Not only is Stephanie Sterling a home grown talent in the Albertan oil and gas industry, she was a key component of the Athabasca Oil Sands Project start-up when she served as the Business Manager for its commissioning. Now Vice President, she heads up all of Shell’s Heavy Oil Business and Joint  Venture partnerships. Born and raised in Westlock, Alberta,  a small town north of Edmonton, she started with Shell straight out of university in 1989, at a time when oil was just $16 a barrel. Throughout her 22 years she’s worked in many technical and commercial positions across the company, playing a crucial role in Shell’s continued safe and responsible operations. Besides having a very successful career, Stephanie has an equally vibrant life outside of work. She sponsors a scholarship for girls in high school looking to pursue engineering and is also on the board of the MEOW foundation, a no kill Calgary cat shelter  that has helped over 14,000 cats in the  last 12 years. 

In memory of her brother, who was renowned for restoring antique tractors, Stephanie and her husband have began restoring antique family tractors. They recently completed their first project – fixing up her great grandfather’s tractor. Currently this restored 1948 John Deere is on display at the Canadian Tractor Museum in Stephanie’s home town of Westlock.