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David Montpetit is an accomplished leader with proven ability to align strategy with day-to-day operations, and a comprehensive understanding of the rail transportation and port logistics industry.
In his current position as president of Diadem Group Ltd., David works in the rail transportation and port logistics industry to improve efficiencies and reduce costs across the board. David uses a solution-based approach to achieve short and long-term service level agreements that maximize all commercial, contractual and legislated mechanisms to fully protect the shippers. As well, he ensures all supply chain efficiencies are maximized and fully utilized, including loading and unloading facilities.
Chief Commercial Officer, Montem Resources Corp.
Bob Bell is a mining executive and independent consultant with extensive international experience marketing coking coal to the steel industry and energy coal to the power generation industry. He also has extensive experience in transportation including negotiation of major rail and port agreements, leading the logistics function in two large coal producers and arbitration of commercial disputes. Other focus areas included transportation strategy, marketing strategy development, major commercial agreement negotiations and corporate development. He is a former Director and Chair of the Board of Neptune Bulk Terminals (Canada) Ltd., a large coal, potash and agricultural product export terminal in Vancouver.
From a coal industry perspective, Bob is past Chair of the Coal Association of Canada, sat on the Board of the Canadian Clean Power Coalition, and was a member of the Coal Industry Advisory Board to the International Energy Agency.
Bob has been involved in transportation advocacy work for many years. This has included meeting with regulators and elected officials during his tenures with Teck and Luscar advocating for improved shipper protection. He appeared before the Competition Policy Review Panel to discuss the importance of greater competition in Canada’s rail industry and on two occasions appeared before the Rail Freight Service Review panel and supervised the work of others in appearances before regulators and elected officials. Bob was also actively involved with the Western Transportation Advisory Committee and Transport Canada’s Gateway Performance Table Bulk Committee.
Bob’s education includes a degree in mining engineering from McGill University in Montreal, a master’s degree in business administration from Queen’s University in Kingston Ontario and the Directors Education Program (ICD.D) from the Rotman School of Management/Institute of Corporate Directors. His early career was spent in the Alberta Oilsands in engineering and operations. He joined the coal industry in 1988 in the finance group of Luscar Ltd. and in 2001 was appointed its VP Marketing. In 2007, Bob was appointed Chief Commercial Officer of the coal business unit of Teck Resources, the world’s second largest coking coal exporter, responsible for all Teck’s coal marketing and transportation. In 2013 he set up his own consulting providing advice to the international coal industry and the North American shipping community. In addition, he has been the CEO of three junior coal companies.
Senior Manager of Supply & Logistics, Husky Energy
Gawiya has spent over a decade in the transportation and oil and gas industry beginning her career with Canadian Pacific Railway post-graduation from the University of Calgary Haskayne School of Business with a Bachelor of Commerce Degree. Working in various departments including service delivery, marketing, and sales, Gawiya gained experience dealing with some of Canada and North America’s largest shippers. In 2011 she moved to Husky Energy to manage their asphalt logistics and after growing the portfolio took on the challenge of leading Husky’s National Cardlock and Fleet Fuel Sales team travelling all across Canada.
As the Senior Manager of Supply & Logistics for Husky, Gawiya leads multiple teams who manage the transportation of a wide scale of downstream commodities, providing market access to move Husky product throughout North America ensuring operational reliability and trading flexibility. Amongst her purview of rail scheduling, terminalling and trucking, Gawiya also oversees areas of contract negotiations, transportation access to new markets, and management of rail car asset supply. Gawiya currently serves as the Chair of Husky’s TDG Steering Committee responsible for monitoring new and proposed regulations and policies related to the transportation of dangerous goods and emergency response action plans.
As one of the Co-Founders of Ladies in Logistics, started in 2014, Gawiya and her Co-Founder saw a gap in the marketplace for females within the transportation and logistics industry and formed the non for profit group to bring together women of all ages and backgrounds who share the same passion and drive for a career in logistics.
