Key Influencer – Stuart O’Connor - President & Chair of the Board, Calgary Stampede
Stuart O'Connor serves as President and Chair of the Board of the Calgary Stampede, one of Alberta's most recognizable organizations and the driving force behind the province's largest annual event. As the Calgary Stampede prepares to welcome more than one million visitors this week, O'Connor oversees the organization's volunteer Board of Directors and provides strategic leadership on an institution that serves as both a cultural icon and a significant economic driver for Alberta.
O'Connor brings a diverse professional background to the role, with experience spanning law, engineering, entrepreneurship, technology, energy services, real estate, and ranching. He is President of Timber Ridge Capital Ltd., a private holding company, and co-founder and Chair of Arcurve Inc., an international software development and technology services company. Throughout his career, he has founded or led numerous businesses while serving on the boards of both public and private companies across Alberta's energy, technology, construction, and professional services sectors.
Before transitioning into business leadership, O'Connor practiced corporate and securities law with Bennett Jones before moving into the technology sector, where he served as Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Merak Projects Ltd. He later held senior executive positions with Schlumberger Information Solutions and chaired Flint Energy Services during a period of significant growth in Alberta's oilfield services industry. His experience across multiple sectors has made him a well-known figure within Alberta's business community.
O'Connor's connection to the Calgary Stampede spans decades. A longtime volunteer, he most notably served as Co-Chair of the organization's 2012 Centennial Committee, helping lead celebrations marking the Stampede's 100th anniversary. His longstanding involvement ultimately led to his appointment to the Board of Directors before assuming the organization's highest volunteer leadership position as President and Chair.
O'Connor holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Calgary and a Bachelor of Laws from Queen's University. As the 2026 Calgary Stampede gets underway, O'Connor will play a central role in representing an event that contributes hundreds of millions of dollars annually to Alberta's economy while bringing together political, business, Indigenous, agricultural, and community leaders from across the province and around the world.