Headquarters
Suite 1000, 517 10th Avenue SW
Calgary, Alberta T2R 0A8
Canada
Our Leadership
Leadership Team
David Spyker was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer in January 2021. Since September 2020 Mr. Spyker has served as Interim President and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Spyker joined Freehold Royalties Ltd. in November 2016 as Vice-President, Production and was appointed Chief Operating Officer in March 2019. Prior to, he held various roles at Anderson Exploration Ltd., Anderson Energy Ltd., and Anderson Energy Inc. Mr. Spyker has over 30 years of industry experience. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Alberta and is a member of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA). He currently serves on the Board of Governors of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP).
David Hendry is a Chartered Professional Accountant with over twenty five years of finance experience. Prior to joining Freehold Royalties Ltd. in December 2019, Mr. Hendry served as the Chief Financial Officer of Obsidian Energy Ltd. Prior to joining Obsidian in 2015, Mr. Hendry served as a finance Vice President at Talisman Energy Inc. At Talisman, he also worked overseas in the Norway and U.K. North Sea offices. Mr. Hendry started his career working nine years in public accounting, largely at PricewaterhouseCoopers. Mr. Hendry has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Calgary.
Lisa Farstad was appointed Vice-President, Corporate Services in March 2020. Ms. Farstad joined Freehold Royalties Ltd. in September of 2015 as Manager, Human Resources and Information Services. Prior to joining Freehold, Ms. Farstad spent fourteen years with Bonavista Energy Corporation in various human resources roles including Manager, Human Resources. Ms. Farstad has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Alberta and a Human Resources Management Certificate from the University of Calgary.
Ian Hantke was appointed Vice President, Diversified Royalties in January 2022. Mr. Hantke joined Freehold Royalties Ltd. in February 2014, and held various roles within the Business Development group, most recently Director, Acquisitions. Prior to joining Freehold, Mr. Hantke spent two years working at Devon Energy as a Project Manager and seven years working at O’Rourke Engineering as a Facilities Engineer. He holds a Bachelor of Aerospace Engineering degree from Carleton University and is a member of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientist of Alberta (APEGA).
Robert (Rob) King, joined Freehold in January 2020. Prior to joining Freehold Royalties Ltd., Mr. King served as a Managing Director of RBC Capital Markets. He has over twenty years’ experience in investment banking where he has spent the entirety of his career progressing through roles of increasing accountability and responsibility. He possesses significant merger, acquisition and divestiture and capital markets experience with a focus on upstream oil and gas. Mr. King has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Calgary.
Susan Nagy was appointed Vice President, Business Development, in April 2023. Ms. Nagy joined Freehold Royalties Ltd. in April 2008, holding various positions of increasing seniority within the Land and Business Development groups, including most recently as Director, Business Development. During her tenure at Freehold, Ms. Nagy has been involved in the negotiation of over $1.5 billion in royalty acquisitions, both in Canada and the U.S. Ms. Nagy has a Bachelor of Commerce degree (with Distinction) from the University of Calgary and is an active member of the Canadian Association of Land and Energy Professionals (CALEP), Petroleum Acquisition & Divestment Association (PADA) and the American Association of Professional Landmen (AAPL).
Brianna Guenther was appointed General Counsel and Corporate Secretary on September 6, 2022. Ms. Guenther was called to the Alberta bar in 2013 and began her career at Burnet, Duckworth & Palmer LLP, where she practiced as a corporate commercial lawyer. Prior to joining Freehold Royalties Ltd., Ms. Guenther practiced as an in-house lawyer at a midstream oil and gas company. Ms. Guenther holds a Masters of International Business and Economic Law (with Distinction) from Georgetown University, a Juris Doctor (Dean's Honours List) from Queen's University and a Bachelor of Health Sciences (First Class Honours) from the University of Calgary. Ms. Guenther is a member of the Law Society of Alberta and serves as Chair of the Board of Directors for Wings of Hope Breast Cancer Foundation.
Board of Directors
Marvin F. Romanow is a Corporate Director, and since 2012, Executive in Residence at the University of Saskatchewan. Previously he was the President and Chief Executive Officer of Nexen Inc. He has a Masters of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Engineering, with Great Distinction, from the University of Saskatchewan. He is a graduate of Harvard's Program for Management Development and completed INSEAD's Advance Management Programme. Mr. Romanow holds the ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors. He currently serves on the board of the Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute.
