Alberta's Top Employers (2025) Magazine - Flipbook - Page 60
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ALBERTA’S TOP EMPLOYERS (2025)
At Orennia, employees work on tech’s leading edge
P
rogress happens quickly at
Orennia Inc. Julia Mackey
had just graduated from
the chemical engineering
program at Queen’s University
when she moved to Calgary to
begin work as an analyst. “I began
by analyzing data to identify key
insights. Within my first month, I
was collaborating with the team
to publish my first research report
to subscribers based on that data,”
says Mackey, now senior associate.
Headquartered in Calgary,
Orennia offers an analytics
platform for energy transition,
the shift toward clean, renewable
energy sources. It provides all-inone data, analytics and insights
to inform capital allocation
decisions.
“It’s fast-moving,” says Ryan
Benoit, chief technology officer.
“Employees may work on new
functionality and it can be in front
of the customer in a few days.
They can see the impact.”
At Orennia, Benoit finds
employees avoid working in
silos. “Our technical teams work
closely with our analysts, who are
subject matter experts,” he says.
For instance, analysts may become
experts on energy transition in
the hydrogen space, or power
markets such as solar or wind
development.
“It’s collaborative,” says Benoit.
“This way, we understand the
challenges our customers are
asking us to address. And we
use cutting-edge technology
to provide analytics.” His team
works on everything from data
or platform engineering to data
science, and from AI development
to project management.
When Mackey started with
Orennia two and a half years
ago, it was a company with 30
employees. “Now, there are more
than 100 of us,” says Mackey.
“Things change but the fun
culture has remained.”
In the office, the CEO works in
the same area as the rest of the
team. “I sit two seats down from
him,” Mackey says. “There is
always office banter. And we’re a
competitive group.”
A steps challenge last summer
had some employees working
with under-desk walking pads.
Others good-naturedly declared
that outdoor steps should reign
supreme. Halloween found
employees dressing up with
their pets for a staff meeting.
Those without pets judged their
colleagues’ costumes and pet
tricks. And there is an annual ski
trip, complete with a rousing game
of Canadian Trivia.
It’s fast-moving. Employees
may work on new
functionality and it can be
in front of the customer in
a few days. They can see the
impact.
— Ryan Benoit
Chief Technology Officer
Employees at Orennia volunteer with local charitable organizations, such as the Calgary Humane Society.
There is no shortage of opportunities for employees to meet –
some in-person and some remote.
Orennia’s employees are mostly
in western Canada, but some are
based across Canada or elsewhere.
Everyone attends an annual team
summit in Calgary.
Before graduation, Mackey
completed an internship with
another company in Calgary. She
liked the city and wanted to come
back. From the get-go, she knew
she wanted to work in a small
company in a growing industry.
“I’m passionate about climate
change and a growing company
in the energy transition space is a
great fit.”
At Orennia, her manager has
been a mentor. And female
leaders – the chief financial officer
and others – offer support in a
male-dominated industry. This
