Jack Birt is a senior professional with specific expertise in project development, corporate and project finance. Since 1994, Jack has been President of Cascade. His consulting clients have included large energy companies with diverse operations, Teck Cominco et. al., Bechtel Corporation, and Sun Valley Software. He also was a founder of a new particleboard business, and developed plans for an innovative bulk products logistics system.
From 1974 to 1994, he held progressively responsible positions with Royal Bank of Canada in Montreal, Toronto, and Calgary. While with RBC, he financed and advised the sponsors of projects across Canada and in more than a dozen countries. His notable achievements include:
- advising members of the Alberta Pacific pulp mill joint venture (Crestbrook Forest Industries, Mitsubishi Corp., and Kanzaki Paper), and subsequently managing the limited recourse debt financing for the $1.3 billion project
- co-managing the bank financing for Enbridge's acquisition of Consumers Gas, and
- financing the management buyout of the Abitibi newsprint mill at Pine Falls, MB.
Ross Goldsworthy joined Cascade in 2008 as Managing Director, focusing on transportation innovation and efficiencies designed to enhance clients' competitiveness. Over the previous 25 years, Ross held increasingly senior positions within CN Rail, in the areas of finance, strategic and operations planning, sales and international marketing. From 2004-2006, Ross was Vice President Bulk Commodities North American Operations responsible for CN's movement of potash and other fertilisers, coal, and grain throughout North America, as well as into Mexico and Asia.
Having served as the CN board member on the Vancouver Gateway Council, the Western Shippers Transportation Advisory Committee, and the Northern Corridor Development Corporation, Ross has abundant experience working with fellow board members, diverse stakeholders and corporate management especially with regard to West Coast port issues.
Ross holds an MBA degree and designations as a Certified Public Accountant and a Certified General Accountant.