Alex Pourbaix Board Chair
Alex Pourbaix - Executive Chair

Alex Pourbaix

Executive Chair

Mr. Pourbaix has been a member of the Cenovus Board since November 2017, when he was also appointed President & Chief Executive Officer of Cenovus. He took on the role of Executive Chair of the Board of Directors in April 2023.

As Executive Chair, Mr. Pourbaix is responsible for providing leadership to the Board and ensuring ongoing strong governance, while supporting management’s execution of the company’s strategy. He also leads Cenovus’s advocacy efforts including industry initiatives, government relations, ESG engagement and provides ongoing leadership with Pathways Alliance. 

From 2017 to 2023, Mr. Pourbaix served as the President & Chief Executive Officer of Cenovus. He was instrumental in strengthening Cenovus’s balance sheet, implementing a disciplined capital allocation framework and reducing costs. He led the company’s strategic acquisition of Husky Energy, which closed in January 2021, and also helped co-found Pathways Alliance. Prior to joining Cenovus, Mr. Pourbaix spent 27 years with TC Energy and its affiliates in a broad range of leadership roles, including Chief Operating Officer, where he was responsible for the company’s commercial activity and overseeing major energy infrastructure projects.

Mr. Pourbaix currently serves on the boards of NRG Energy Inc., Canadian Utilities Limited, the Business Council of Alberta and the Alberta Regional Board of Nature Conservancy Canada. He was previously Chair of the Mount Royal University Board of Governors, the Board of Governors at the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) and the Canadian Energy Pipeline Association, and also served as a board member of the Business Council of Canada and Trican Well Service Ltd. In 2022, Mr. Pourbaix was awarded the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medal in recognition of the contributions he has made to Alberta.

Mr. Pourbaix earned Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Arts degrees from the University of Alberta.

As Executive Chair, Mr. Pourbaix is a non-independent director and is not a member of any Board committees.