Biography of Rob Anderson, P.Eng.

Rob Anderson is part owner of a business that specializes in utility information management and bill validation services in Calgary, SIMMARIX Inc. In Rob’s current role as Director, Market Development and in his previous role at Online as Senior Energy Business Analyst, he used and is currently using his knowledge of the energy and technology industries to seek out and develop prospective business opportunities.

Born in Virden, Manitoba, Rob obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering majoring in Power Systems from the University of Saskatchewan in 1991.

Prior to joining Online Business Systems, Rob worked for ENMAX Corporation, the electric utility for his home city of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.  During his eleven-year career with ENMAX Corporation, Rob held a variety of positions in management, customer service, engineering and contracts management.  His last position at ENMAX was working on the Revenue Sustainment Project, a customer-focused integration program that worked with ENMAX business units to ensure sustainable, seamless, cost-effective, end-to-end "contract-enroll-settle-bill" processes were implemented across the ENMAX value chain.

 

Before joining the Revenue Sustainment Project, Rob was the Manager of Retail Access Support at ENMAX Power Corporation.  His duties included leading a team that was responsible for energy balancing amongst energy retailers operating within ENMAX Power Corporation’s service territory.  He also worked as Project Manager for selecting a software vendor that provided an External Solution for Meter Data Management.

As a Distribution Design Engineer, he served as a project manager for major distribution system upgrades and provided solutions for operational problems. As an Energy Management Engineer he worked with large customers to provide energy solutions including demand side management, energy management and power quality.  From 1994 to 1997, he served as the Contracts Engineer carrying out in-depth engineering analysis of contract proposals and risk analysis of alternate construction techniques.  Rob also supervised the research, development and compilation of technical specifications for contract work and consultants.

Since 1998, Rob has been active in the deregulation of the electricity market.  As Team Leader for Operations on the Market Readiness Program, Rob participated with other utility stakeholders in the development of the roles and responsibilities for the deregulation of Alberta’s electricity market.  Rob identified, developed and monitored projects required to prepare ENMAX Corporation for customer choice in 2001.

Rob is also active in other technical organizations as well as the Association of Professional Engineers, Geologists and Geophysicists of Alberta (APEGGA).   APEGGA piloted a mentorship program for Engineering’s in Training in 2000 and his former employer ENMAX was selected as a test company.  During the pilot, Rob was a mentor for one of the recent engineering graduates hired by ENMAX.  Rob is also a member of the Automated Meter Reading Association (AMRA) and the Western Load Research Association (WLRA).   He was an active member of the Western Load Research Association, where he served as Co-chair from 1999 – 2001.  During his tenor as Co-chair of WLRA, he also hosted their semi-annual conference.

Outside of work, Rob actively supports his profession.  He has spoken to first year engineering students at the University of Calgary regarding careers in engineering.  He has participated as a judge for student projects/paper competitions on a regular basis.  He has written several papers; Overhead Transmission and Distribution Power Line Maintenance, Overhead Power Line Conductor Clearances and Construction Practices and Quality Control and Quality Assurance for Materials Management.  At the 12^th Annual Automated Meter Reading Association conference, he presented a paper entitled “The Impacts of Deregulation on a Meter Data Management”

Rob has been a volunteer for the IEEE for fifteen years and a member for eighteen years.  Currently he is the Treasurer for IEEE Canada (Region 7).  Prior to becoming Treasurer in 2004, he was Chair of the Membership Development Committee for IEEE Canada.  He has held the positions of PES/IAS Chapter Chair, Secretary, Vice-Chair and Chair for the IEEE Southern Alberta Section.  He has also given presentations at section meetings.  He participated as the coordinator for the 1993 Alberta Power Quality Conference, sat on steering for the 1994 Alberta Power Quality Conference and was the facilities coordinator for the 1996 Canadian Conference on Electrical and Computer Engineering.  Rob has also participated on the following IEEE Canada committees: the Financial Audit Committee, Membership Development Committee as Vice –chair, Professional Activities Committee and an adhoc committee to review IEEE Canada electronic services.  In 2000, Rob received the IEEE Millennium Medal for his service and dedication to the organization.  Rob received the IEEE Western Canada Council Ted Glass Merit Award for “outstanding contribution, dedication and leadership to the Southern Alberta Section, Western Canada Council and IEEE Canada” in May 2004.