Jacquie, who has been in her new role for almost two months, says that her more than 30-year career as a corporate, commercial and securities lawyer has too many highlights to name, but one is balancing it all with family and friends.
“A lot of the highlights of my career involve the people I’ve worked with and learned from,” says Jacquie. “I think of my career as a collection of highlights and one of those highlights is finding a way with my husband to balance both of our careers with raising our two daughters.”
Jacquie came to Suncor in 2011 after having spent many years in private practice in Calgary, Alta., and time as general counsel for a crown corporation in B.C.
“I made partner at Blake, Cassel & Graydon LLP on my oldest daughter’s first birthday,” Jacquie says. “Shortly thereafter, my husband began working in Kamloops, B.C., and we were commuting between there and Calgary. After having my second daughter, I decided to move to Kamloops.”
While living in the B.C. interior, Jacquie worked as general counsel for the B.C. Lottery Corporation and says she learned an invaluable amount from the people and experiences at the crown corporation.
“I believe my first opportunity working in house at a crown corporation made me a better lawyer because it helped me to understand what it was like to be a client.”
Unable to resist the pull back to Calgary, the Moore family eventually returned to the city where Jacquie grew up and to the private practice where she had spent much of her career. Six years later, Jacquie was offered the chance to join Suncor as its Vice President of Corporate Legal.
“When the opportunity to work at Suncor came up, I wasn’t actually looking to leave private practice,” explains Jacquie. “But I’ve always looked for opportunities to challenge myself and grow, and I had a lot of respect for the people at Suncor and the company itself. The idea of working for Suncor was intriguing and something I didn’t want to pass up.”
Since then, Jacquie has held senior leadership roles at Suncor, including leading the corporate legal teams. She has also served as Vice President of External Relations before moving back to the legal team in the operations area responsible for downstream, regional and regulatory legal with the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, and supply and trading when Thomas Kehler retired. Most recently, she has replaced Arlene Strom as Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel.
“I feel so fortunate that I’m here at a time when my predecessor is still my colleague,” she says. “I have an extraordinary amount of respect for Arlene, who was doing this role while also being the Chief Sustainability Officer. I don’t know how she did it, but she is a great sounding board and continues to be a great mentor. It makes the transition much easier.”
While rewarding, balancing a busy career with a busy family can leave one feeling pulled in multiple directions. However, Jacquie finds spending time with her friends is a soul-nourishing way to recharge.
“I was recently away at a spa with my best friend of 45 years,” says Jacquie. “She knows everything about me. We support each other’s kids, and we support each other. Aside from my husband, she’s the only person who knows everything about me and is a huge part of my life. Having those types of relationships give you energy.”
