Kim Sturgess is the founder and CEO of Alberta WaterSMART, a water management services company committed to developing and improving the management of Alberta's water resources. Alberta WaterSMART serves industrial, municipal and government clients and has had a significant impact on water strategies, deployment and policy over the last ten years. She also founded and is the Executive Director of the Alberta WaterPortal Society, a charitable organization that provides web-based education and information on water issues in Alberta and globally. She has served on several expert panels and advisory committees on water related issues, and is a sought after speaker and advisor on water issues in Canada and Alberta, including with the Canadian Water Network and the Bennett Jones Business Forum.
Kim graduated with an honours degree in Engineering Physics from Queen's University in 1977, a Master of Business Administration with Distinction from the University of Western Ontario in 1984, and from the ICD Corporate Governance College, Directors Education Program in 2006. In 2016 she was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Sciences from Queen's University, and in 2018 she received an Honorary Doctor of Law from the University of Calgary. She is a registered Professional Engineer and a Fellow and past President of the Canadian Academy of Engineering. She was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2016.
Kim began her career at the National Energy Board as a gas pipelines engineer and then spent five years at Esso Resources as a reservoir engineer and business analyst. Upon completion of her MBA, she spent four years at McKinsey and Company as a management consultant focusing on technology, energy and transportation projects. In the early 1990s, she led the spin out of Revolve Technologies from NOVA Corporation, and served as the CEO of Revolve Technologies and subsequently Revolve Magnetic Bearings until the company was sold to SKF, a Swedish based bearing company, in 2001. From 2001 to 2005 when she founded WaterSMART, Kim was involved in several technology companies as a consultant and interim CEO.
Kim has over thirty years of experience serving on the boards of directors of a number of corporate and not-for-profit organizations all across Canada. In addition to serving on the boards of her own companies, she currently serves on the boards of Eco-Growth Environmental, the Alberta Land Institute, and the Alberta Chamber of Resources. She has also served on the boards of CCI Thermal Technologies Inc., the Calgary Airport Authority, the Council of Canadian Academies, the National Research Council, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, the Canadian Academy of Engineering, Pressure PipeLine Inspection Company, the Association of Professional Engineers, Geologists and Geophysicists of Alberta, the Alberta Economic Development Authority, the Alberta Water Council, the Trustees of Queen's University, and the Calgary Science Centre. On these boards, she served in a number of leadership roles, including Board Chair, Treasurer, Executive Committee member, and has chaired Finance, Infrastructure and Environment Committees.
Kim is a life member of the Queen's University Council and is a member of the Young Presidents' Organization Gold and the International Women's Forum. Kim has been honoured with both the Distinguished Service Award and Alumni Achievement Award from Queen's University, the YWCA Women of Distinction Award for Science and Technology, the Alberta Centennial Medal and the Queen Elizabeth ll Diamond Jubilee Medal. In 2007, she was named as one of Canada's Top 100 Most Powerful Women and a Woman of Vision, and in 2012 she was named as the Outstanding Businesswoman in Calgary by the Consumers Choice Awards. In 2015, she was honoured with the Gold Medal from the Chemical Institute of Canada and the Outstanding Achievement Award from the ASTech Foundation.