Professional Development Consortium Planning New Series of Seminars

Searching for new ways to increase your understanding of business fundamentals or for ways to improve communication and collaboration with business professionals in your organization? Then check out the 1998 Professional Development Consortium (PDC) schedule of seminars.

The consortium, an alliance between the Faculty of Management at The University of Calgary, APEGGA and other technical professional associations in Calgary, is once again offering a series of two-hour professional development seminars at a convenient time (7-to-9 a.m.) and downtown location (PanCanadian Training Centre). The two-hour seminars focus on management topics such as financial markets, decision-making and reporting; risk management; business law; project management; information systems and business ethics.

Ron Hietala, now of Petro Hunt Resources, and Ken Putt, P.Eng., of the National Research Council, first approached the U of C Faculty of Management with the concept of an alliance in 1994. They noted that technical professionals were being increasingly asked to assume responsibility for business results and that seminars were needed which would help technical professionals to make better business decisions and to work more effectively in business teams. Since then,Wayne Patton, P.Eng., director of energy management programs at the Faculty of Management and John Barrie, P.Eng., formerly chair of the APEGGA-Calgary Branch Issues Committee, have spearheaded the effort to develop a series of seminars. The end result is a series designed to increase understanding of business topics which are fundamental to the success of any business.

The Professional Development Consortium Board of Directors is a unique group of individuals dedicated to providing opportunities for individuals to enhance their management knowledge and skills. Current board members are: John Barrie (Fluor Daniel), Ken Brown, P.Eng., (PanCanadian Petroleum), Francis Hartman, P.Eng., PhD, (U of C), Ron Hietala, Allan Lye (Plains Perforating), Carolyn Murphy (Brigadier Energy Inc.), Mark Olson (Pembina Corporation), Wayne Patton (U of C), Ken Putt, Dave Reid, P.Eng., (TransCanada Pipelines), and Rick Young., P.Geol., PhD (Dart Energy Inc.).

The Professional Development Consortium continues to draw great interest and support from the Calgary business community. In its efforts to meet the growing demand for additional topics, the consortium has recently finished piloting two new series at Fluor Daniel: a series on project management, and a series on business ethics. In the spring of 1998, a series on international business also will be developed.

For more information, please contact Francey Pisicoli or Wayne Patton at The University of Calgary (403) 220-8576 or John Barrie (403) 259-1180.