Thank you for this opportunity. I apologize that I have to join you from London. I have been working on a contract in the Middle East. I was due to travel back tomorrow and jumped at the chance to speak with you, but, unfortunately, I can only do so from London.
My name is Raylene Whitford. I'm Métis. I'm an oil and gas professional. I've been working abroad in the international energy sector for more than 10 years. I'm a chartered accountant. I have an MBA in oil and gas management, and I've spent the last 10 years working in finance in London.
In my career, I've worked on nearly every continent in the world, both in strategy and audit restructuring. I also have field experience. I took a sabbatical in 2015 to return to northern Alberta and work as a female roughneck on a drilling rig for Devon Energy for six months. I've also been a director of an oil and gas company listed on the London Stock Exchange.
As I said, I'm working in the Middle East at the moment, on a contract that is due to end this summer. My plan is to return to Canada to contribute to this really exciting dialogue that's ongoing with indigenous people in Canada. I'm also a Ph.D. student in indigenous studies at the University of Alberta, and I'm looking to research the factors and decisions that have contributed to indigenous communities becoming high performers in the energy sector in communities such as Fort McKay, Onion Lake, etc.
I'm getting a bit of audio feedback.