Our Team

Get to Know Us

Marlene Evanow

Marlene is the Bar Manager at the Calgary Petroleum Club. After receiving her grade 12 diploma, she exited the rural life and migrated west towards Calgary, Alberta. She first joined the club as a server in 1989 then moved her way up from there. Marlene brings innovation and creativity to the club with her unique cocktails and exquisite bar knowledge.

Being born and raised on her family farm in rural Saskatchewan, Marlene grew up with strong family values and work ethic. Her values and ethics are very well seen in her work and dedication to the Whisky Club. Being a woman in a “Mans World” Marlene has worked hard to make a name for herself and is very well respected in the Bar world.

Coming from a hard-working family, Marlene expresses great respect and support for all local and family run businesses. Due to her small-town roots she has a knack for developing strong relationships with people and is a very personable person. Strong relationships are the foundation of everything she does both professionally and personally.

Ryan Ackers

Ryan joined the Petroleum Club in 2016 and hasn’t looked back.  In 2017, he pondered ways to transform the Petroleum Club into a place that isn’t just meant for meetings, but also a gathering place for members to spend their time outside of business hours.  Soon after, he was approached by Petroleum Club Board Director Elysse Dalla-Longa to launch a whisky club (with a focus on scotch malts) alongside fellow member and whisky enthusiast Richard Black.  Together, they launched the Slainte Mhath Scotch and Other Whiskies Society on Robbie Burns Day 2018 and have taken members though a journey of the world’s great whiskies with the generous help of Marlene Evanov, Chris Sikorsky from Co-Op World of Whisky, and their distillery partners.  They have since expanded the Slainte Mhath committee with the addition of Lance Shilliday and Stephen Wolfe, and are working on exciting new initiatives for the Slainte Mhath Society. 

Ryan’s friendship with whisky got off to a rocky start during his university years when he didn’t quite appreciate the bottle of The Glen Livet 12 year that sat in his liquor cabinet.  It wasn’t until he and a group of friends began drinking scotch together that he began to appreciate the water of life.  His first dram of Laphroaig Quarter Cask back in 2008 made history when it caused Ryan to develop an (expensive) infatuation with whisky.  After this, he and his whisky group started the Scotch and Cigar Subcommittee whisky club in Toronto.  Ryan and Richard launched the Calgary chapter of the club in 2015.

Outside of enjoying whisky, Ryan is Vice President of Business Development and Client Relations with GBL, a Calgary-based actuarial consulting firm that has become Canada’s largest provider of Individual Pension Plans (IPPs) and Retirement Compensation Arrangements (RCAs).  He grew up in the small town of Stirling, Ontario, and relocated to Toronto for studies at the University of Toronto.  He remained in Toronto for 10 years and relocated to Calgary in 2014, meeting his wife Jenn shortly after.  Outside of business and the Petroleum Club, Ryan volunteers with the University of Toronto, the Marda Loop community, and is currently completing his MBA at the Ivey Business School.

Favourite Whisky (Go-To): Ardbeg Corryvreckan or most sherry/PX casked Islay malts

Favourite Whisky (Difficult to Find): Port Charlotte PC8: Ar Duthchas

Richard Black

Richard joined the petroleum club in 2016 at the behest of Ryan Ackers.  In 2017 he started working with the Slainte Mhath Scotch and Other Whiskies Society and helped launch the first event in 2018. 

Richard got into whisky through a number of tasting events, and as he tried more his passion for it grew.  Through the influence of Ryan, Richard started drinking scotches with more and more peat.  While he still loves Spey and highland scotches his preference now leans towards Islay. 

Richard is the team lead for Western Canada for a fast-growing boutique IT Recruitment Company named Alquemy. 

Go to Whisky – Glendronach 12 year or Anything from Islay

Favourite whisky – all of them.  Balvenie 21 yr port wood or Bruichladdich Black arts 5

Lance Shilliday

Originally from Lethbridge, Alberta, Lance moved to Calgary in 1986 to attend university. He started with Sun Life in 1991 and attained his Certified Financial Planner ( CFP ) designation in 2000. In 2007 incorporated his practise, Startingpoints Financial Solutions,  and is current the most tenured Advisor with Sun Life in Calgary.

Lance first encountered Scotch during a trip to the Scottish Highlands, in the Spring of 1986. One of his friend was playing hockey (the sport being another  of Lance's great passions) in Aviemore. At the time the finer qualities of the ‘Water of Life’ were neither desired nor appreciated. Only years later did he realise the missed opportunities of this misguided youth adventure. Clearly, he tought - this matter must be smartly revisited and the necessary actions must be taken to recitfy the situation!

