About

Who We Are

Outwest Energy is an oil and gas company based in Western Canada, built on a strong team with a track record of creating value through safe, efficient execution. Our team brings deep operational and technical expertise with a focus on responsible development. We are creating a working environment that is high performing, dynamic and driven by results. We are currently assessing opportunities to add high quality assets and people to build Outwest Energy into a successful company.

Our Team

Leadership

Mike Backus

Chief Executive Officer

Mike Backus is the current CEO of Outwest Energy Inc., a new Western Canadian based energy company. He has over 25 years of experience in a variety of engineering, operational, finance and executive roles. Prior to founding Outwest, Mike was a member of the executive teams at Kiwetinohk Energy Corp and Painted Pony Energy where he was the Chief Operating Officer, responsible for the Development and Operations prior to the corporate sale of both companies. Most of his career was spent with Nexen Inc. (now CNOOC International) where he was most recently the VP of Operations for Canada and the UK North Sea businesses. Mike has held various positions during his career, including working both conventional and unconventional Canadian gas and power assets, oilsands, offshore North Sea, Middle East and West Africa. His career has spanned drilling and completions engineering, reservoir engineering and development, project management and planning, investor relations, corporate finance/treasury, operations, Health, Safety and Environment, and executive leadership. Mike holds both a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Accounting and a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering, both from the University of Saskatchewan. He is a registered Professional Engineer in Alberta (P.Eng) and holds his Corporate Director designation (ICD.D). Mike has also held various industry association roles in both Canada and the UK. Aside from his industry career, Mike currently holds director positions with one public and two private companies.

Michael Moran

VP, Finance

Michael Moran brings over 15 years of corporate finance experience in the Western Canadian energy sector. Prior to joining Outwest Energy, he served as Senior Manager, Corporate Planning and Analysis at Kiwetinohk Energy Corp., where he led financial planning, corporate strategy, and the ~$1.4B sale of the company. Previously, Michael held treasury and accounting leadership roles supporting private equity-backed exploration and production, royalty, and oilfield services operations. He is a Chartered Professional Accountant / Chartered Accountant.

Steve Lewis

VP, Engineering

Steve Lewis brings over 20 years of development engineering and asset management experience in the Western Canadian energy sector. Prior to joining Outwest Energy, he served as Asset Manager, Upstream Division at Kiwetinohk Energy Corp.. Previously, Steve held progressively senior roles at Ovintiv spanning development engineering, strategic planning, and investor relations. He is a registered Professional Engineer in the Province of Alberta and holds a B.Eng. from Memorial University of Newfoundland.

Frank Angyal

VP, Operations

Frank Angyal brings over 20 years of drilling engineering and operations experience across Canadian and international resource plays. Prior to being part of the founding management team at Outwest Energy, he served as Vice President, Drilling at Kiwetinohk Energy Corp., where he led drilling campaigns across the Duvernay and Montney plays including the longest well in Canada. Previously, Frank held drilling engineering and well operations roles at Seven Generations Energy and internationally in Australia. He is a registered Professional Engineer in the Province of Alberta and holds a B.Sc. in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Alberta.

Lance Jensen

VP, Production

Lance Jensen brings over 20 years of diverse production and operations experience across conventional and unconventional plays in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin. Prior to joining Outwest Energy, he held a production leadership role at Kiwetinohk Energy Corp.. Earlier in his career, Lance served in senior production engineering and operations management roles with a range of junior to intermediate exploration and production companies. He is a registered Professional Engineer in the Province of Alberta and holds a B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Calgary.

Our Board

Board of Directors

Kevin Brown

Chairman

Kevin Brown brings over 30 years of energy-related finance, investment research, corporate strategy and direct investment experience to the Outwest Energy board. He provides leadership and strategic oversight at ARC Financial Corp., where he chairs the Investment Committee and is a member of the Executive Committee. Kevin joined ARC when it was founded in early 1989. He has a Master of Economics and a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Alberta.

Mike Backus

Executive Director

Mike Backus founded Outwest Energy and serves as Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director. He brings over 25 years of oil and gas experience spanning engineering, operations, corporate finance, and executive leadership across Western Canada and internationally. Mike also holds director positions with one public and two private companies. He is a registered Professional Engineer in Alberta and holds the ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors.

Colin Bergman

Director

Colin Bergman brings expertise in the origination, structuring and execution of energy investment opportunities to the Outwest Energy board. At ARC Financial Corp., his responsibilities include monitoring and providing support to portfolio companies from origination to exit. Colin also serves on the boards of Robson Resources Inc. and StormFisher Hydrogen Ltd. Colin joined ARC in 2018 with prior experience in investment banking at a global investment bank where he focused on capital markets and mergers and acquisitions in the energy sector. He has a Bachelor of Commerce from Queen’s University, and is a CFA Charterholder.