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Craig Strand
GM Enterprise Reliability at Suncor
Professional Background
Craig Strand is a distinguished professional in the oil and gas industry, especially notable for his extensive experience in petroleum engineering and operations management. With a strong foundation built on years of dedicated service within Suncor Energy and Albian Sands Energy Inc., Craig has made substantial contributions to project management, process engineering, and production planning in the extraction sector. His career journey reflects his commitment to operational excellence and reliability in energy production.
Currently, Craig serves as the General Manager of Enterprise Reliability at Suncor, where he is responsible for overseeing the reliability and performance of crucial systems ensuring seamless operations in the oil and gas industry. His role requires a keen understanding of technical processes, engineering principles, and the ability to navigate complex operational challenges in a fast-paced environment. Craig’s leadership at Suncor is marked by his strategic oversight of diverse operational aspects, ensuring that the organization not only meets but exceeds its performance goals.
Throughout his tenure at Suncor, he has held multiple leadership roles, including General Manager of Mining Fort Hills and General Manager of Technical Fort Hills, where he played a pivotal role in driving innovation and improving efficiency in mining operations. His expertise extends to production planning and logistics, where he has successfully led teams to streamline operations, boost productivity, and deliver exceptional results.
Earlier in his career, Craig was instrumental as the Director of Process Engineering - Extraction at Suncor. In this role, he guided efforts in enhancing extraction processes, focusing on maximizing resource recovery while minimizing environmental impact. His background also includes serving as Operations Manager and Project Manager, where he was key in overseeing large-scale projects and ensuring their successful execution within established timelines and budgets.
Before joining Suncor, Craig gained valuable experience at Albian Sands Energy Inc., a subsidiary of Suncor Energy, where he took on various roles from Engineering Manager Fixed Plants to Process Engineering Lead and Operations Supervisor. His diverse background in engineering and operations leadership provided him with a comprehensive understanding of the technical and operational aspects of the energy sector, enabling him to contribute significantly to project outcomes and operational improvements.
Craig’s career also includes a foundational role as a Process Engineer at Kilborn Engineering, where he began to hone his skills in process optimization and engineering management. His early experience was further complemented by his involvement in the PFT Pilot Plant at CANMET, focusing on innovative processes and development in extraction technologies.
Education and Achievements
Craig Strand earned his Bachelor of Science in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Alberta, a distinguished program known for producing skilled professionals equipped to lead in the oil and gas sector. This academic foundation laid the groundwork for his impressive career, providing him with comprehensive knowledge in petroleum engineering principles, production technology, and resource management.
Throughout his career, Craig has been recognized for his contributions to the field, earning accolades for his leadership in various capacities at Suncor and other organizations. His commitment to operational reliability, engineering excellence, and sustainable energy practices showcases his dedication to advancing the industry while prioritizing safety and environmental stewardship.
Achievements
- General Manager of Enterprise Reliability at Suncor: Craig's current leadership role focuses on enhancing operational reliability across Suncor's assets, reflecting his commitment to excellence in energy production.
- Diverse Executive Roles: His extensive experience in multiple executive capacities within Suncor, including Mining and Technical General Manager roles, underscores his versatility and depth of knowledge in the energy sector.
- Leadership in Process Engineering: As a former Director of Process Engineering for Extraction, Craig significantly influenced process optimization initiatives, leading to improved resource recovery strategies that aligned with Suncor’s sustainability goals.
- Project Management Expertise: Over the years, Craig has successfully managed numerous projects, demonstrating his ability to lead teams in complex and challenging environments, ensuring successful execution and operational improvements.
- Engineering and Operations Leadership: His progression from Process Engineer at Kilborn Engineering to senior leadership positions illustrates his dedication to continuous professional development and excellence within the oil and gas industry.
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Clay works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
Clay offers several powerful features including:
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Clay offers many advantages over other personal CRMs. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Clay is designed to help you organize contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. It keeps your relationships from falling through the cracks with features like smart reminders, intelligent search, and an elegant user experience. Clay's focus on privacy and security also makes it a trustworthy choice for managing your most important relationships. Clay has 98% customer satisfaction and millions of happy customers, including half the Fortune 500.
Clay is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Clay beneficial.
Clay offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Clay offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Clay's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
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