Ben brings broad experience from a variety of executive and governance roles. He is currently President and CEO Alberta Central, the central bank and trade association for Alberta’s credit unions. He is also Vice Chair on the board of the Prairie Payments Joint Venture (PPJV), a technology and payments company, and Vice Chair on the board of Celero Solutions, a digital banking and information technology company. Previously, Ben was the President and CEO of the Balancing Pool, a major crown corporation in Alberta’s electricity sector, and he sat on the board of an Alberta credit union.

Ben has a Bachelor of Commerce in finance and a Bachelor of Arts in economics from the University of Calgary, and he holds an Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD.D) designation and Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation.

Janet Brown has been examining and tracking public opinion in Alberta for more than 25 years. Throughout her career, Janet has managed research assignments for all levels of government and numerous private sector organizations. She has extensive experience in both quantitative and qualitative research, having designed and managed hundreds of custom research projects.

Janet’s current practice focuses on helping clients better understand key audiences and stakeholder groups they are trying to influence. This could include customers, potential customers, employees, association members, voters, or the general public.

Janet is often invited to speak about political and social trends. She is a regular commentator on the CBC Calgary News at Six, Alberta Primetime on CTV2 in Alberta, and The Weekend Morning News on Global News Calgary. She also continues to be active in the academic community and has delivered guest lectures at the University of Calgary, Mount Royal University, and Concordia University in Montreal.

Janet Brown has a B.A. (Hons) in Political Science from Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario. She also undertook graduate studies in Political Science at York University in Toronto, and studied International Development and International Law at the London School of Economics and Political Science in London, England.

Greg Anderson is a  (Canada). His research and teaching interests are broadly situated within international political economy, particularly the political economy of North American integration. He has authored numerous pieces focused on Canada-U.S. relations, the politics of international trade and investment policy, U.S. foreign economic policy. Anderson’s recent writing includes:

• “Did Labor Norms Save the NAFTA?: Sort of, Accidentally, Depends,” Journal of World Trade 57 (3) (2023): np
• w Geoffrey Hale eds., Navigating a Changing World: Canada’s International Policies in an Era of Political and Economic Uncertainty. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2020.
•  “David and Goliath in Canada-U.S. Relations: Who’s Really Who?” Canadian Foreign Policy Journal 25 (2) (2019): 115-136.
• Freeing Trade in North America. London: Agenda Publishers, 2019.
• “How Did Investor-State Dispute Settlement Get a Bad Rap? Blame it on the NAFTA, of Course,” The World Economy 40 (12) (2017): 2937-2965.

Kate joined Alberta Central in 2013 and is the current Chief Risk and Compliance Officer, where she is she is responsible for external-facing services for credit unions including regulatory compliance, risk management, government relations and research. She joined the system because she believes in the credit union governance model and the value proposition that comes from everyone collaborating and solving problems together.

With previous experience that includes working in federal politics, for the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions and within the credit union systems in British Columbia and Ontario, Kate’s background gives her the ability to view issues from multiple perspectives and to represent the interests of Alberta credit unions with government, system partners and other centrals.

Kate holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History from Queen’s University and a Master of Public Policy and Public Administration from Ryerson University. She also holds her Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD.D) designation and a Masters Certificate in Risk Management and Business Performance from York University.

A bold, intuitive thinker, policy shaper and prolific writer, Ken cofounded Meredith Boessenkool & Phillips to continue influencing policy and working to make the next chapter better for his fellow Canadians.

One of Canada’s leading policy strategists, Ken’s list of accomplishments is long including his recent stint as the J.W. McConnell Professor of Practice at the Max Bell School of Public Policy at McGill University, and his recurring role as Research Fellow at the CD Howe Institute.

Ken has been front and centre in Canadian politics for almost three decades – working with Stephen Harper, Ralph Klein, Jim Dinning, Christy Clark, Stockwell Day, Ric McIver and many others, and he is proud that his contributions have helped change people’s thinking and lives.

Over the course of his career, Ken has worked for and founded a variety of public affairs firms, played senior roles in provincial governments, was a senior regulatory economist with two electricity firms, and the architect of political campaigns nationally and in British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario.