A corporate convention to Nashville in 2016 culminated with a two day distillery tour and sampling experience along the Bourbon Trail out of Louisville, Kentucky. Ironically, application to become a member of the Petroleum Club was made during this excursion. 

After joining and attending the Slainte Mhath events in 2018, Lance offered to volunteer his services to assist the original founders of the club.

Lance rapidly developed a keen interest in Spirits from around the world and recently completed the WSET Level 2 award in Wines and Spirits offered by Fine Vintage Ltd, James Cluer MW. He went on to acquired the Certified Bourbon Steward designation with the Stave and Thief Society and will be attending the Executive Bourbon Steward program this fall at Moonshine University in Louisville, Kentucky.

Lance is excitedly looking forward to the many offerings and adventures the ambassadors of the Slanthe Mhath Society are brewing up!

Steven Wolfe

Steven joined the Petroleum Club in order to enjoy the dining experiences and utilize the meeting room facilities.  He has been sampling and collecting fine scotch and other spirits for over a decade and always thought the Petroleum Club should have a scotch club. The emergence of the Slainte Mhath society was exciting and he was quick to support it by attending every event and bringing guests to each tasting event. All of his guests attending the events and knowing his passion for scotch suggested he should get on the committee. Recognizing the time commitment and effort required by Ryan and Richard to organize events and sharing their passion for scotch, he decided to get involved and is excited to be a member of the Slainte Mhath committee. Steven is thrilled to be actively involved in the new initiatives Slainte Mhath society are undertaking for 2019 and beyond. Slainte Mhath and other societies and initiatives are what will continue to make the Petroleum Club the premier club and all of us proud to be members

Steven started sampling scotch whisky in university when a group of friends decided they would get together to watch Monty Python movies and sample scotch after a long week. He soon realized there were other benefits to drinking scotch! No one else would touch your bottle at a party and it made for a great conversation starter!  Starting a family and work distracted him from broadening his scotch horizons until the family got older and there was some extra money for hobbies. He now has a wide variety of scotches from the various regions in his ever-growing collection.

Outside of enjoying whisky, after working for Talisman Energy for over 25 years, Steven decided to go consulting and joined Gas Processing Management as a Principal until early 2018 when it closed. Steven and four others immediately formed STERIA Energy Solutions Ltd., a Calgary-based energy consulting firm.   Steven grew up in a small town in Saskatchewan and initially relocated to Edson, Alberta in 1988 after graduating with an Engineering degree from University of Saskatchewan. In 1992, he relocated to Calgary. Outside of business and the Petroleum Club, Steven collects and restores cars, rides motorcycle and enjoys travelling around the world.

Favourite Whisky (Go-To): Tomatin 12 (Sherry Cask), or most sherry or port finished single malts

Favourite Whisky (Difficult to Find): GlenGoyne, 1st edition, 1996 (18 year), Cask Strength

Dawn Wambold

Dawn joined the Calgary Petroleum Club in 2016 at the suggestion of her father and fellow club member, Richard Piche. To her, the club is a peaceful refuge from her busy life of working as a Materials Specialist at TC Energy while also completing her master’s degree in archaeology at the University of Alberta. The great food, amazing staff, and extensive bar selection make the CPC her go-to place for everything from a quick coffee to a company Christmas party. Recognizing the many benefits that the club has brought to her life; Dawn has been willing to give back to the club whenever possible. This has included acting as emcee at the 2018 Member Daughter night, and more recently, joining the committee of the Scotch and Other Whiskies Society.

Dawn is a newcomer to the world of scotch and whisky. Although her preferred drink in university was always a rye and ginger, she rarely ventured past the Crown Royal until accepting her first taste of scotch from her Uncle’s impressive collection. Who knew that a sailor’s liquor cabinet could contain so much more than rum? This first tasting led her to attend her first Slainte Mhath event, and now there’s no looking back. With a newly discovered preference for heavily peated scotches, Port Charlotte’s MC:01 is high on her list of “must haves” for her own collection.

Dawn usually attends the Slainte Mhath events with her husband, Robert. Together, they have an 18-year-old daughter who has recently announced her intentions to study brewing and distillation. Perhaps one day the CPC Scotch and Other Whiskies Society will offer an exclusive tasting of the Wambold family whisky!

Rene DeGagne

Store Manager of World of Whisky and World of Wine

Rene joined Co-op as a Manager after a long career with the Alberta Government in 2016.  His earliest introduction to scotch belongs to his father who was a huge fan.

Rene travelled to the United Kingdom in his early 20’s to play Rugby and this is where his love for Scotch really became a ”love -  dram” relationship….

He has completed his WSET Level II in both Wine and Spirits and was recently appointed in October, 2019 to the World of Whisky & World of Wine location.

I look forward to meeting all members of the Calgary Petroleum Club.