Page 52 - CCCA61_2013

CCCA_V7No1_Col-News-FIN_CCCA 2/12/13 5:51 PM Page 52 CCCA News Meet CCCA’s National Spring Conference Co-Chairs ob Van Walleghem, vice-president and general counsel, Tervita RCorporation in Calgary, is delighted to serve as co-chair of the CCCA National Spring Conference. “I think CCCA does a great job overall at identifying issues and provid- ing programs of practical interest and concern for in-house practitioners,”he says. As for the conference agenda,“there’s not a single session that I don't find of interest. I see a program that's so relevant and timely and chock full of material, attendees will say,‘I’m really glad to have been at the National Spring Conference to share this program with the speakers, the panels and Rob Van Walleghem, vice-president and the other in-house counsel.’” general counsel, Tervita Corporation, Calgary. Van Walleghem, who joined Tervita Corporation in 2008, is currently responsible for legal, governance, health & safety and environmental & regu- latory matters. Prior to joining Tervita, he was vice-president, legal and cor- porate secretary of Essential Energy Services, after serving as general counsel and corporate secretary at Tesco Corporation and Cell-Loc Inc. He is active in the community as a member of the board of directors of the Association of General Counsel of Alberta and with the Job Safety Skills Society. An in-house counsel since 2000, the University of Calgary graduate brought a unique private practice combination of corporate/commercial and securities law plus civil litigation experience to the role. Private prac- tice was challenging and interesting, he says, but an article in the CBA’s National magazine about more “control” of work hours and family/work balance“resonated”with him and started him on the path to thinking about moving in-house. This control is important, says the married father of four boys who spend a lot of time at the hockey rink. An amateur hockey player himself, Van Walleghem enjoys working in an environment “where although there are long hours, there is often a measure of control over the hours and the legal contribution is highly regarded and valued on a result-based basis.” In addi- tion,as a strong believer in teamwork,he enjoys the genuine respect that exists in his corporation among legal and senior management, who together feel confident in moving the organization’s goals forward. Van Walleghem finds it especially gratifying to serve as co-chair of the National Spring Conference during CCCA’s 25th anniversary year.“CCCA’s anniversary provides a spotlight on the fact that this association has served the in-house community so well and for so long,” he says.“It’s an opportunity to refresh our commitment to what all in-house counsel have in common and Karen Hacker, senior vice-president, general counsel take advantage of the opportunities we have within CCCA to communicate, and corporate secretary, Toronto Organizing Committee of 2015 Pan American Parapan American Games. learn and work with one another.” 52 CCCA Canadian Corporate Counsel Association SPRING 2013