MEET THE TEAM.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
Odessa was born and raised in Whitehorse, Yukon. She is a Champagne & Aishihik First Nation citizen. Odessa obtained her Bachelor of Commerce and Masters of Professional Accounting degrees from the University of Saskatchewan and is a Chartered Professional Accountant. She has been employed as a Chartered Accountant in Saskatchewan, the Cayman Islands, and Yukon. Odessa returned home to the Yukon in 2011 and enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband and three children.
Martin brings more than 25 years of construction experience in both the private and public sectors to the Dakwakada board. Martin completed his Business Diploma in Alberta in 1987 and moved back to the Yukon to work with and eventually manage a family-owned construction company. This work has included placer mining, civil and residential construction, and a land treatment facility. More recently Martin has been working in the public sector working primarily in the field of municipal water and wastewater, as well as property management. Martin, along with his three daughters, enjoys favorite outdoor activities that include fishing, cycling, and cross-country skiing.
Percy has over 35 years of experience in managing both private and publicly traded entities, managing operations and growth for environmental construction and service based companies in Canada and North of 60. With both senior management and governance experience, most recently focused on contracting consulting and partnerships. Percy now currently sits on three boards, including one non-profit (chairs two committees & sits on five) and one advisory board for a privately owned construction company. Percy resides in Alberta and is married and has one son, enjoys keeping active through his work as well as fitness, golf and curling.
Stan Thompson
Director
Conrad Browne
Director
Stan draws on a long career of C-Suite positions as a President or Chief Financial Officer with a number of major Canadian companies and over a decade of serving on the boards of many diverse organizations to help chart a course for Dakwakada Capital Investments as a member of its board. A Chartered Professional Accountant, Stan recently retired as Northwestel’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Vice President of Corporate Services. He is on the board of the Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA) and consults with several top Canadian firms.
With 55,000 employees, the CRA is the revenue agency for Canada’s federal government – collecting taxes, administering & enforcing tax law and policy, and delivering benefit programs and tax credits. Serving his third term on the CRA’s Board of Management, Stan chair’s the board audit committee and sits on the resource committee.
Northwestel is the north’s telecommunications company, headquartered in Whitehorse with operations across the Yukon, Nunavut, the Northwest Territories, and part of northern B.C. The firm has more than 500 employees providing wireless, residential, and business phone and internet services. While at the firm Stan played a key role in bringing fibre optic infrastructure to many northern communities.
When he is not at work, you can likely find Stan in his garage tinkering on a truck. A self-described motorhead, he has been purchasing and restoring older diesel trucks (and some cars) much of his adult life.
Conrad has more than 30 years of management experience in First Nations’ capital investment & finance, the natural resource sector, large national and international companies, as well as hospitality and restaurant businesses.
At Dakwakada Capital Investments LP he leads the team responsible for undertaking and managing private investment in properties, funds, and businesses on behalf of the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations Trust. He joined DCI in 2023 from forestry company Teal Jones, where he was Director of Indigenous Partnerships and Strategic Relations, responsible for the firm’s relationship with First Nations in whose territories that company operates. Prior to that he was CEO of the K’awat’si Economic Development Corporation (KEDC), for the Gwa’sala-‘Nakwaxda’xw Nations (GNN) in Port Hardy, BC. He first joined the GNN as an economic development officer and built KEDC from the ground up – taking it from one employee and a single business line to 150 employees in six lines in a few years. He joined GNN from BC’s then Ministry of Forests and Range, where he was District Compliance Leader & Operations Manager. Growing up in Alberta, Conrad spent his formative years in agricultural and ranching. Conrad was previously a Registered Forest Technologist and also has his 4th class Power Engineer’s ticket and his Chef’s papers.