Taras was born and raised in Edmonton and grew up immersed in Ukrainian culture and sports.  After graduating from Archbishop O’Leary high school he enrolled in the science program at the University of Alberta then transferred into the business program where he completed his Bachelor of Commerce degree majoring in marketing.  Taras landed a management trainee position with Ukrainian Edmonton Credit Union and after the federal government introduction of the National Energy Program resulted in a significant economic downturn, he went back to the U of A full time to complete his MBA in finance and business planning. He then moved to Calgary where he worked for Esso Resources and Metropolitan Life. 

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After returning to Edmonton in the early 1990’s he took a position with the Government of Alberta in Historic Sites based at the Ukrainian Village, where he looked after marketing, events management, business planning and eventually the historic interpretation program.  Missing the head office vibe Taras moved to Alberta Seniors as Senior Manager Policy and Issues Management.  When an opportunity to lead business planning and performance measurement came up Taras joined Alberta Economic Development followed by Alberta Health and Wellness as Executive Director Planning and Performance.

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In 2007 Taras had the opportunity of returning to the private sector and took a position with Servus Credit Union as Director of Strategy.  He quickly joined the Executive Leadership Team as Vice President Strategy and Governance followed by his role as SVP Strategy and Governance.  As an executive team member, he worked closely with the CEO and Board of Directors at Servus.  Over the course of his career Taras has been a Board member on several for profit and not for profit boards including:

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• Chair of Ukrainian Calgary Credit Union,

• Director with Capital City Savings/Servus Credit Union,

• Director with Credit Union Central of Alberta,

• Director with the Greater Edmonton Visitor and Convention Association,

• Director with the Edmonton Christmas Bureau

• Vice Chair of Kapella Kyrie Choir.

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As a result of his board experience and passion for governance, Taras successfully completed the Institute of Corporate Directors program ICD.D at Rotman University as well as the credit union directors program CCD also at Rotman.  Recognizing the importance of lifelong learning Taras completed his Master’s Certificate in Risk Management and Business Process from the Schulich School at York University and the Executive Managers Program at the University of Alberta through the public service.  Taras’ career has been marked by continuous advancement and learning.

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In October 2022, Taras earned the Certified Management Consulting designation, CMC, which represents a commitment to the highest standards of consulting and adherence to CMC Canada’s Uniform Code of Professional Conduct.