Dr. Stanley A. Milner is recognized on the international scene as one of the most successful Canadian business leaders in the petroleum industry. It was perhaps prophetic that Stan Milner was born in Calgary, home to most of Canada’s oil companies, and that he spent his early years in Turner Valley, birthplace of Alberta’s oil industry.
Dr. Milner attended school in Turner Valley, Saskatoon, Gimli and Winnipeg. A graduate of the University of Alberta with a Bachelor of Science Degree, he began his career in the wake of the Leduc oil discovery.
His fascination with and aptitude for finance brought him to the investment business. Later, Dr. Milner participated in the development of the first natural gas utility service in the British Columbia interior. This background, combined with field experience and a quiet, firm, farseeing intensity, helped shape his effective oilman’s business philosophy.
In the late fifties, three of the Milner brothers formed two small independent exploration companies, financed and built through hard work and persistence: Canadian Chieftain Petroleums Corporation. In 1964, Stan Milner founded Chieftain Development Co. Ltd. and guided its growth until its acquisition in 1988 by Alberta Energy Company Ltd. He is currently President, Chief Executive Officer and a Director of Chieftain International, Inc., founded in 1988.
Dr. Milner is also a director of several corporations including Alberta Energy Company Ltd., Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, Canadian Pacific Limited and Chieftain International, Inc. He has held several directorships in Canadian and U.S. companies including Banister Continental Ltd., Canadian Surety Company, CP Air Limited, Delhi International Oil Corporation, Guaranty Trust Company of Canada, Pan-Alberta Gas Ltd., Southern Union Company, Supron Energy Corporation, Wardair, Inc., and Woodward Stores Limited.
Throughout his esteemed career, Stan Milner has taken a keen interest and active part in civic and charitable activities. His commitment to the community and strong belief in being involved has kept the man and Chieftain in Edmonton. Dr. Milner served as an alderman for the City of Edmonton and as Chairman of the Edmonton Public Library Board. He has held senior leadership positions on the Board of Governors of the Royal Alexandra Hospital and the University of Alberta Hospital; the Boards of the Edmonton Community Foundation, Junior Achievement, Edmonton Northlands, Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and the Edmonton Eskimo Football Club; chairman of the Salvation Army Appeal and the Corporate Division of the United Way.
Dr. Milner’s continuing interest in the military stems from his service in his early years, serving in the cadet corp, the reserve army and in the Canadian Officer Training Corp. His belief in the military’s importance in the province of Alberta led to his appointment as an Honorary Lieutenant Colonel in the South Alberta Light Horse (RCAC) and Honorary Member of the Loyal Edmonton Regiment. He is the Founder and current President of the South Alberta Light Horse Regiment Foundation.
Stan Milner’s has served in a number of organizations including President of the Independent Petroleum Association of Canada and the Alberta Chamber of Resources; member of the Listed Company Advisory Committee of the American Stock Exchange, the Board of the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce, the Board of Governors of the Olympic Trust of Canada and the Young Presidents’ Organization; and a Director of the Conference Board of Canada. Dr. Milner is a member of the World Business Council.
Dr. Milner’s interest in business and education prompted his participation on the University of Alberta’s Business Advisory Council. He served a three-year term as Chair of the University’s Board of Governors. In 1991, in conjunction with the Faculty of Business, he established the Stanley A. Milner Chair in Leadership, which is intended to further the understanding and development of effective leadership. In 1994, cited for his competence, wisdom and foresight, he was awarded an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws from the University of Alberta.
Stan Milner has been the recipient of numerous honours over the years including the City of Edmonton’s Certificate of Meritorious Service, the Wall Street Transcript Bronze and Gold Awards for the Top Chief Executive Officer in the Canadian Oil Industry; the University of Alberta’s Canadian Business Leader Award; the 125th Anniversary of Confederation Commemorative Medal; and induction into the Business Hall of Fame of Junior Achievement of Northern Alberta.