Director Operations, Sultran Ltd.
Nancy Read is a senior transportation and logistics executive with over 20 years of railway experience. She has deep knowledge and understanding of service design and delivery, demand planning, asset optimization, corporate governance, strategic planning and organizational leadership.  Nancy has demonstrated strategic planning and execution abilities – leading the acquisition of a state of the art transload facility in southern Ontario, simplifying and standardizing non-rail service offerings, and restructuring a multi-million dollar inventory and distribution division to name a few recent accomplishments. She is truly passionate about continuous improvement, team development and finding value for stakeholders.
As Director of Operations at Sultran Ltd., Nancy is responsible for oversight and delivery of logistics solutions and services for Canadian exporters. Providing a seamless customer experience is paramount through management and strategic planning of rail fleets, inventory, vessels, product quality, reporting and contract management.
Nancy has served as a member of the National Commodity Supply Chain Table as well as the Vancouver Gateway Council while working with Canadian Pacific Railway.
Director of Logistics & Administration, Millar Western Forest Products Ltd.
Greg Simpson has spent four decades honing his management skills with several large Canadian transport and commodity companies.
Prior to joining Millar Western in 2005, Greg held senior roles with Wilkinson Steel & Metals, Sitka Forest Products Ltd., Welco Lumber Corp., Desticon Transportation Services Inc., BC Rail, and Norbord Ind., where he was responsible for materials management, commodity trading, business development, warehousing, customs and logistics, marketing and sales, and RFPs.
Greg’s experience also includes management of one of the largest forest industry retail VMI programs (Home Depot), and roles in mergers and acquisitions, greenfield projects, value-added product development, agency sales agreements, joint ventures, and Team Lead-Margin Improvement/Best Practices/Strategic Sourcing Corporate Team.
Throughout his extensive career, Greg has served company and industry associations, including: BC Rail Aboriginal Relations, Softwood Lumber Trade Council, Forest Products Association of Canada, Assistant Chairman & Chairman of the Transport Committee, West Coast Container Working Group, BC Container Carrier Audit Committee, Vancouver Fraser Port Authority Advisor Group, and as Chairman of Alberta Forest Products Shippers Association.
Greg studied Transportation Management and Transportation Law at BCIT in Burnaby BC, Logistics Management and Executive Development at York University in Toronto ON, Effective Leadership at The Niagara Institute in Niagara on the Lake ON, Business Management at Waterloo Management Centre in Toronto ON, and completed the North American Wholesale Lumber Association Sales Training Course in Toronto ON.
Lucia M. Stuhldreier, Senior Legal Counsel
Lucia is a partner in McMillan’s Vancouver office and a member of the firm’s transportation group. Her practice focus includes rail transportation, aviation and trucking.
Lucia advises and represents rail shippers in negotiations of rail transportation agreements, including rate and service matters, and agreements for the construction, acquisition and shared use of rail trackage. She has extensive experience in rail regulatory proceedings before the Canadian Transportation Agency and arbitrations relating to rail freight rates, service issues, interswitching and railway line discontinuance, as well as related judicial review and appellate proceedings. Lucia also advises clients on rail transportation policy. Lucia’s practice also includes advising clients on regulatory matters relating to aviation and truck transportation.
Lucia has represented clients before the Canadian Transportation Agency, the Transportation Appeal Tribunal of Canada, the Manitoba Motor Transport Board, the Saskatchewan Highway Transport Board, all levels of court in Manitoba, the Federal Court and the Federal Court of Appeal.
Lucia ’s other professional activities include teaching a course on legal issues in transportation for the Transport Institute, Asper School of Business, University of Manitoba. Her legal writing has been published in The Western Canada Highway News, and Grain Matters.
Lucia is a member of the Law Society of Manitoba, Manitoba Bar Association, and Canadian Bar Association, and is a graduate of the University of Manitoba, receiving her B.A. (Hons.) in 1986 and her LL.B in 1997.