TNDC News

TNDC Announces Paul Gruner as CEO

The Tahltan Nation Development Corporation (TNDC) Board of Directors is pleased to announce the appointment of Paul Gruner to the position of Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Paul will assume the role on January 17, 2022. 

The Board conducted a meticulous search to find the right leader with the calibre of qualifications and scale of experience to lead TNDC. Paul is a senior executive leader with more than 10 years of experience managing Indigenous businesses, delivering services for the resource development and mining sector, and general contractor services to industrial projects. He has a diverse range of experience in strategic leadership, mergers and acquisitions, business development, strategic partnerships, financial management, project management, corporate governance, contract negotiations, capacity building and job creation for citizens, and environmental, social and corporate governance.

For the past five years, Paul has been President and CEO of Det’on Cho Management LP, the economic arm of Yellowknives Dene First Nation in Northwest Territories. Serving the resource industry and community members, Det’on Cho’s service offerings closely mirror TNDC’s. Paul has also served as CEO of Castle Rock Enterprises, a Yukon general contractor, and General Manager of Dakwakada Capital Investments, which manages the investments and business assets of the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations. Paul holds a Master of Business Administration from Warwick University/University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC), is a Certified Professional Accountant and holds a Director Designation with the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD.D).

Jamie Gleason, TNDC’s Managing Director, will work with Paul over the coming months to guide operations, facilitate 2022 work season planning, maintain quality of services and support a smooth transition for TNDC’s employees, customers and partners.

“We are pleased to have found Paul, whose experience and qualifications closely match TNDC’s existing operations and expanding business portfolio. Paul’s experience in general contracting, mining services and Indigenous business management, coupled with his business and accounting acumen, makes him the leader of choice to build on TNDC’s achievements and execute on new business ventures. We welcome Paul to the TNDC team and wish him great success in this new role. The Board also extends our appreciation to Jamie, a long-serving board member who stepped forward in April 2021 to oversee TNDC’s operations while the board searched for a CEO. He has been instrumental in seeing TNDC through the 2021 work season and moving business initiatives forward,” said Carol Danielson, Acting Chair of TNDC’s board.

“I join TNDC’s board of directors in wishing Paul a warm welcome to the CEO position. I look forward to working with him in the months ahead to facilitate a successful and seamless knowledge transition. Our collective goal will remain focussed on creating employment, training and business opportunities and ensuring TNDC’s long-term sustainable growth for Tahltan members,” Jamie added.