Director Nominee

BIO:

Hello, I’m Faizel Poonja, and since the mid-1990s, my family has proudly owned and operated the Canmore Bottle Depot.

The beverage recovery system has evolved significantly over the past 25 years. I believe that by embracing diverse perspectives from depot operators (rural, urban and metro), we can collectively drive progress, adopt new innovations, and expand the industry’s impact for the next generation. Achieving this requires collaboration across the network to ensure we effectively advocate for and represent the interests of individual depot owners.

For over two decades, I have advanced my career in the business banking sector, taking on senior leadership roles focused on growth, strategy, and market development. As Managing Director of Growth Markets and later as Head of Strategy at ATB Business, I concentrated on identifying economic trends, shaping strategic initiatives, and driving success in dynamic and often challenging industries.

Most recently, I have served as a Director with the Alberta Bottle Depot Association (ABDA) and Governance and Compensation Committee (GCC). Additionally, I have been nominated for a position with the BCMB Board Of Directors.

Selected Accomplishments & Roles

● Alberta Bottle Depot Association (ABDA) – Director and member of subcommittee Governance & Compensation Committee (2024-ongoing).

● Cerebral Palsy Association in Alberta (CPAA) – Board Treasurer (2011-ongoing).

● Spaceable Accessibility, Chief Financial Officer (Fractional), (2025)

● Astra Energy Services Corp, Chief Financing Strategist (Fractional), (2024)

● ATB Business, Head of Strategy - Championed the creation, development, and execution of strategic initiatives for small, mid-market, commercial, corporate and capital markets sectors, including the 5 year Operating Plan and the COVID Crisis and Recovery Playbook for Real Estate, O&G, Agriculture, Diversified and Small Business sectors. (2019-2021)

● ATB Business - Led the creation of Women Entrepreneurship and Indigenous Strategic Plans (2019).

● ATB, Managing Director, High Growth Markets - Oversaw regional mid-market commercial banking teams with managed portfolio exceeding $5B.

● ATB, Director of Professional Practice: led the digitization transformation strategy for business banking, applied sales performance metrics, and monitored results for continuous improvement.