Caldwell Recruits Chief Legal Officer for the Alberta Investment Management Corporation
December 19, 2023 – Toronto-based Caldwell has assisted in the recruitment of Shelley Nixon as chief legal officer of the Alberta Investment Management Corporation (AIMCo). The search was led by Les Gombik, Sameera Sereda, and Meaghan Loughry. “Shelley brings significant experience as a chief legal officer, leader and change agent to AIMCo,” said Evan Siddall, CEO of the Alberta Investment Management. “Her experience over her more than two-decade long career thus far — especially critical in-house counsel roles she played at both Ausenco Engineering and Petro-Canada — make her a strategic hire for AIMCo and an important addition to our leadership team.”
Ms. Nixon brings over 20 years’ experience in the industry to this role. She was previously the president of global consulting at Ausenco Engineering Canada. In this role, Ms. Nixon built on the successes of the project delivery team in British Columbia and helped to drive some of the most challenging projects, in some of the most remote parts of the world. Prior to that, she was vice president, legal and commercial for all Ausenco North and South American business lines.
In this role with Alberta Investment Management, Ms. Nixon will be responsible for building a high-capacity legal, compliance, and governance function, working closely with the AIMCo executive team, as the company continues to transform operations and execution capabilities on behalf of clients.
The Alberta Investment Management Corporation is among Canada’s largest and most diversified institutional investment managers with approximately $164 billion of assets under management. It invests globally on behalf of 17 pension, endowment, insurance and government fund clients in the Province of Alberta. Alberta Investment manages more than 30 pools of capital on behalf of these clients. With offices in Edmonton, Calgary, Toronto, London, Luxembourg, and Singapore, its more than 200 investment professionals bring deep expertise in a range of sectors, geographies, and industries.
Experienced Search Consultants
Mr. Gombik is managing partner of Caldwell’s Prairie region. With more than 25 years of executive and board search and human resources experience, he has a broad perspective on the most pressing talent issues in executive management today. His particular focus is on board and senior executive positions for commercially oriented, public, private, and private equity-backed enterprises within the industrial, consumer, and financial services sectors.
Related: Caldwell Recruits CISO for West Fraser
Ms. Sereda is a partner in Caldwell’s Calgary office and a member of the professional services practice. She provides talent management solutions to law firms and legal departments while focusing on building strong long-term relationships with both clients and candidates. Ms. Sereda is a former practicing lawyer and highly sought-after speaker, author, and strategic advisor.
Ms. Loughry is an associate in Caldwell’s Toronto office and a member of the firm’s professional services practice, focused on recruiting lawyers in all practice areas. A lawyer herself, she works closely with legal departments and law firms. Ms. Loughry is also a member of the Canadian Bar Association, Ontario Bar Association, and the Law Union of Ontario.
Expanding to Serve the Legal Sector
Late last year, Caldwell acquired The Counsel Network Inc., a Canada-based executive search firm specializing in the Canadian legal market. The acquisition of was an all-cash deal, and no securities of Caldwell were issued in connection with the acquisition. “The Counsel Network is the most respected, connected, and powerful legal recruitment firm in Canada,” said Michael DeCosta, managing partner of Caldwell’s professional services practice. “This combination brings together two strong executive search brands with exceptional reputations borne of a true passion for achieving the best results for clients and candidates.”
Founded in 1988, The Counsel Network specializes in providing long-term talent management solutions to the Canadian legal market. The team is led by Dal Bhathal (Toronto) and Sameera Sereda (Calgary), who have advised the profession through economic cycles in the industry over the last 25 years.
Related: Caldwell Acquires Applied Behavioral Academy
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor; Lily Fauver, Senior Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
