Bernard Borg
Bernard was born in Barrhead, Alberta in Canada. He founded a company
called Safety & Training Ltd. in 1999 and co-founded an International Trade consulting company IB Group Ltd. in 2006.
Mr. Borg has more than 33 years of experience in the Petroleum Industry. He started his career with Imperial Oil in 1997 as a field operator and progressed to Safety Manager in 1986.
Bernard has travelled extensively through his career and has visited five continents. His travels led him to work in Qatar and Oman in the Middle East and he spent a number of years working in Malaysia as a senior safety engineer. Mr. Borg passed the examinations for Certified Safety Professional in 1995.
As chairman of IB Group Ltd. he has developed an extensive network of contacts in the Russian Federation. His company IB Group Ltd., is the only private organization in Canada to represent the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation in Canada.
In 2007 Bernard became the 'Person of the Year' in the Primorski region of the Russian Federation.
Bernard is an experienced and dynamic facilitator of Process Hazard Assessment. He has successfully conducted a large number of HAZOPS and Risk Assessments. His HAZOP experience ranges from complete detailed HAZOPS of offshore facilities, to Sour Gas Plants, to Compressor stations and Oil Sands facilities.
He is also a leader in the field of occupational safety. He has developed a number of innovative safety programs which have led to major reductions in injuries and reductions in costs.
Bernard's experience includes environmental work, including spill cleanup and reclamation. The techniques he developed have led to more effective reclamation at lower cost and in a shorter period of time.
The latest article in the Oil Market Magazine, where Bernard talks about innovation and its role in building successful organizations can be viewed and downloaded here.
Bernard currently resides in Calgary with his wife Irina. He has one son who also resides in Calgary.
Irina Bobrysheva
Irina was born in Moscow in the Russian Federation. She moved to Canada in 2006 and founded an international consulting company called IB Group Ltd. International Business Group.
Mrs. Bobrysheva earned her doctorate in Economics in 1987.
In 1987 she joined the Moscow City Government and headed the division of the Mayor's advisory group. In 1993 she became the Deputy Minister of Small Business Development for the City of Moscow. During this time Russia transformed from a central controlled economy to a market economy. In her role as the Deputy Minister she helped create more than 1000 small businesses and created the regulations for the development of a market economy.
Irina has been the leader of a number of significant projects in the Russian Federation. In 1995 she was the founding President of the Russian National Training Foundation through a grant from the World Bank. She was the co-founder of the Moscow chapter of the Friendship Forces International Foundation. In 2003 she was the Executive Director of the 9th International Youth Scientific Exhibition, ESI 2003.
In 2001 she became the Secretary-General for the Russian National Organizing Committee EXPO 2010, where she had the privilege of working with Ex-President of the USSR Michael Gorbachev.
Irina has travelled extensively and has experience on international projects in Germany, France, Monaco, USA and Canada.
Upon arrival in Canada Irina has been promoting trade between Russia and Canada. Since 2008 she is the Official Representative of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation in Canada. In 2009 Irina as a result of the work of her company IB Group Ltd. was invited by the Senate of Canada to testify before the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade. Since 2009 she is an official consultant of the Business Development Bank of Canada.
Irina is a permanent residence of Canada and lives in Alberta with her husband Bernard. She has one son who currently resides in Moscow.