The highest alumni honour at the Haskayne School of Business, the Management Alumni Excellence Award recognizes the outstanding success of Haskayne alumni, celebrating their personal and professional achievements, and extraordinary service to both the school and the community.
When selecting a Management Alumni Excellence Award recipient, the committee will consider the values of leadership, commitment, excellence, integrity and service. They will be evaluated in the areas of innovation and industry change, advocacy for higher education, service to UCalgary and the Haskayne School of Business and contributions to the community.
Since the award was established in 2000, a select group of Haskayne’s 30,000+ alumni have been recognized. We congratulate their successes and invite you to get to know them by watching the videos below.
2023 Management Alumni Excellence Award Recipient
Saifa Koonar, BComm’92, MBA’02
President and CEO
Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation
Saifa Koonar is a community champion and devoted advocate, committed to improving the health and well-being of children and their families in Alberta.
For over 25 years, Saifa has played a pivotal role at the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation (ACHF), where since 2009 she has held the position of President and CEO of the organization. Under her leadership, the ACHF has embarked on many transformative and impactful projects including the construction of the new Alberta Children’s Hospital, the creation of Rotary Flames House, the establishment of the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, and most recently, The Summit: Marian & Jim Sinneave Centre for Youth Resilience - Calgary’s first Centre for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.
Saifa is a two-time Haskayne alumna earning a Bachelor of Commerce in 1992 and an MBA in 2002 and holds an ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors. In 2021, Saifa was a recipient of the Order of the University of Calgary for her service to the university.
Past Recipients
2022: Allison Taylor, MBA’01
Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Invico Capital
2022: Jason Brooks, BComm’92
President and Co-Founder, Invico Capital
2021: Eleanor Chiu, BComm’85
Chief Financial Officer, Trico Group
Director, Trico Charitable Foundation
2020: Al Monaco, MBA’97
President and CEO, Enbridge
2019: Dawn Farrell, BComm’83, MA’85
President and CEO, TransAlta Corporation
2018: Derrick Hunter, MBA’90
President, Bluesky Equities Limited
2017: Shahauna Siddiqui, MBA'01
Partner, DHR International
2016: Larry Shelley
BComm’80 | Managing Partner, Citrus Capital Partners
2015: Curtis Probst
BComm’89 | Managing Director, Rocky Mountain Institute
- 2014: Glen Schmidt, BSc'81, MBA’94 | President and CEO, Laricina Energy Ltd.
- 2013: Thomas Buchanan, BComm’79 | CEO and Director, Spyglass Resources Corp
- 2012: Helen Wesley, BComm’91 | Executive Vice President, Talisman
- 2011: Eva Friesen, MBA’00 | President and CEO, The Calgary Foundation
- 2010: Mike Shaikh, BComm’77 | Chair, Calgary Police Commission
- 2009: George Gosbee, BComm’93 | President & CEO AltaCorp Capital Inc., Founder Tristone Capital
- 2008: Russell K. Girling, BComm’85, MBA ’91 | President, Pipelines, TransCanada Corporation
- 2007: Kenneth R. McKinnon, BComm’80 | VP Legal Affairs and General Counsel, Critical Mass Inc.; Partner, Sundog Eyewear
- 2006: David W. Byler, BComm’78 | Executive VP, Natural Gas & Renewable Energy, Suncor Energy
- 2005: Brian J. Bass, BA’71, BComm’73 | Member, University Board of Governors, Senate & Alumni Association
- 2004: Lesley M.E. Conway, MBA’89 | President, Hopewell Residential Communities
- 2003: W. Brett Wilson, MBA’85 | Chairman, Prairie Merchant Corporation, Co-Founder First Energy Capital
- 2002: Hal Kvisle, MBA’82 | President & CEO, TransCanada Pipelines Limited (retired)
- 2001: Charles W. Fischer, BSc’72, MBA ’82 | President & CEO, Nexen Inc. (retired)
- 2000: Michael J. Tims, BComm’76 | Co-Chairman, Peters & Co. Limited