Alumnus Alfred Sorensen donates $5 million to Alberta School of Business

(Edmonton) In appreciation of the interdisciplinary business education he received from the Alberta School of Business at the University of Alberta, which helped fuel a successful 25-year career in the global energy sector, Edmonton native Alfred Sorensen has donated $5 million to his alma mater.

The Alfred Sorensen Chair in Energy, Environmental and Reputational Risk Management will allow the school to recruit a global leader in the field. Further, the Alfred Sorensen Global Experience Fund will encourage and enhance student international exchanges, study tours abroad and global internship positions.

"I am a strong believer in the value to our society of public education and how it can be used to improve the world we live in and, to that end, it must and needs to be supported by those who have greatly benefited from its existence," said Sorensen.

After graduating with a bachelor of commerce degree in 1983 and completing his certified accounting designation, Sorensen entered the nascent energy trading industry, where he would co-found Continental Energy, growing it to become one of the largest physical gas trading entities in Canada. He went on to join Duke Energy and established Duke Energy Europe, where he spent 13 years. Most recently, in December 2010, Sorensen closed the sale of his company Galveston LNG-a company dedicated to the building of Canada's first liquefied natural gas terminal in Kitimat B.C., which will allow the export of natural gas from Canada to Asia-to Houston Apache Corp. and EOG Resources Canada.

Philanthropist, executive and entrepreneur, Sorensen was also a two-week Executive-in-Residence at the Alberta School of Business in November and is the newest member of the school's high-profile 30-member Business Advisory Council.

"The Alberta School of Business greatly appreciates Alfred's support of time and resources, which significantly inspires students and contributes to the school's growing reputation as a global leader in energy," said Dean Mike Percy.

If you would like to make a tax deductible gift in support of the Alberta School of Business, please click here.