Marwan Masri
President and CEO

Marwan Masri was appointed President & CEO of the Canadian Energy Research Institute in August 2007.  Prior to his appointment, he was Vice President, Research having joined the Institute in November 2005.  Marwan’s experience includes a distinguished career with the California Energy Commission. 

Marwan’s career in the energy field spanned over 29 years of experience at the California Energy Commission in Sacramento, California.  His most recent positions were Commission Deputy Director, Division Director, Technology Systems Division (R&D) and Director, Renewable Energy Program. His previous positions include Senior Economist, Energy Analyst, Energy Siting Planner, Solar Energy Specialist, Energy Economics/Statistics Specialist, Energy Fuels Specialist, and Energy Commission Supervisor. Marwan’s accomplishments include: leading a special team in design and implementation of a $1.9 billion market-based program to develop renewable power projects, advising the Legislature, Governor’s Office and Commissioners on regulatory policies and the design of policy tools to respond to energy, economics and environmental issues.  He directed the assessment of technical, economic, market potential and environmental issues of independently owned energy supply sources. 

Utilizing complex simulation models, Marwan produced the state’s official 20-year forecast of energy supply from independent power supplies for 1990, 1992 and 1994. He developed and applied the methodology for long-term projections of cost and value of power delivered by independent projects to California electric utilities, which formed the basis for regulatory policy for power purchase agreements between electric utilities and their suppliers. This methodology was based on complex utility system production cost simulation models.

Marwan spearheaded the development of conceptual and quantitative methodology to estimate costs and benefits of air quality changes for use in energy resource planning and procurement, led a team for research on California global climate change, and developed and applied methods to estimate costs and benefits of carbon dioxide emission reduction.

Mr. Masri is a member of the Advisory Board to the Asia Pacific Economic Research Centre (APERC) in Tokyo, Japan and a University Advisory Board member of the Center for Legislative Energy and Environmental Research (CLEER).

J.P. (Phil) Prince, Ph.D.
President Emeritus

Dr. Prince was appointed as President and CEO of the Canadian Energy Research Institute in April of 1999. Prior to his appointment to CERI, Dr. Prince served as Co-Chair, Vice-Chair and Board Member of the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board along with its predecessor organization.

His prior experience spans business, academia, research, and government in such organizations as the Royal Bank of Canada, the Department of Energy, Mines and Resources Canada, the University of Alberta, and Red Deer College. 

Dr. Prince's awards for service include the Robert Elver Mineral Economics Award from the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, as well as the President's Award from the Canadian Major Projects Association. He is also Past President of the Canadian Chapter of the International Association of Energy Economists.

Douglas J. Sinclair
Vice President, Operations

Mr. Sinclair joined CERI as Controller in 2000.  He was appointed as Vice President, Operations in April 2008.  His responsibilities include overseeing Conferences, Training, Human Resources, Finance and Administration areas for CERI.

In his current capacity, he also works closely with the research group in developing productivity tools, and with marketing in identifying new business opportunities, in addition to providing essential support to the budget, accounting and IT activities at CERI.

Mr. Sinclair is a CMA with many years of industrial and government experience and brings a no-nonsense attitude to the organization. His strong background in the finance industry along with his experience with computer systems make him an asset to CERI.

Dr. Carmen Dybwad

Vice President, Business Development &

External Relations

A native of Sedley, Saskatchewan, Dr. Dybwad has a Ph.D. in Regional Planning and Resource Development from the University of Waterloo in addition to a BA and MA in Economics from the University of Regina. Dr. Dybwad has held senior positions with several departments of the Government of Saskatchewan including, among others, the Department of Finance and Executive Council. Carmen’s work in the energy sector started with her tenure at SaskPower.  From there she moved to the national scene when she became a Member of the Canadian National Energy Board, on which she served with distinction for seven years. Dr. Dybwad was the President of the Energy Council of Canada for two years before taking up her current position at CERI.

Peter Howard, P. Eng.
Vice President, Research

Mr. Howard has a B.Sc in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Alberta in Edmonton and is a registered Professional Engineer in the Province of Alberta.  He joined CERI in November 2004 as Senior Energy Analyst.

Mr. Howard has 30 years of experience specializing in engineering and technical applications in the oil and gas industry. Prior to joining CERI, Mr. Howards was a senior associate with J.R. Lacey International Ltd. and president of Arundel Information Systems Ltd. His recent experience includes being a consulting member of international study teams examining several aspects of the Russian and European gas pipeline industry.

