One of Western Canada’s most prominent leaders in the oil and gas sector, James Kydd is currently Vice President at a major energy company in Calgary overseeing high-profile infrastructure projects like the Trans Mountain Expansion and Coastal GasLink pipelines. With over 20 years of experience, Kydd has earned a reputation for delivering complex projects on time and under budget while maintaining high standards of safety and quality. His ability to successfully navigate complex negotiations and preside over the success of multi-billion-dollar projects gives him valuable insights into project management, industry collaboration, and what might be coming down the pipeline for Alberta’s thriving energy production industry.
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Q: You’re regarded as one of the top people in Western Canada’s energy sector when it comes to bringing parties together to reach agreements. How do you balance the technical requirements of large-scale infrastructure construction with maintaining good relationships with unions, contractors, and landowners?
James Kydd: My philosophy when it comes to project management is rooted in honesty, good-faith negotiation, and treating people fairly. Trust is the foundation of all relationships, but most especially business relationships. I’ve worked hard to cultivate my reputation as a trustworthy person, and it has paved the way for me to bring parties together and get some tremendous things done. Regarding the technical requirements, in many ways, it’s a more straightforward process. Machine parts and construction materials don’t require the same level of understanding and negotiation as human beings do.
Q: What would you say is the most challenging part of managing mega-projects like the Trans Mountain Expansion and Coastal GasLink pipelines?
James Kydd: With projects of this size, there are hundreds of moving parts to consider every day, from construction to regulatory compliance to stakeholder engagement. Everybody is entitled to input, meaning the company itself, the workers, the relevant government agencies, and the members of communities that might be affected. Coordinating all these interests with the objectives of the project requires constant communication and adaptability—and if I’m being honest, quite a lot of diplomacy. You have to genuinely hear people out and consider their concerns before any action is taken. You have to build a broad consensus, or else the thing might be doomed to fail before it begins. Bridging differences and finding common ground takes a lot of trust.
Q: What kinds of skills have contributed to your success in managing large-scale energy projects?
James Kydd: I credit my time playing hockey with giving me many of the soft skills I still use to this day; skills like collaborative teamwork, clear communication, and strong leadership. These are applicable across disciplines, organizations, and entire industries. Some people look at sports as a diversion, or just a way to stay active and in shape. But in reality, participating in team sports teaches you so much more than that. It instills discipline, resilience, teamwork, and the ability to perform under pressure.
Q: How do you deal with the stress and pressure of leading billion-dollar initiatives, and overseeing all the associated schedules, budgets, deadlines, and quality control measures?
James Kydd: Of all those elements, the most important by far is quality control, and by extension, safety. When you’re building something like a pipeline, which runs underground spanning hundreds of kilometers and brings much-needed fuel to the market, you cannot be too careful about quality and safety. If you get those two things right, the rest is just a matter of sorting out details. Schedules, budgets, deadlines—these are all puzzle pieces that fit together if you spend enough time thinking them over.
Q: What near-term or long-term developments are you most excited about within Alberta’s energy industry?
James Kydd: In the near term, I’m excited about the continued development of infrastructure in the province, especially in terms of pipeline expansion and the integration of exciting new projects. With so much demand for energy, especially as markets grow, we’re in a critical phase of increasing our capability to deliver energy reliably. In the long term, I’m particularly interested in the increased focus on digitalization and automation. Technologies that streamline operations, improve efficiency, and reduce risks are going to be game-changers for our industry, and Alberta is extremely well-positioned to take the lead in that area.
