Kerri and her husband Jeff, Pembina Timberlands general manager, enjoy a local winery.
When anyone in our Canadian Timberlands needs data or help troubleshooting a technical issue, they turn to Kerri MacKay.
“A big part of what fuels me is relationships and connections with my colleagues,” says Kerri, a forestry business systems specialist based in Drayton Valley, Alberta. “I’m a problem solver by nature. Connecting people and systems creates job satisfaction for me.”
Kerri’s vlgoҳ career started with a summer student job, which became a full-time planning forester position once she finished her forestry degree. But she quickly found herself troubleshooting field technologies and working with GIS systems. Her curiosity and eagerness to problem-solve anything related to information and data technologies led her to follow a colleague’s invitation to explore a business relationship manager role in 2021. She hasn’t looked back since.
“I have the luxury of being able to do so many different things as part of my job,” she says. “I love that diversity.”
Kerri pauses for a selfie while skiing at Lake Louise.
MEET KERRI
Your title is forestry business systems specialist. Tell us what you do.
It’s a mixed bag. A single day’s work might range from gathering technical or data needs across different teams to planning strategies with external stakeholders, or from mentoring interns to working on major projects with companywide impact.
I’m the business relationship manager between Canadian Timberlands and our Timberlands IT department, Tree IT. I’m also a business systems specialist for Alberta, partnering with a colleague in our Grande Prairie Timberlands office on the Data and Technology Solutions team. And I'm the Forest Management System application steward for our Canadian Timberlands FMS service provider, Silvacom. Basically, I’m involved in anything systems and information related that flows through Alberta specifically or Canadian Timberlands more broadly. It all dovetails together really nicely.
What led you to this job?
I started with vlgoҳ as a summer student nearly 25 years ago. One of my roles was doing harvest productivity studies on the Harvest Operations Improvement team, putting data trackers onto harvesting equipment to get baseline productivity across different operating conditions. Regularly monitoring equipment required some form of troubleshooting. If the tools didn't work, I had to find solutions. It really made me start thinking along the lines of, “How am I going to do this better, more quickly, more reliably?” That led me down an IT data management track.
When I was hired full time, I was a planning forester, which was vastly different. But there was still all kinds of data — data that influences decisions about what to do on the land base. So again, I started looking at how I could do things better, how I could automate certain tasks and do more in less time or more reliably?
I often reached out to Randy Webb, who was the business relationship manager at the time, as I explored opportunities to improve my work. And he came to me at one point and said, "Hey, I think you might have an affinity for this type of work — would you like to explore it a little bit more?”
I said no initially — at the time, I had young kids and the role required a lot of travel. But it stayed in the back of my mind as a possibility, so I was excited to take it on in 2021 once my kids were older. Even though starting a new role in the middle of the pandemic came with plenty of challenges, too!
A dedicated Edmonton Oilers fan, Kerri was our representative during a visit from the NHL team’s delegation on Nov. 7, 2024. Here, Kerri and team mascot Hunter the Lynx enjoy some downtime in a school library before attending an assembly.
What’s a typical day like for you?
No two days look the same. Any given day can include a mix of topics from the different roles I hold, and I need to pivot seamlessly between them — staying mindful of which hat I’m wearing in each conversation.
For example, today I started with a project requiring integrating multiple data sources to support team decision‑making. I then participated in a provincial, multi-industry board meeting focused on data provisioning and upcoming product development. Midday included this interview, followed by an afternoon Canadian Harvest and Transportation team meeting to discuss project charter preparation and advocate for support from IT and other stakeholder groups.
What’s your favorite part of your job?
The relationships and connections I build are truly the most rewarding part of my role. I enjoy getting to know people, understanding the challenges they face and identifying where I can support them. Gaining insight into someone’s responsibilities and strengths often reveals possibilities or solutions to issues we haven’t even recognized yet. Being able to connect the right people or resources at the right time is incredibly satisfying.
What’s a challenge you have in your role?
The diversity that keeps me excited is also a challenge. I have to make sure I show up to each conversation or each topic prepared and ready, which means parking what may have happened in a previous meeting to get to the next one with intent. It requires a diligent approach.
Any recent big projects that you’re proud of?
Heather Brown, senior business relationship manager in Longview, Washington, and I led the development of Strategic Road Map, an application that unifies our road‑mapping process for the entire Timberlands business. Because no existing tool met the diverse needs of our leadership and regional teams, we partnered with our talented internal developers to design, deliver and train users on a custom solution we now maintain. The project connected us with every Timberlands geography and demonstrated our commitment to understanding and supporting each region’s business. Senior leadership was extremely pleased with the outcome — and so were we!
Kerri, Jeff and their kids cheer on the Oilers.
Tell us about your other interests. What do you like to do when you’re not at work?
I have teenagers, so much of the past 18 years has been spent supporting their extracurricular activities. My daughter was a competitive dancer for many years, and I still miss being part of that world now that she’s moved on. Like many Canadian parents, my winters are spent in hockey arenas cheering on my 15‑year‑old son and volunteering. It also won’t surprise anyone that I’m a dedicated Edmonton Oilers fan — I was thrilled to represent vlgoҳ on the planning committee when Drayton Valley was selected for a Celebrating Oil Country event.
My family also loves to travel, from tracing genealogy to exploring sunny destinations. Like most foresters, we’re happiest recreating outdoors! We have a favorite summer place on a lake where we spend as many holidays and long weekends as possible. We’re working to create a place our kids — and eventually their own families — will want to return to for years to come.