Sylvia K. Barnes is a Corporate Director with over 30 years' experience in energy investment banking and a background in engineering. She is CEO of Tanda Resources LLC, a privately-held energy advisory firm focused on upstream investments and consulting based in Houston, TX. She currently serves on the board of StoneBridge Acquisition Corp as well as Audit Committee Chair. Ms. Barnes is a member of the National Association of Corporate Directors and is Chair of the Santa Mara Hostel Foundation. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Manitoba, and a Master of Business Administration from York University.
Committees
Audit, Finance and Risk |
Governance, Nominating and Compensation
Gary R. Bugeaud is a Corporate Director and prior to December 2013, was Managing Partner of Burnet, Duckworth & Palmer LLP. He is a former corporate lawyer with over 23 years of legal experience focused on securities, corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate governance matters. He has a Bachelor of Commerce (Finance) degree and a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Saskatchewan. Mr. Bugeaud holds the ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors.
Peter Harrison, Corporate Director, recently retired from the position of Manager, Resource and Royalties, of the CN Investment Division, which manages one of the largest corporate pension funds in Canada. Prior to joining the CN Investment Division in August 2009, he was Senior Vice-President of Montrusco Bolton Investments Inc. He is a director of Rife Resources Ltd. and Canpar Holdings Ltd. Mr. Harrison has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from McGill University, an MBA from the University of Western Ontario and is a Chartered Financial Analyst.
Committees
Audit, Finance and Risk | Governance, Nominating and Compensation
Maureen E. Howe is a Corporate Director with substantial finance and capital market experience as well as relevant public company experience. Formerly a Managing Director, Equity Research, Energy Infrastructure at RBC Capital Markets, she specialized in the area of energy infrastructure, which included power generation, transmission and distribution, oil and gas transmission and distribution, gas processing and alternative energy. Prior to joining RBC Capital Markets, Ms. Howe held various positions in the area of capital markets, including investment banking, underwriting, project analysis, portfolio management, investment relations, and corporate finance. Ms. Howe holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) from the University of Manitoba and a Ph.D. in Finance from the University of British Columbia. She is a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors. She currently serves on the boards of Methanex Corporation and Pembina Pipeline Corporation, and is Chair of the University of British Columbia Sauder School of Business Phillips, Hager & North Centre for Financial Research.
Committees
Governance, Nominating and Compensation |
Reserves
Doug is a Corporate Director and an experienced oil and gas industry Executive with strong land, finance, negotiating and leadership skills. He has over 40 years of diverse responsibilities with Canadian based oil and gas exploration and production companies. Mr. Kay holds a Bachelor of Economics degree from the University of Calgary, is a graduate of the Management Development Program of the University of Western Ontario, and holds the designation of P. Land through the Canadian Association of Petroleum Landmen (CAPL). He currently serves on the board of Westbrick Energy Ltd. as Chairman and is a former director and Chair of the Explorers and Producers Association of Canada (EPAC). Mr. Kay holds the ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors.
Committees
Reserves
Valerie A. Mitchell is a Corporate Director with over 25 years experience in the energy industry. Ms. Mitchell is President and Chief Operating Officer of Troy Energy, a private independent oil and gas acquisition, development, and exploration company based in Oklahoma City. She is currently a director and member of the Audit Committee of NCS Multistage Holdings Inc. She has a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Chemical Engineering from the University of Missouri.
David Spyker was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer in January 2021. Since September 2020 Mr. Spyker has served as Interim President and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Spyker joined Freehold Royalties Ltd. in November 2016 as Vice-President, Production and was appointed Chief Operating Officer in March 2019. Prior to, he held various roles at Anderson Exploration Ltd., Anderson Energy Ltd., and Anderson Energy Inc. Mr. Spyker has over 30 years of industry experience. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Alberta and is a member of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA). He currently serves on the Board of Governors of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP).
Committees
Audit, Finance and Risk |
Reserves
Aidan Walsh is a Corporate Director. Prior to April 30, 2020 he was Chief Executive Officer of Baccalieu Energy Inc. (Calgary), a private junior oil and gas company that he co-founded in 2008. He is a former Chair of the Explorers and Producers Association of Canada (EPAC). Mr. Walsh has over 43 years of oil and gas experience in production, marketing, transportation, acquisitions, finance, facility engineering, and construction. He has a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Mechanical Engineering from Memorial University of Newfoundland and an MBA from the University of Calgary. Mr. Walsh is a Professional Engineer and a member of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA). In 2014, Mr. Walsh received the designation of ICD.D from the Institute of Corporate Directors.