The Geotechnical Society of Edmonton is pleased to present Tanys MacGowan.
Date: January 19, 2023
Time: 11:30am – 1:30pm
Location: Woodvale Community League, 4540 50 Street NW, Edmonton
Cost: GSE/CGS Members $25, Students $10, Non-members $30
Register for in-person attendance on EventBrite
Abstract
This presentation is a literal definition of where we have been, where we are and where we are going, from my perspective. Each of these time frames have an impact on each other and on us, including me. The presentation will cover how I have seen our industry change, advance and progress and how that change has been managed in a risk environment that drives the future. Some of that change has been driven by stakeholders, operations, costs, nature and some has been driven by our inherent curiosity and interest in learning and pushing envelopes, safely.
Bio
Tanys MacGowan, P.Eng. has over 25 years’ experience in geotechnical engineering with the last 17 years in the oil sands industry, and 15 of them representing the Operator Company. She has held roles as Engineer of Record (EoR), Geotechnical Engineering Advisor and Director of GeoServices at Suncor Energy Inc. overseeing the geology, water resources and geotechnical engineering groups. During her time as Engineer of Record, she managed the design of one of the largest dam structures in the oil sands with one up to 140 m in height, 50 to 70 m above natural ground. She was at the forefront of solving the complex design issues associated with constructing Suncor’s first sand storage structure as well as with the removal of a tailings pond to access ore under the facility. Consequently, she authored the first approved dam decommissioning plan even before it became a requirement in the 2018 Alberta Dam and Canal Safety Directive. She has co-authored papers covering pitwalls, dams, dam breach emergency response and a summary paper on 50 years of geotechnical engineering in the oilsands.
She is currently working on advancing risk management through digital and data advancements in her role as Director of Digital Innovation, Mining Excellence. In her limited spare time, she is passionate about the psychology behind leadership and has devoured courses at Harvard, Oxford and MIT. In addition, she loves kickboxing, travelling, entertaining and the colour blue.