Mr. Howard is co-author of two computer programs - the Gas Energy Management Model, as well as the LOGIS data retrieval system, and is author of the computer program, "QTrack" liquid recovery simulator. He has acted in a consulting role for numerous companies with regard to computer modeling, data modeling and computer application development.

CERI's research staff brings in-depth knowledge and years of specialized practical experience to the analysis of specific energy industry and environment-related issues. In addition to working hands-on, research team leaders practice a disciplined approach in managing projects. Organizationally, the Institute has the flexibility in mixing-and-matching expertise with analytical talents to deliver reports that contain succinct conclusions underpinned by sound methodologies and data of high integrity.

Afshin Honarvar

Senior Economist

Dr. Afshin Honarvar was granted a PhD in Economics at the University of Calgary in July 2007.  He joined CERI in August, 2006 as an economist with extensive energy background. Afshin has a diversified international background with BA and MA degrees in Energy Economics from Shiraz and Tehran Universities in Iran.  Afshin has seven years of experience in the international energy scene including experience in the Oil industry and research and teaching positions in reputable organizations in Iran and Canada. He is also an expert in linear programming techniques, Life Cycle Analysis, economic Input-Output analysis and Time Series Econometrics.

Having participated in several studies dealing with versatile topics of oil, renewables, electricity and energy balance, Afshin is currently working on two CERI projects that examine economic and social impacts of oil industry in Canada and Alberta. Some of his earlier research experiences include a work for CERI on “Comparative Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of Electricity Generation in Ontario”, “Economics of an East-West Electricity Grid" and “Crude Oil Price Impact of Using Fuel Efficient Cars and Alternative Fuels in Asian Countries”. Afshin has also attended workshops and seminars on LCA and its modeling approaches. He also worked for the Energy Office of the Energy Ministry in Tehran, Iran where he focused for two years on Iran’s energy demand and supply. As well, he worked for the Renewable Energy Department of the Ministry of Energy in Iran as an Economist for two years.  He also served as an international oil marketing expert for the National Iranian Oil Company, where he followed up oil market developments for three years. In that capacity, he produced singly and in collaboration a set of reports and articles. Dr. Honarvar is currently teaching “Applied Energy Economics II” at University of Calgary.

Paul Kralovic
Senior Economist

Paul has been with the Canadian Energy Research Institute (CERI) since April 2004, joining as a Research Analyst. Mr. Kralovic has been actively involved with over a dozen projects, ranging from the Natural Gas, Electricity and Environmental sectors over the past five years. From managing projects and teams, to compiling data and maintaining models, to writing and compiling drafts, Paul has been involved with various stages of research.

Paul is also an accomplished author, most recently authoring the highly anticipated “Economic Impacts of the Petroleum Industry in Canada”. In addition, Paul was the primary author and analyst for four years (nearly three years as the editor-in-chief) with CERI's monthly Commodity Report - Natural Gas.

Mr. Kralovic was a Sessional Lecturer at the University of Calgary in the Winter 2006 and Summer 2007 semesters where he taught a third-year economics course (Economics 321 – The Global Trading System). He has also been a guest lecturer for CERI’s Applied Energy Economics course at the University of Calgary this past calendar year.

Prior to joining CERI, Mr. Kralovic worked as a research consultant, working on various assignments sponsored by the Inter-American Development Bank and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. He has consulted on projects involving International Trade, Economic Development, and Biotechnology Issues. Mr. Kralovic also spent several years in South America, Asia, and Europe, as well as worked abroad in Slovakia.

Education Background:

Paul holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and a Masters of Economics degree from the University of Calgary, specializing in International Finance.

David McColl
Research Director

David has been with the Canadian Energy Research Institute (CERI) since November 2004. From November 2005, to February 2007 he provided CERI and upstart energy company, Energy Alberta Corp. (EAC) with consulting services. Since re-joining CERI, David has acted as the team leader for their 2007 private client study “Canadian Oil Sands Development Projects”, and is leading their 2007 study, “Oil Sands Projection and Supply Costs 2007 to 2027” and is heavily in involved in CERI “Oil Sands Economic Impact” studies.

