GuyLaine Charles, LL.M. (ISDA Documentation; NAESB Negotiation)
GuyLaine is the founder of Charles Law, PLLC, a boutique law firm located in New York City. Her clients include energy companies, institutional investors, hedge-funds, private equity funds, proprietary trading funds, and asset managers based in the United States and Canada. She advises on the negotiation and documentation of trading agreements including physical and financial over-the-counter derivative and commodities transactions through ISDA Master Agreements, the NAESB Gas Contract, and the Edison Energy Institute Master Agreement for electricity.
GuyLaine has decades of experience practicing law and is admitted to the New York Bar and the Law Society of Ontario. Before founding Charles Law, she was a partner at a derivatives boutique and prior to that worked at Debevoise & Plimpton in New York and Torys in Toronto. GuyLaine has presented at several industry association conferences — including ISDA conferences — provided ISDA tutorials for clients, and has been a guest lecturer at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law, the American University Washington College School of Law, the University of Pennsylvania School of Law, and Georgetown Law.
GuyLaine obtained a degree in Business Administration and a Law degree from the University of Ottawa. She also holds a Master’s in Law from Dalhousie University.
Chris Best, BComm. (Electricity Industry Fundamentals and Restructuring; Wind Energy Fundamentals; Renewable Energy Fundamentals)
Chris has over 25 years of experience in the energy sector, having worked for several major players, including TransAlta, Enmax, and TC Energy. He took on a variety of roles at these organizations, including Market Services Manager, Compliance Manager, and Director, Commercial and Regulatory. He has also been an Advisor to Terrapin Geothermics and is the Founder and Executive Director of Alberta Carbon and Energy. Since 2019, Chris has served as the Board Director of EarthRenew, a publicly-traded company producing organic fertilizer and promoting advanced regenerative agriculture practices. As Principal of Best Consulting Solutions, Chris has researched and developed custom reports on the electricity industry for numerous government and corporate clients. These reports have included analysis of interprovincial power marketing opportunities, assessment of reliability standards applicability, and the impact of renewables and storage on the electricity industry. Chris also provides clients with Alberta electricity market advisory solutions.
Chris holds a degree in Finance from the University of Calgary and has extensive experience conducting seminars on management, electricity markets, risk management, and customer relationship management, among other topics.
Carmen Dybwad, PhD (Natural Gas: From Wellhead to Burner-Tip; Upstream Oil & Gas)
With over 30 years of experience in the energy sector, Carmen brings a wealth of experience to the classroom, not to mention a sense of humour that is legendary throughout the industry! Carmen began her career with SaskPower Corporation as Manager of Environment and Planning. She then moved to Calgary and the national scene as a member of the National Energy Board (now
the CER). Since leaving public office, Carmen served as the President of the Energy Council of Canada before bringing her talents to the Canadian Energy Research Institute. At CERI Carmen had the honour of briefing the Canadian Senate Committee
on Energy and Environment. She returned to Regina as CEO of a not-for-profit company dedicated to carbon capture and storage. In addition to academic awards, Carmen was recognized as the 2012 Saskatchewan Business Magazine Woman of Influence; the 2012 Regina YWCA Women of Distinction Award for Science, Technology and Environment; and, in 2013, the Bayer Canada 150th Anniversary Award for Science and Innovation.
Carmen holds BA’s and MA’s in Economics from the University of Regina and a PhD in Resource Development Planning from the University of Waterloo. Dr. Dybwad is presently an Adjunct Professor with the University of Regina.
Jan Marston, BComm, EMBA, ID.D. (Natural Gas From Wellhead to Burner-Tip; Natural Gas Market Fundamentals)
Jan is a seasoned executive with more than 30 years in oil & gas leadership roles. She has worked for major public and private investment companies,
such as Amoco and Fortis, where she has been instrumental in strategic development and business transformation — often working with multi-stakeholder groups involved in commercial gas & energy trading and regulatory forums. Jan now consults on strategic and broad policy matters for many of the companies and talented leaders she has had the privilege to work with throughout her career. Her knowledge of natural gas is encyclopedic, which is yet another asset she brings to the courses she facilitates at Oak Leaf.
Jan is an innovator who thinks differently, always seeking novel approaches to complex issues. She prides herself in recognizing talent in people and encouraging them to make the most of those gifts. Jan thrives in situations where she can take on unique business challenges — problems which require significant change guided by collaboration and innovative strategies.
Jan holds a BComm from the University of Calgary and has completed the Executive Program at Stanford University. She is a Certified Director, accredited by the Rotman School of Business at the University of Toronto.
Matthew O’Blenes, MSc., P.Eng. (Natural Gas From Wellhead to Burner-Tip; Natural Gas Market Fundamentals; Pipeline Fundamentals)
Matthew is a well-rounded Engineer, with over 35 years of experience in the Energy Industry, including positions with ATCO (natural gas division), Sproule (oil and gas consulting), and the University of Calgary Schulich School of Engineering. His roles have involved a wide range of projects in reservoir performance, production operations, gas transmission, gas storage, facilities planning, system modelling, economic studies, oil and gas property evaluations, reserve disclosure, resource basin assessments, and corporate training.
Matthew’s experience has honed his technical skills, industry business understanding, and ability to work effectively with multi-disciplined teams and clients. He has especially enjoyed his teaching roles in industry and more recently at the University of Calgary, with an insightful, relevant, and engaging style.
Matthew is a Sessional Instructor at the University of Calgary since 2022, teaching graduate level engineering courses in Pipeline, Petroleum, and Energy System economics. He holds a MSc in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Calgary.
Bruce Peachey, BScChE, FCIC, FEIC, FCSSE, P.Eng. (Upstream Oil & Gas; Canada’s Oil Sands Industry)
Bruce is President of New Paradigm Engineering Ltd., and has over 45 years of experience in the Canadian oil & gas industry.
For 16 years, Bruce worked at Imperial Oil in conventional and oil sands operations, covering assignments in Process Design, Production Engineering, Project Management, and serving as the Technical Services Superintendent at Imperial’s Cold Lake Operation.
New Paradigm was formed in 1991 to engineer “new paradigms” or new ways of looking at energy systems. Bruce’s firm has worked on diverse studies for determining R&D needs, GHG emissions, water use and management issues, enhanced oil and gas recovery and energy efficiency. In 30+ years, Bruce and New Paradigm have covered all types of oil and gas operations from oil sands mining to coal mine methane.
Bruce has extensive experience teaching courses at the University of Alberta and with Oak Leaf. Besides bringing a career’s worth of knowledge to the classroom, Bruce is also friendly, approachable, and has a knack for making difficult concepts understandable to people new to the energy industry.
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