Alberta School of Business Dean Mike Percy and Business Advisory Council Chairman Guy Turcotte are pleased to announce that Tony Franceschini, President and CEO of Stantec Inc, has been selected as the 2008 recipient of its Canadian Business Leader Award (CBLA). The award will be presented to Mr. Franceschini at the 27^th CBLA Dinner on February 26, 2008 in Edmonton.

Tony heads up an Alberta-based international success story in Stantec. It’s great to see his leadership and vision recognized.

Guy Turcotte, Chairman, Western Oil Sands Inc.

Since becoming Stantec’s President and CEO in 1998, Mr. Franceschini has transformed the company from a primarily western Canadian engineering firm to a leading North American professional services firm providing service in engineering, architecture, planning, environmental sciences, and related disciplines. Stantec has more than 100 offices and 7,000 employees throughout Canada, the United States, and the Caribbean.

Named one of Canada’s top-performing CEOs of the Year by the National Post Business magazine in 2003 and 2004, Mr. Franceschini was also awarded the Annual Design Industry Outstanding CEO of the Year (large firm) by the Personal Services Management Journal in 2003. In July 2007 Stantec received the Health Design Project Commendation from the International Academy for Design and Health in the United Kingdom. The firm is on pace to become a top ten global design firm by 2008, a goal set by Mr. Franceschini in 1998 which employees across North America have rallied around to achieve.

Mr. Franceschini’s ongoing commitment to corporate governance and to helping instill the core company values of integrity, people, teamwork, and clients, is what he attributes to Stantec’s success. Committed to the community, Mr. Franceschini is also the Campaign Cabinet Member for the Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute, a Cabinet Member of the United Way, and a Board Member of the University of Alberta Hospital Foundation.

Recipients of the CBLA are leaders, entrepreneurs, and pioneers of progress in the business world recognized for their outstanding achievements and business acumen. Previous recipients include Dominic d’Alessandro, Manulife Financial Corporation, 2007; Jim Pattison, the Jim Pattison Group, 2006, and Ross Grieve, PCL Construction Group Inc., 2005.

Exposing students to award recipients is at the heart of the CBLA, the newly created CBLA Student Leadership scholarships, and the gala dinner. The Alberta School of Business, together with Bell, the premier sponsor, looks forward to honouring and hearing from Mr. Franceschini on February 26, 2008.

For further information, contact:

Monica Wegner
Communications Strategist
Alberta School of Business, University of Alberta
780.492.7996
monica.wegner@ualberta.ca

Karen Baird
Public Affairs Associate
Alberta School of Business, University of Alberta
780.492.8695
Karen.Baird@ualberta.ca

Jay Averill
Corporate Communications
Stantec
780.917.7441
jay.averill@stantec.com