In addition to project leadership experience, David has co-authored a wide variety of studies examining issues such as: natural gas, liquefied natural gas, nuclear energy, oil sands and oil sands cogeneration. Through his involvement with CERI, he has also been a guest lecturer in the field of Energy Economics at the University of Calgary and is knowledgeable in the fields of: Oil Sands, Natural Gas (conventional and unconventional, and natural gas liquids), Electricity in Canada, and Nuclear Energy.

David was President of the Young Albertan’s Progressive Conservative Association (2005 to 2007), where he volunteered his time helping young people become engaged and active in the political process. David is a graduate from the University of Alberta with a Master of Arts degree in Economics. He was also awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics, with Honours, specializing in Econometrics and a minor in Management Studies, from the University of Waterloo.

David brings these business and academic skills, along with a background in government and public relations to CERI.

Mellisa Mei, MA

Economist

Ms. Mei graduated from McMaster University with a Master of Arts degree in Economics. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree in Economics, specializing in Econometrics from the University of Waterloo. As an Economist with CERI, Ms. Mei is responsible for performing research, as well as collecting and analyzing statistical data. Since Ms. Mei joined CERI in 2007, she has contributed to multiple studies in various energy sectors, including oil sands, electricity, NGLs, and Natural Gas. Additionally, Ms. Mei is a co-editor of CERI’s monthly Natural Gas Commodity Report.

Prior to joining CERI, Ms. Mei worked as an Analyst for an international natural gas consulting firm in Calgary.

Dinara Millington
Senior Economist

Since joining CERI in February 2004 as a Research Analyst, Mrs. Millington has been involved in various stages of research and economic analysis, including modeling in the conventional and non-conventional natural gas, oil and oil sands sectors, as well as electricity and environment.

She was the primary author and editor-in-chief to the Institute's Oil Commodity Report for last two years and a co-author of the Alberta Electricity Monthly publication. In addition, she has been a guest lecturer at the University of Calgary in the Energy Economics courses and a presenter at the ISEEE conference.

Dinara graduated with a Masters of Arts degree in Economics from the University of Calgary, specializing in Econometrics and Time-series Analysis. Her graduate thesis was to evaluate the relationship between the oil price, oil consumption and GDP growth in oil-exporting and oil-importing countries, which is currently being summarized into a paper to be published in a recognized energy economics journal. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics with minor in Finance.

Mrs. Millington spent one year studying in the Masarykov University in Brno, Czech Republic, as well as worked and lived abroad in Kazakhstan. She writes and speaks English, Russian, Kazakh and Czech languages.

Jon Rozhon

Senior Researcher; Manager, Training Services

Jon joined CERI in October 2007, and after 6 months working in Research, he was transferred to Training where he is now the manager.  With over a decade of teaching and curriculum design experience, Jon has focused on improving CERI course offerings and increasing attendance.  He is presently working with CERI researchers to develop a new range of courses to meet the changing needs of CERI’s member organizations and the energy industry in general.  Jon is also Associate Editor of the journal Geopolitics of Energy. 

Rami Shabaneh
Research Economist

Mr. Shabaneh joined CERI in the summer of 2007. Rami graduated with a B.Sc. in Actuarial Science from the University of Calgary in 2007 along with a minor in Economics and Statistics. The combination of mathematics and economics allows him to focus on financial/cost models and pursue roles in economic evaluations and risk analysis.

Rami has participated in extensive projects with CERI in various fields such as oil & gas, nuclear and renewable energy.  Along with CERI’s in-house training, he has widened his scope in energy economics and developed strong research and analytical skills and is now co-author of CERI’s monthly publication, “CERI Commodity Report - Crude Oil”. In addition, he is pursuing his MSc in Sustainable Energy Development from the University of Calgary on a part-time basis.

Thorn Walden

Senior Economist

Mr. Walden holds an MBA in Finance and a BSc in Chemistry & Mathematics from the University of British Colombia.  He joined CERI in June 2005.  His primary responsibilities involve comparison of various technologies for generating electricity on a levelized cost basis as well as assessment of the regional and local economic impacts of oil sands projects using input-output analysis and economic base theory.  He is currently examining the feasibility of enhancing electricity transmission links between provinces in the East-West Grid Study.

Prior to joining CERI, Mr. Walden held similar positions with the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board.  He was also an Engineering Analyst with Montreal Engineering Company Limited.

