EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP
Paul Gruner, MBA, CPA, ICD.D
Chief Executive Officer
Paul Gruner joined the Tlicho Investment Corporation in October of 2023 as the Chief Executive Officer. Paul is a senior executive leader with 15 years of experience in delivering business results in partnership with Indigenous stakeholders. He has a dynamic range of experience in strategic leadership, mergers and acquisitions, business development, strategic partnerships, financial management, project management, corporate governance, contract negotiations, capacity building and job creation for citizens, and environmental, social, and corporate governance. Paul has experience in transformation strategy that strengthens organizations and builds them into sustainable, profitable entities that have the leadership and resiliency to operate for generations.
Along with his vast working experience Paul also has been involved with several boards including:
• Canadian Chamber of Commerce
• Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB)
• Future Skills Centre Advisory Board
• NWT / Nunavut Chamber of Mines
• Dadan Sunivut (Subsidiary of APTN)
• Da Daguay Development Corporation
During his time in the Indigenous business space, the corporations that Paul has led have won multiple awards including:
• Canada’s Most Admired Corporate Culture (2)
• Economic Leadership of the Year – NWT (Chamber of Mines)
• Indigenomics – 10 to Watch List (2)
• Indigenous Business of the Year - NWT (AIIC)
• Indigenous Business of the Year – Northern BC (AIIC)
• Indigenous Business of the Year – YK Chamber
• Big Business Resiliency award – YK Chamber
Sapan Seth, CPA, CGA
Chief Financial Officer
Mr. Seth has been a resident of Yellowknife for a decade now. Originally from India, he moved with his family to Vancouver, BC, in early 2006. He is a Chartered Accountant from India and completed his designation in Canada in 2013. He has been recognized in the Top 10 Canada National Level by CPA Canada. After working in diversified sectors, such as Mining, Public Practice, Industry, Government, he joined TIC in 2021 with a handful of Tlicho experience from his previous management roles in the North in the last ten years. Some of his previous employers were Community Government of Behchokǫ̀, Ernst & Young LLP, Diavik Diamond Mines, Canada Revenue Agency & Crowe MacKay LLP. He believes in bringing positive change to the organization by fully using the resources and opportunities around. In his spare time, he likes to spend time with family and long drives.
Sarah Hunt
Vice President, Human Resources and Communication
After completing her Business Commerce degree from the Memorial University of Newfoundland in 2004, Ms. Hunt made the decision to head North to get a start on her career in Human Resources and to experience the beauty and uniqueness of the Northern environment and culture. She began her career working for a former Tłı̨chǫ Investment Corporation-owned company, I&D Management Services Ltd.; focusing on indigenous employment and capacity building in the diamond mining industry. Sarah has been working within the Tłı̨chǫ Investment Corporation and its group of companies since 2011 and is responsible for the oversight and management of the Human Resources functions and services. She also oversees TIC’s corporate administration and marketing/communications functions. She is a Chartered Professional in Human Resources (CPHR) Candidate and an active member of the Human Resources Institute of Alberta. Sarah is passionate about, and dedicated to, maximizing northern and northern indigenous employment.
Betty Anne Nickerson
Vice President, Community Operations & Labour Services
Betty Anne Nickerson is a Tłı̨chǫ citizen and has worked for Tłı̨chǫ Logistics for 19 years. She has attended programs and obtained certifications from the Alberta Construction Safety Association, Southern Alberta Institute for Technology, and McMaster University to better herself in the field of Diamond mining and construction.
Betty Anne has developed a strong sense of devotion to the company and to the employees. Her experiences in being able to provide employment to hundreds of individuals give her a deeper appreciation of the role she plays within the company. Continuously striving to grow the company and connecting personally with the clients and personnel is what makes the company successful.
Stephen Hooey
Vice President, Operations
Stephen Hooey joined the TIC team in December, 2023 as Vice President, Engineering, Construction & Equipment; providing strategic leadership and oversight to Tłı̨chǫ Engineering & Environmental Services Ltd., Tłı̨chǫ Community Builders and Tłı̨chǫ Equipment Ltd.
Mr. Hooey has extensive experience managing and directing large complex projects internationally and in Northern Canada including major construction, engineering, and architectural aspects. He has held senior-level engineering and management roles for over 15 years, and in 2010, himself and his family relocated to Nunavut and discovered the immense opportunity that there was to be had in the North.
His extensive northern experience includes roles such as Senior Project Manager (Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada), Director, Project Management and then Chief Operating Officer (Nunavut Housing Corporation), and most recently Director, Community Infrastructure & Support Division (Department of Community and Government Services, Government of Nunavut).
Stephen applies a strategic management style lead through consensus building and has demonstrated confident decision-making abilities. His experience in northern business, industry, and government positions him very well with our organization. He is committed to providing strong support to the corporation, staff, and clients to contribute to the continued growth of TIC and the Tłı̨chǫ region.
Stephen holds two bachelor’s degrees (Applied Science and Arts) and a Master of Science Degree. He also holds a Professional Engineering (P. Eng.) Designation in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories and a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.