Ken’s also an enthusiastic outdoor daredevil, coffee chemist and never quite gave up on the dreams of his 10-year-old self to become a race car driver.

Dave Cournoyer is an award-winning writer, podcaster, and communications professional based in Edmonton, Alberta.

Dave launched Daveberta.ca in January 2005 and it quickly became one of the best read political websites in Alberta. In 2017, he started the Daveberta Podcast with his friends Ryan Hastman and Adam Rozenhart. He launched the Daveberta Substack in 2022.

Dave is a past member of the programming committee for Edmonton’s Litfest, the board of directors of the Gateway Student Journalism Society, the Kokopelli Choir Association, and the Central Edmonton News Society. He is also a regular member of CTV’s Alberta Primetime politics panel.

Dave earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and History from the University of Alberta and has presented lectures about Alberta politics to classes at the University of Alberta, Carleton University, MacEwan University, King’s University College, and Nerd Nite Edmonton.

A seasoned politician and former Cabinet Minister in the Alberta government, Shannon Phillips demonstrates a remarkable ability to navigate complex policy landscapes to deliver transformative results.

Shannon brings over two decades of experience in public policy, governance, and leadership in energy and the environment to her role at Meredith Boessenkool & Phillips. Her experience includes serving as the Minister of Environment and Parks and Minister Responsible for the Climate Change Office in Rachel Notley’s government, where she was responsible for climate policy, conservation expansion, and Indigenous reconciliation efforts. She also established Alberta’s first standalone Ministry for the Status of Women.

From 2015-19, Shannon was the driving force behind Alberta’s Climate Leadership Plan. Phillips led the coal phase-out, renewable energy expansion, and energy efficiency programs that boosted Alberta’s GDP and created jobs across the province. Shannon also represented Alberta on the national and international stage, including leading delegations to UN climate conferences in Paris and Marrakech.

Phillips won three elections as a progressive woman candidate in Southern Alberta – an accomplishment most would have dismissed as far-fetched just a decade ago.  She is an experienced and successful campaigner, organizer and grassroots leader. She continues to focus on mentorship and training of a new generation of activists and candidates.

Shannon is a strong communicator in both of Canada’s official languages, a skill that serves her well in her extensive policy and advocacy work on the national and international stage.

Deeply committed to her community, Shannon continues to strengthen her relationship with the Blackfoot people of southern Alberta and is a Blackfoot Headdress holder and recipient of a Blackfoot name. In addition to her work in the community, Shannon serves as an Adjunct Faculty member in the Department of Political Science at the University of Lethbridge and was recognized as a YWCA Woman of Distinction in 2017.

 Shannon enjoys spending time with her two sons in the outdoors, particularly in the Canadian Rockies.

Carrie Tait is a reporter in The Globe and Mail’s Calgary Bureau, covering politics, rural issues and culture, and breaking news. Her coverage ranges from race relations in her home province of Saskatchewan to the lighthearted topic of skiing cats in Alberta. Carrie has reported on the wildfires and floods in Alberta and British Columbia; how Cargill’s meat-processing plant in High River became the site of Canada’s largest single outbreak of COVID-19; and naming trends among Calgary Stampede participants. Previously, she covered energy for the Globe’s Report on Business, and has also reported for the National Post. She joined the National Post’s Calgary bureau in 2008, after transferring from Toronto, where she primarily covered business.

Her area of expertise include Alberta, the Prairies, politics and rural issues and culture.

Matea Maric is the Director, Government Relations & Innovation at Alberta Central, and is responsible for coordinating the Alberta credit union system’s provincial and federal policy and advocacy work. Matea joined Alberta Central in March 2020.

Prior to joining Central, Matea worked for a Crown Corporation in the provincially regulated pension sector, as a manager of several public sector pension plan boards and committees. Raised in Alberta, Matea holds a Bachelor of Commerce Degree in Business Law & Economics from the University of Alberta. Matea is dedicated to representing the interests of Alberta credit unions with government, and connecting credit unions to strategic system partners to enhance the competitiveness of the sector.