Page 7 - Suncor 360 - Summer 2016

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SUMMER 2016
360
FEATURE
&onwards MARK LITTLE
As with many of us in the Suncor family, our executive leadership team (ELT) members have lived, worked or spent a lot of time in Fort McMurray. Here are their personal re ections on the wild res and how their teams responded.
EVP, Upstream
In my more than 30 years in this business, I’ve responded to hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico, tornadoes and fatalities. Each event affected me and those around me in some way. And yet, I’ve never experienced an event as complicated and lengthy as the Fort McMurray res. The res were, at times, tragic and inspiring, complex and direct, and ever-evolving. Throughout these extraordinary circumstances, I was reminded again and again how we came together as an organization and showed our will, determination and resilience.
Employees, each in their own way, rose above the situation to
help loved ones, colleagues and strangers. It’s hard to express just how blown away I am by the response, compassion and unwavering commitment to safety I saw in people’s actions. To those who stayed behind – particularly Bruno Francoeur and his team – I want to commend your commitment to Suncor and our operations. Bruno’s leadership, decisiveness and care for the people at site was extraordinary and that entire leadership team did a fabulous job in dealing with everything that came at them. While the re burned out of control, we controlled how we responded; everyone went above and beyond to support the organization and, most importantly, did so in a way that stayed true to Suncor values.
There were also some bumps along the way. During the initial evacuation, our people worked diligently to shut down our
operations to prepare for the eventual safe and reliable restart. We had just restarted our operations at Oil Sands Base Plant when re conditions rapidly changed and we made the immediate decision to evacuate again. This was dif cult and disappointing for employees and leaders alike. However, I know we always kept safety above all else as the driving force for our decisions, and our response was immediate. For those employees who left, returned, and left again, thank you for your trust, patience and dedication.
Now, having mostly returned to normal operations, our focus remains unchanged. We need to continue to deliver safe, reliable, cost-effective operations – and as always, look out for each other. We will continue to support the community, industry and government through the recovery of this great city many of you call home.
Welcome back.