Business Briefing: Nana Australia CEO Rod Gonzales

NANA AUSTRALIA
Rod Gonzales, CEO

NANA Australia Pty Ltd is the wholly-owned subsidiary of NANA Development Corporation, a $1.8 billion worldwide enterprise.

NANA Development Corporation is the business arm of NANA Regional Corporation, an Alaska Native corporation 100% owned by the indigenous Iñupiaq people of northwest Alaska. NANA is improving the quality of life for its owners by maximizing economic growth and workforce development, protecting and enhancing the value of NANA’s lands, and promoting healthy communities.

NANA Australia partners with Australian traditional owner groups and aboriginal companies to share the lessons we have learned in our 40 years of business experience. We serve our clients with proven success in engaging local communities, and promoting local hire and economic development. NANA Australia is an effective bridge between two worlds – indigenous and non-indigenous; business and traditional.

NANA Australia draws on four decades of experience and talent to deliver world-class capabilities in resource development, engineering & construction, IT & telecommunications, facilities management & logistics, and real estate & hotel development.

About Guest Speaker: 
Rod Gonzales has more than 15 years of experience in the oil, gas and chemicals industries in progressively responsible project management and operations roles. Before joining NANA Australia, he served as Chief Operating Officer of VDM, a leading engineering and construction group serving the mining and resources, transport and civil infrastructure, and urban development sectors. He was a commercial director of WorleyParsons on assignments in Western Australia and Canada, where he was responsible for managing the commercial and legal functions of the business, as well as development and implementation of new commercial business models on new contracts and business ventures.

Gonzales was Director of Oil Sands Business Strategy and Development for Petro Canada. Gonzales holds a BSc in Chemical Engineering and a MSc in Genetics from the University of Alberta. He completed a leadership and management Executive program at the Wharton School of business. Gonzales has received a number of industry and academic awards, and was named to the Top 40 Under 40 list for Calgary in 2008.

Gonzales is classically trained in music for both voice and piano. In his spare time, he enjoys using these skills with the Western Australia Symphony Orchestra as a member of their Chorus. Rod also sits as a Board Member on the Perth’s Awesome Arts International Children Arts Festival.