Denise Pothier

Denise’s background is in chemical engineering, and she has more than 30 years of experience in the energy and resource sector, working in regulatory compliance, quality assurance and management systems, process engineering, and risk assessment. She’s currently the vice president of Practice Services and was the first-ever vice president of Indigenous Relations at Stantec. Born and raised in Nova Scotia, with French Acadian and Mi’kmaq heritage, Denise is a firm believer that a diverse and representative employee base—led by a diverse and representative leadership team—enhances and strengthens the cultures of quality, innovation, and health and safety within an organization.

Denise sits on several boards and national Indigenous advisory councils and is currently the President for Engineers Nova Scotia. She was named one of Canada’s most powerful women by the Women’s Executive Network, and the top 150 Canadian Women in STEM by hErVOLUTION. Denise was also named one of the 50 most inspirational women in technology in Canada by Inspiring Fifty. A believer in life-long learning, Denise recently completed an MBA from Athabasca University, and she attends a multitude of educational conferences and events annually. She also spends quality time with her family and friends at her family ocean-side cottage.