Quick Facts
Biography
Charlie Fischer (born March 21, 1950) was the president and chief executive officer of Calgary-based Nexen Inc until December 2008. He currently heads a U.S.-Canada working group on clean energy within the Clean Energy Dialogue, formed during a summit between Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and U.S. President Barack Obama.
Career
Fischer has an extensive career in the Canadian extractive industry. In the 1980s he worked for TransCanada Pipelines and Encor Energy Corporation Inc.. In 1994, he began work for Nexen, as Senior Vice President, Exploration and Production, North America. He was appointed to the Nexen Board in 2000 and became President and CEO on June 1, 2001.
He currently co-chairs the Alberta Climate Change Central board.
In April 2009 the Canadian government announced him as a head of one of three climate change working groups as part of the Clean Energy Dialogue with the United States. Several organizations have criticized this appointment, including the Sierra Club of Canada.
As of December 2008, Fischer held over 500,000 common shares in Nexen, then totalling approximately C$9.5 million, and options on three million more shares.
Fischer remains a registered lobbyist in Canada, as of January 2009, in his capacity as the responsible officer for Nexen.
Fischer is also a member of the Strategic Advisory Board of the Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta.
Education
Fischer received a B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering (1971) and a MBA, Finance (1982) from the University of Calgary.