later completed the Executive Program at Queen’s University, earning both her ICD.D and GCB.D designations. Mike earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business. Their story began when Heather was working as a summer dental assistant – Mike happened to be a patient.
“There was a spark that neither of us could ignore, and the rest is history,” Mike reminisces. “We later discovered we had gone to the same schools growing up within blocks of each other without ever knowing it!”
Mike began his career in accounting at Home Oil, and he spent the next 17 years in a variety of roles before moving to Encal Energy as Vice President of Marketing. In 2001, he co-founded Progress Energy where he served as President & CEO. Following its acquisition by PETRONAS, he became CEO and Vice Chair of PETRONAS Canada.
“I also served as President of Pacific Northwest during a pivotal time for Canada’s LNG sector,” he notes. Under Mike’s leadership, PETRONAS helped pave the way for the company’s investment in LNG Canada by establishing historic partnerships with the Government of British Columbia and Indigenous communities.
Today, he serves on the boards of TC Energy and ARC Resources.
After a 30-year career in the energy sector, Heather spent her final 12 years at Enerplus in executive leadership. She now serves on the boards of Export Development Canada (EDC), Catapult Environmental and the Fraser Institute. She previously chaired EDC, SAIT, and the Alberta Research and Innovation Advisory Council (ARIAC).
“I’ve always believed in leading with integrity, efficiency and the courage to make decisions that drive meaningful impact,” she says. “I also have a mantra that I’m known for – GESHIDO – which means get sh*t done!”
Their commitment to philanthropy runs deep. “Philanthropy is about building a better future, especially for the next generation,” says Mike.
“My passion lies in creating pathways for women in leadership and removing barriers to equity,” Heather continues. “We’ve always believed in giving back to the community that gave us so much. We give because we’ve been fortunate – and with that comes responsibility. Whether through financial support or time, we both believe that investing in our community is the most meaningful legacy we can leave.”
Mike is a patron of the Roger’s Charity Classic, which has raised over $130 million for youth-focused charities. He is also a founding member of the Energy Stream at the Creative Destruction Lab at the University of Calgary.
Heather co-founded Board Ready Women and Axis Connects, and recently co-chaired the OWN.CANCER campaign, where she helped raise $300 million to support the Arthur J.E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre.
The couple were founding investors in the United Way’s All In for Youth initiative and have supported the OWN.CANCER campaign and the RESOLVE campaign, among numerous other efforts in education, health and community.
Their legacy of giving now extends to their children. “As a family, we are proud of our children, Lindsay and Sean, and the success they have had as their choice to also be involved in making Calgary a better place by volunteering in various capacities,” Mike says.
The couple’s advice to young people?“ Stay curious, take measured risks, and don’t be afraid to fail – it’s where the biggest lessons lie. Surround yourself with people who challenge and support you. And remember that your reputation and integrity are your most valuable assets.”
Jeff McCaig
Being inducted into the Southern Alberta Business Hall of Fame is a full-circle moment for Jeff McCaig, as it is the fifth time he has been involved with Junior Achievement since childhood.
His father, John Robert “Bud” McCaig was an original founder of the Alberta Junior Achievement chapter in the 1960s, after the family moved from Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan to Calgary. McCaig was nine years old at the time. As a teenager, McCaig had the opportunity to participate in the company program and years later, as a business man, he volunteered as a mentor in the program.
He later sat on the boards of both Southern Alberta Junior Achievement and the national program, and years later donated money to the program as a member of the Junior Achievement Circle of Friends.
“When they asked me to be a laureate I agreed and was honoured,” he says, “not because I’m looking for any recognition or profile, but because it’s such a wonderful organization. The experiential education Junior Achievement provides is so valuable.”
McCaig was surrounded by the trucking business from birth: his grandfather had started a trucking business – predecessor to Trimac – in Moose Jaw in 1945 after returning from the Second World War. By the time McCaig was born in 1951, his father Bud was already working for the company.
With the purchase of another trucking company in Calgary in 1960, the family moved here. After completing grade school, McCaig obtained an undergraduate degree from Harvard College in 1973. He then attended Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto and graduated in 1976. He returned to article in Calgary and eventually became a sole practitioner.
By the early 1980s, Bud became sick with a life-threatening illness and asked his son to join Trimac. McCaig agreed, with the understanding that he would go back to school and get a business degree.
“I’m sometimes accused of being a wannabe academic,” he chuckles, “that I was never going to stop going to school. I enjoyed it so much.” He obtained a Master’s in business from Stanford University.
“Part of my understanding with my dad when he became ill was that he would either not make it, in which case I would get a head start on understanding the business, or that he would recover and we could work together for 10 years, at which time he would retire,” McCaig reminisces. “He did recover and we did work together for 10 great years. I learned a lot from him. And when he retired in 1994 he went on to do other things, mostly philanthropic related in the healthcare sector.”
McCaig took over as CEO. Under his direction, Trimac was privatized and grew the trucking portion of the business (by then the company had diversified into several other businesses) to be North American in scale.
He stepped down from his role as CEO in 2016 and remains Chair of the board. Today, Trimac is one of the largest bulk trucking companies in North America.
All of the non-trucking or transportation parts of the business were consolidated into a family office in 2005. This includes the Calgary Flames, an engineering and construction firm, a real estate company, an asset management business, a venture capital fund and an energy fund.
“I enjoy helping entrepreneurs with their startups, so I sometimes get involved in a board role if I have money invested in it as well,” he says.
Reluctant to take credit for his family’s philanthropic activities, McCaig is nonetheless very proud of them. This includes the McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health. He also chairs the charitable arm of the Calgary Flames – The Flames Foundation for Life.
His advice to young people – be persistent and accept the most difficult next challenge – hails from his father: “My dad told me the story about when he first started working for his dad as a truck driver. He was good at it. But then he was asked to work dispatch. He wasn’t sure he wanted to do that, but that was the next big challenge. He did it, knowing that if it didn’t work out, he could go back to driving a truck.”
