Mel E. Benson

Mel Benson "was elected to Suncor's Board of Directors in April 2000 and is chair of the environment, health and safety committee and a member of the human resources and compensation committee. He is president of Mel E. Benson Management Services Inc., an international management consulting firm based in Calgary, a director of Tenax Energy Inc., chair of Winalta Homes Inc., director of Tarpon Energy Services and director of the Fort McKay Group of Companies. Mr. Benson retired from an international oil company and held previous positions with the Secretary of State Department and Grant MacEwan College in Edmonton.

"Mr. Benson is an active member of several charitable and Aboriginal organizations, including Hull Family Services, the Council for Advancement of Native Development Officers and the Canadian Aboriginal Professional Association. He is also a member of the board of governors of the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) and a director of the National Aboriginal Economic Development Board.

"He was the recipient of a 2003 National Aboriginal Achievement Award, the Red Cross Service Award, the Alberta Aboriginal Recognition Award and the Business Development Award. He received the Alberta Justice Crime Prevention Recognition Award from the Minister of Justice and was recognized for his contributions to the community by the Government of the Northwest Territories."