Our Work
Rio Tinto Alcan
Hydroelectric Tunnel Expansion Project
Role: Public Affairs Manager
Duration: 4 Years
From 2018 to 2022, Chad Penney served as Public Affairs Manager for Rio Tinto Alcan’s Kemano T2 Hydroelectric Power Project, a strategic infrastructure initiative essential to the long-term success of Rio Tinto’s BC Works aluminum smelter in Kitimat, British Columbia.
His mandate extended beyond communications. He managed expectations and relationships across a complex stakeholder ecosystem: project owners, municipal governments, contractors, Indigenous bands, regulatory bodies, and community leadership.
The T2 project required sustained engagement, issue management, and alignment over four years of development. The role demanded steady leadership, transparency, and credibility. Particularly in a region where industrial projects intersect directly with community, environmental, and political considerations.
Impact:
Maintained stakeholder alignment and protected project continuity through proactive engagement and disciplined public affairs strategy.
LNG Canada
Phase 1 First Nations Equity Deal
Role: Strategic Advisor for Kitselas First Nation
Chad represented the Kitselas First Nation in negotiations related to LNG Canada’s Phase 1 development. One of the largest private-sector investments in Canadian history.
Kitselas secured a $200 million CAD equity stake in the project, marking a transformative economic milestone for the Nation.
Acting on behalf of one of five participating First Nations, Chad provided strategic counsel and representation throughout the equity process. The engagement required sophisticated negotiation capability, political awareness, financial understanding, and long-term community alignment.
This was not transactional advisory work, it was nation-building strategy at scale.
Impact:
Supported a landmark Indigenous equity agreement, positioning Kitselas First Nation as a long-term stakeholder in a generational energy infrastructure project.
ExxonMobil Hebron Offshore Platform
Role: Supply Chain Manager
Total Managed Spend: $10B+ CAD
From 2013 to 2017, Chad Penney led supply chain strategy for the Hebron offshore platform development, one of the largest offshore oil projects in Canadian history.
He oversaw more than $10 billion CAD in procurement across services, equipment, commodities, marine vessels, and major contractors. The role demanded full-spectrum oversight: strategic sourcing, vendor negotiation, contract structuring, cost control, logistics coordination, and risk mitigation in a high-stakes offshore environment.
Operating in the North Atlantic, where weather, complexity, and cost volatility intersect required disciplined execution and cross-functional alignment across engineering, operations, and executive leadership.
Impact:
Delivered procurement leadership on a multi-billion-dollar offshore megaproject with precision, cost control, and operational continuity across a four-year build cycle.