Headquartered in Calgary, TC Energy is one of the largest energy companies in North America, with major operations in Canada, Mexico and the U.S. Each day, the company supplies more than 25 per cent of the clean-burning natural gas consumed across North America along 93,300 kilometers of pipeline.

Beyond pipelines, TC Energy also operates power storage and generation facilities and plants, with the vision of becoming a leader in North American energy infrastructure.

THE CLOUD

TC Energy is a cloud-enabled organization, with over 95 per cent of the company’s applications migrated to the cloud since 2019 – positioning them as a leader in this space for the energy industry. In partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS), TC is exploring artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and data analytics to better serve their customers and enable rapid innovation.

Marcie Jones, Director of Product Delivery, TC Energy

“With leading technology and cloud-based tools at our fingertips, there are endless opportunities to challenge the status quo and transform our business,” says Marcie Jones, TC Energy’s Director of Product Delivery.

In recent years, TC Energy has embarked on a digital innovation journey focused on unleashing the full capabilities and potential of their people.

“The goal is to have our people focused on the highest value work, where their knowledge, expertise and strategic problem-solving will make the biggest impact. To do this, we’re automating tasks where computers and equipment can be used to save time, reduce costs and streamline processes.”

BOT WARS

Bot Wars is just one example of this automation in action. Developed in partnership with Microsoft, Bot Wars is an effective, cost-saving – and fun – program that teaches Robotic Process Automation (RPA) so employees across the company can automate low-value, repetitive tasks. If people are spending time on such tasks (like moving files) – things that machines can be doing – they’re encouraged to automate those processes, without entering them into the Information Systems (IS) queue.

In the first iteration of Bot Wars, seven teams in the Canadian Natural Gas Business Unit were challenged to automate a low-value daily task. Four weeks later, TC Energy had seven new bots saving both time and money and allowing people to spend their time doing more fulfilling and value-added work.

THAT CALGARY FEELING

“Relationships are the backbone of the Calgary tech community,” says Jones. “We all know someone in common and we seek to find that connection and to help one another.”

Jones believes the tech and business culture in Calgary is unique; it operates on an increasingly large scale, but maintains its small, local feeling. “It’s not all about the business or about the transaction, but about creating a personal connection that will support the community. There’s not a strong sense of adversarial competition - we rise and fall together.”

Jones grew up in rural south Saskatchewan and finds that a “rural sense” runs strongly throughout Calgary’s energy community.

“If you’re working for an energy company, in a corporate tower, your livelihood is dependent on the land outside the city,” she points out.

“In the energy sector, we have a different appreciation for the rural setting.” Jones says that it’s important to remember that the energy sector doesn’t actually originate downtown, but is spread widely across the province and often comes down to our rural communities. “I hope we don’t lose that as we grow and attract a global tech crowd. Our rural roots should be a differentiator we proudly offer newcomers.”

Jones points to a recent internal project designed to break down barriers and increase empathy between corporate employees in TC Energy’s IS department and field employees.

A field technician is temporarily working on the Calgary IS team, with the goal of ensuring the technology solutions meet the needs of their users.

“This kind of information exchange not only builds understanding across teams, but makes us work more effectively together,” says Jones.

CREATING COMMUNITY

TC Energy works hard to both create and bolster the tech community in Calgary.

“We know what an important role energy companies play in Calgary’s growing tech community. Wherever there is an opportunity to build capacity, and expand tech talent in Calgary – we’re excited to take part and act as a catalyst for innovation,” says Jones.

TC Energy partners with other companies in the business ecosystem, but also spends a lot of time and resources developing the workforce of the future. The IS leadership team has supported the creation of SAIT’s new digital program; Jones herself is an alumna and participated in curriculum development.

TC Energy also partners with PLATO Testing, an organization that trains Indigenous software testers and then helps them find internships and jobs with clients across Canada. Through the program, TC Energy brings a number of interns onto the IS team, training them and providing rewarding and sustainable careers in remote communities.

“We have a really strong student and internship program,” says Jones. “We hire as many students as possible, and see many of those interns join us as full-time employees when they graduate. Students are always on the top of our list from a recruiting, mentorship and career development perspective.”

TC Energy gives young people a platform to make a meaningful impact, encouraging them “to challenge our assumptions,” says Jones. In a unique practice, the company's CIO, Chris Foster, often engages in “reverse mentorship” with the newest members of the team, learning from up-and-coming talent.

LOOKING FOR ENERGY

Not surprisingly, the one thing TC Energy looks for in its employees is energy. “I never want to be the smartest person in the room,” says Jones. “We try to surround ourselves with people who always ask ‘Why?’, because challenging the status quo helps us all.” Jones believes it’s better to “hire on will and train on skill,” and evaluates candidates based on their curiosity and willingness to learn.

Jones’ own route to her current role demonstrates the kind of curiosity and drive she’s looking for in others, and also shows it’s possible to build a complex and world-class career through Calgary’s educational and corporate infrastructure.

Jones holds degrees and certifications from SAIT, Mount Royal University, and the University of Calgary. She started as a Program Manager with a local agency, Critical Mass, which now operates on a global scale, serving clients like Rolex, Mercedes, and AT&T.

Her next step was to a major telecommunications firm, where she concluded a nearly-seven-year stint, closing with the position of Director, Digital Technologies. When she first encountered cloud computing she realized that, in order to be a catalyst in the digital domain, she needed to learn from the best and decided to join Amazon, which she views as “the biggest innovator on the planet.”

At Amazon, she worked with large enterprises to accelerate cloud computing from a cultural and tech perspective. TC Energy was one of her primary customers; working at a senior level with their executives, she experienced first-hand their curiosity and commitment to adopting digital technologies and driving innovation.

“TC Energy is on a journey of innovation and adoption of digital technologies to evolve their business. I saw their appetite for disruption and took the opportunity to be part of it. At TC Energy, we transport energy and that will include the energy of tomorrow, ” said Jones.

“We understand our responsibility in helping find and develop innovative and global solutions towards a lower-carbon energy future. ”

— Marcie Jones, Director of Product Delivery, TC Energy

“We’re always looking for bright, innovative people to join our team, people who are as excited about our future as we are.”

WHAT’S NEXT

The company’s adoption of cloud technologies means that they are ahead of the game, with modern tools like machine learning and big data. With these tools at their fingertips, TC Energy’s IS team will continue to blur the lines with their business partners, as a strategic partner to deliver solutions for their customers and our future.

Jones is a life-long learner. Committed to continuous improvement, she brings out the same in her team.

“A big part of innovation is simply not settling, always looking for a better way to do something.”

As Jones looks ahead to the next five years, she’s excited about the company’s future, using digital innovation to lead the way.

Are you ready to make moves in Calgary’s tech scene, working with forward-thinking companies like TC Energy? Visit the careers page on Live Tech, Love Life to see what opportunities are out there in our burgeoning innovation ecosystem.

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TC Energy: Digital innovation enabling the energies of the future