Page 10 - CCCA 243725 Magazine_Winter 2015

{ PRoFiLe }

“ they get the profle and the professional development
I can get staff front and centre, make sure

”
opportunities they need.

Glenda Cole, QC, City Solicitor, City of Calgary

but it is a signifcant challenge aligning how many people did that for me. I think
about 15,000 employees working across it’s a gift I can give to people.”
hundreds of lines of business. A gift Glen and Dorothy Cole frst
potential in others and help them fnd op- Cole’s legal team is made up of 200 gave her.
portunities to grow and succeed.” staff, including 57 lawyers. A full-service,
Cole spent most of her life in Saska- in-house law department, jobs are any- Janice Odegaard
toon, where she would earn her arts and thing but routine.
law degrees at the University of Saskatch- “The issues are much more compli- The energy industry isn’t for everyone.
ewan, graduating in 1987. Then, moving cated than ever, so I’d argue more inter- Exhilarating during boom times, dev-
one province over, she articled at the City esting,” she says. “Our team focuses on astating during busts, it can be a roller-
of Calgary and never left. understanding our clients’ business and coaster ride—where businesses are at the
More than anything, Cole loves to helping them capitalize on opportuni- mercy of commodity prices dictated by
learn. The city’s corporate culture is the ties. More complexity means we have to global affairs.
perfect environment to move around, be more resilient in terms of stepping Accept that reality and it’s a fantastic
ideal for a curious personality. In 28 years outside our comfort zones, learning new place to be, says Janice Odegaard, Senior
of public service, she immersed herself areas of the law, and pairing up with oth- Vice-President and General Counsel of
in 11 different roles, some legal and oth- ers with diverse experience to deliver on Suncor Energy. “The challenges are enor-
ers more business oriented. Time few: “I council priorities and corporate projects mous. So are the opportunities. The scope
was so busy having great experiences with to beneft Calgarians.” and room for creative people to come into
people doing great things.” Beyond scheduled and mandatory city this industry, combat those challenges
Her appointment as Calgary’s City So- council meetings, Cole’s day never un- and fnd creative solutions—that’s a pret-
licitor, the frst woman to hold the post, folds as planned. Her team is responsible ty exciting prospect.”
occurred during a defning moment in for fve areas: corporate strategy, corporate Odegaard walked through Suncor’s Cal-
Calgary’s history. After 10 years as Assis- issue management, risk management and gary doors 20 years ago, and has become
tant City Solicitor, she took the reins on claims, legal services, and corporate securi- a fxture in the business and the commu-
June 29, 2013. It was a week after a disas- ty. She is also the frst city solicitor to act as nity. Her career track, an ongoing learning
trous food, the most expensive natural di- a partner on the corporate leadership team curve, has mirrored Suncor’s growth from
saster in Canada’s history. Cole was “hum- that sets the organization’s strategy. a small, early oil sands pioneer to one of
bled” to be a senior leader in a recovery Cole loves her job. Every hour, every in- Canada’s largest public companies.
effort where city staff and thousands of teraction, she learns something. She’s also in “I’ve experienced a number of different
volunteers skipped traditional hierarchy a sweet spot in her career where her experi- Suncors,” Odegaard says, explaining her
and, with single focus, “got things done, ence and position allows her to give back. ability to stay with the same company for
for everyone’s safety.” “I’m able to expose staff to a variety of two decades—rare in an industry where
Today, the corporation is tackling a people, projects and activities. I can get professionals regularly change employers
major cultural shift, building on that them front and centre, make sure they get for new opportunities and challenges.
can-do attitude. The “one city, one voice” the profle and the professional develop- Born and raised in Flin Flon, Mani-
mantra is a transition that Cole embraces, ment opportunities they need. I look at toba, a mining town on the Canadian

10 CCCA MAgAzInE | WIntEr 2015 HIVEr