Mr. Skjerven has consulted professionally for over 27 years, with extensive Canadian experience, literally from coast to coast, but with a home base in Western Canada. His experience ranges from marketing, adult education, heavy transportation, (rail); municipal public works, fleet and transportation, oil and gas construction in the tar sands, emergency response (Fire and Ambulance), Public Works, Parks and Recreation, Security, to human resources and software systems, including enterprise style projects. He has taken projects from the vision stage through to turn key completion, and has provided expert opinion in legal matters, taught at the University and Technical Institute level, and organized and led major software and management system install and overhaul projects. He developed and delivered one of the most successful professional exam preparation courses ever, for the Canadian Society of Safety Engineering.
Additionally, he is highly skilled at detailed technical and needs analysis, process mapping and RIM systems. In the work force since 1973, Mr. Skjerven has continuously risen to the top management structures of the organizations he has been involved with, founding his first company in 1975 in Montreal, Quebec. His work experience in the Canadian Territories, and with First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples, including work with Elections Canada on Reserves, and Aboriginal Apprenticeship Programs, provides a unique perspective to the challenging issue of joint-venture, and true partnership agreements. Mr. Skjerven has managed cost control and budgeting, as well as grant funding with project teams on all types of projects, including the $8 million dollar RSEA (Ruminant Slaughter Equity Assistance) grant process for Natural Valley Farms during the Canadian BSE crisis; plus the OHS&E side of the design and build done by Lockerbie and Hole for Marsulex, on their UE1 project at Syncrude.
Mr. Skjerven is frequently contacted to provide opinion and direction on service providers in the occupational health, safety, environmental and management systems fields. He has conducted professional oversight reviews at major incidents. He has worked in conjunction with the Government of Nunavut and the Office of the Auditor General of Canada on their HR system development and software. Mr. Skjerven has worked with major suppliers of services to the oil and gas sector over the past 27 years. He has a well-established network of like-skilled professionals.
Mr. Skjerven has a certificate in OH&S from the University of Alberta, is certified as an internal systems environmental (14000 series) and quality systems (9000 series) auditor. His professional development includes over 30 years of education in project management, systems development, enterprise software projects, Human Resources and Labour Relations, including Human Rights, Labour Arbitration, and Workplace Violence and Harassment complaint management systems. He has held positions and served on various Boards since the late 1980’s, including being a member of the Editorial Board of OHS Canada, the country’s most prestigious health and safety publication. He is a recipient of the Priory of St. Johns, Vote of Thanks award approved by the Governor General of Canada, for his work with St. Johns Ambulance. He received a recognition award from the BCRSP for his service as a member of that Board. He is a noted and sought after public speaker, with a tremendous passion for the positive evolution of quality work practices in the work environment. He has been integral, over his career, in bringing together likeminded and professional parties to successfully conclude business activities.