Seven Eagles Leadership

Aavo Taal is a graduate of McGill University with a B.Sc. Honours in Geology. He started his career at Petro-Canada in 1981 and spent several years drilling exploration wells in the Sahtu Region of the Northwest Territories. As a key member of the Exploration Team, he made several significant gas discoveries in Sahtu. In 1999-2000, Aavo made a detailed geological assessment of the Sahtu Region for Paramount Resources. Paramount acquired the rights to an area recommended in Aavo’s study and made a significant oil discovery near Lac Maunoir in 2004. Subsequently, Aavo worked in various positions in the Middle East at Saudi Aramco, Kuwait Oil Company and Energy Services Group (Dubai). Since January 2020, Aavo has been assessing the resource potential of the Sahtu Region. Outside of work, Aavo can be found ferrying his kids to band practise at Stampede Park, or volunteering for Bingo at Gray Eagle Casino.

Glodie (Glow) Iragi is a successful businesswoman, communications professional and entrepreneur. Glow is a graduate of the Algonquin College of Applied Arts and Technology in travel and aviation. She began her career straight out of college, launching her own start-up company in the organic food industry. She was honoured by the Province of Ontario with the distinction of the Minority Entrepreneur Award for her service to the community. After a successful exit from her business venture, Glow developed her other passion in the aviation business sector with an International Airline carrier. Glow also spent time working with Indigenous communities in Manitoba and has a strong history of volunteering. As Vice President for Strategic Partnerships with Seven Eagles, Glow is now working with Indigenous leaders in the common goal of developing economic prosperity for the Sahtu Region. In her spare time, Glow enjoys playing golf and traveling the world.

Born in Inuvik, NT into a family of 13 children, Chistine was raised on the land (year-round) in accordance with Metis and Inuvialuit tradition. After attending Residential School and Samuel Hearne Secondary School in Inuvik, Christine pursued a diploma in Management Studies at Aurora College-Fort Smith Campus. Christine has worked in all three branches of government: federal, territorial and Aboriginal. She worked for Service Canada as a Citizen Services Officer in Inuvik, and for Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada in Yellowknife in various roles. In Norman Wells, she worked for Housing NWT as District Contracts Administrator. She held several positions in Deline for the Deline Gotine Government, including Executive Director of the Deline Land Corporation. Service to the community runs deep in the Firth clan. Christine’s close Metis relative, MP Wally Firth, was the first native politician from the North to win a seat in the House of Commons in 1972. Christine has three children and one beautiful grandson; she loves to sew and enjoys plants.

Bill Ward is a Professional Geologist with over 30-years of oil & gas experience in Western Canada and northern USA. He has founded several start-up companies that began with little or no production and grew them to 1000-1500 BOE/D production levels through successful exploration and acquisitions. Bill has served as President of three publicly traded Canadian O&G companies and one private company. Most recently, he has served as Vice-President of Exploration with Tundra Oil & Gas, a light oil producer with 30,000 BOPD production in the Canadian Williston Basin. Bill also has significant experience working on O&G opportunities with First Nations in Alberta, Saskatchewan and North Dakota. Bill holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Geology from Colgate University in New York State and is a member of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta. In his spare time, Bill enjoys playing golf, hockey and going hiking.