At the University of Waterloo Peter Churcher (BSc ‘84, MSc ‘87) was able to bring his entrepreneurial spirit to life.
Peter had always dreamed of having his own business and recognized a need in the local oil and gas market when he was a Master’s student in the Earth Sciences program.
I became a geological consultant and conducted reservoir quality studies for private companies and government agencies, he says. The consulting work helped to supplement my income and build on my experience from the co-op program.
Peter managed PrimeWest’s Business Development team until the company was acquired by TAQA, the national energy company of Abu Dhabi in United Arab Emirates. TAQA retained Peter to lead their global business development effort.
Although I lived in Alberta, my work took me to the headquarters in Abu Dhabi, Kazakhstan, the Netherlands, and many more places, he says. TAQA provided me with a global perspective that many of us in North America never get exposed to.
After attending INSEAD, the French business school in 2009, Peter returned to his entrepreneurial roots to co-launch Eagle Energy Trust.
My partners and I successfully raised $169 million and launched a new American-focused oil and gas company in November of 2010, he says. The sum total of all my experience and training gave me the confidence to get our company off the ground.
As executive vice-president of Eagle Energy Trust, Peter is responsible for a wide array of projects.
I lead all field operations, marketing, business development, budgeting and reserves, he says. This is a huge portfolio to manage, but also very rewarding as I can make and see things happen quickly.
Though Peter left Waterloo nearly 25 years ago, he believes learning does not end after completing your studies.
Look at learning as a lifelong endeavour and not just four years of university, he says. Constantly strive for excellence and add to your knowledge tool kit.