Mr. Walden's professional experience includes economic and social impact analysis of electricity generation & transmission; petrochemical and coal mining projects proposed for Alberta; input-output analysis of nuclear power and oil sands; econometric modelling of provincial economy and of electricity, natural gas and coal supply & demand; as well as drafting notes for an electrical utility's in-house course on engineering economics.

Mr. Walden is the author and co-author of numerous publications both prior to and while with CERI including:

• "Utilities Fostering End-Use Efficiency:  Capital Budgeting Meets the No-Losers Test," in proceedings, Fourteenth Anuual Conference, International Association for Energy Economics, 1991, 1058-64
• "Crude Oil Prorationing as an Optimization Problem,"  Journal of Canadian Petroleum Technology, July - August 1989, 136-39
• "A Preliminary Cyclical Production Scheduling and Inventory Control System for a New Multi-Product Plant," Canadian Operational Research Society Journal, November 1968, 148-57
  

Our aim is two-fold. We aim to educate and inform interested parties on various subjects and issues in the areas of energy as well as promote CERI, its people and the relevant information we provide.

Sam Chan
Senior Economist

Mr. Sam Chan joined CERI in January 1992 and currently holds the position of Senior Economist responsible mainly for business development.  He has more 35 years experience in the petroleum industry having spent the first eighteen years of his career with Shell Companies in Malaysia in a variety of increasingly senior positions including an assignment to Shell International in London, England. 

With his varied experience from research to leading the Training Services group, Sam brings a unique perspective to achieving the Institute's marketing objectives in his current responsibility for marketing and sales. As marketing research liaison, he works in close conjunction with the research teams to identify topical issues, assist in study proposal development and project funding, as well as follow through on all sales, marketing and business development initiatives.

Sue Johnsgaard
Training Assistant

The energy industry has experienced fundamental structural changes driven by market vagaries, technological advancements, environmental and conservation pressures, just to name a few factors. Demand for new skill-sets, coupled with changing demographics in the labour force, has increased the value of CERI's role as a training service provider. Working with a team of senior instructors, Lisa and Sue are at the front-line of a business unit that begins with "extra-mile" customer service and ends with the organization of a diverse portfolio of topical courses known for their value and high-quality delivery. With a vast resource of up-to-date information to draw from, the Institute also offers customized training courses to satisfy specific needs of its clientele.

Deanne Landry
Conference Coordinator

Capri Gardener
Administrative Assistant

With more than fifty highly successful major conferences and energy shows between them, our staff work tirelessly on centre stage as well as behind the scenes to ensure that delegates obtain the best value they have come to expect from CERI conferences. Repeat attendance at annual conferences, the enthusiasm of leading experts to speak and moderate, and accolades from attendees, are testimony to the success from the time a conference theme and program are developed to the seamless organization and delivery of a complex event.

Ping Wing
Senior Systems Analyst

Mr. Wing has a MSc in Computer Science from the University of Houston.  He joined CERI in 1997.

Despite being a one-person IT shop, Mr. Wing has successfully introduced leading-edge desktop computing, networking and internet access technologies to the Institute.

With growing use of increasingly sophisticated integrated computer models among research staff, Mr. Wing is dedicating a major portion of his time to systems design, construction and support.  At the same time, he provides valuable assistance in the development of in-house productivity measurement tools as part of a broader institute-wide initiative to continue improving work efficiencies.

Prior to joining CERI,  Mr. Wing worked as a Systems Analyst for Olds College,  Alberta.

Joyce Routly
Library Technician

Joyce Routly obtained her Library & Information Technology diploma with honours from SAIT and has worked as a library technician with a major oil company, the Energy Resources Conservation Board, various school libraries, and most recently, an unconventional gas exploration and production company.  She joined CERI in 2008 and is looking forward to using the skills she acquired from her years as a library technician in special libraries to assist CERI staff in obtaining and maintaining the information they require in a timely and cost-effective manner. 

Carol Williams
Executive Secretary

Megan Murphy
Executive Assistant

Roxanne Rees
Administrative Assistant

Capri Gardener
Administrative Assistant

For all the support they provide, staff members of the Administrative Services group are the "unsung heroes" of the organization. As Executive Secretary, Carol looks after overall administration ensuring smooth day-to-day operations. Roxanne is responsible for CERI membership liaison. Megan and Capri's skills in desktop publishing put them as the last, and vital, link in a long chain of activities that result in the successful release of every CERI report or publication.