Chelsie Klassen has 11 years of experience in Indigenous collaboration, community engagement, issues management and communications and is responsible for the Indigenous engagement practice at Hatch, providing strategic advice to clients on mining, energy and infrastructure projects globally.

She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from the University of Manitoba and immediately pursued her career in energy. She began her career negotiating surface land contracts for large projects and soon found her niche in Indigenous engagement on oil sands, conventional oil, natural gas, offshore oil and liquefied natural gas developments. Chelsie completed her Master of Arts in Conflict Analysis and Management, creating a one-of-a-kind efficiency model to evaluate resources needed for effective community engagement efforts on major projects.

After working internationally, Chelsie seized the opportunity to be the spokesperson for Canada’s largest industry association, representing 70-member companies that produce about 80 per cent of Canada’s natural gas and crude oil. She was recognized by Oilweek magazine as the 2016 Rising Star in the oil and natural gas industry for outstanding leadership in communications.

Chelsie prides herself on personal connections that she makes along her journey and never forgets to collect local art that reminds her of places she’s visited – including an Inuvialuit jacket that she hangs in her office from her work in the Northwest Territories.