Katie Smith-Parent

Katie leads Business Development for Industry Diversification for Spartan Controls, an industrial technology company with process automation, valve, measurement, control and digital solutions in Western Canada.  In addition, Katie is the Executive Director of Young Women in Energy (YWE), a non-profit Alberta organization of more than 4,500 members that provides voice, presence, development, and leadership of women working in the energy industry. In this role, she has presented to the Senate of Canada’s ENEV Committee on Bill C-69 and was featured on ARC Energy Research Institute’s ARC Energy Ideas podcast. She is a founding board member of Axis Connect, a non-profit acting as a collaboration and resource hub for women-focused initiatives and organizations in Calgary, and a board director for The Canadian Energy and Climate Nexus / Le Lien Canadien de L’Energie et du Climat, a non-governmental non-profit advocating for balanced solutions to Canada’s energy and climate challenges. She was recently recognized as the Alberta Chamber of Resources' 2021 Young Resource Leader. She was also recognized by She Innovates Alberta, UN Women’s first pilot chapter of its Global Innovation Coalition for Change (GICC) as a 'SHEInnovator'. Katie is currently pursuing her MBA in Executive Management at Royal Roads University.