Executive Team
- Karen Oldfield, President & CEO
- Paul MacIsaac, Senior Vice President
- George Malec, Vice President, Business Development & Operations
- Krista Dempsey, Vice President Real Estate
Karen Oldfield
President & CEO
Karen OldfieldKaren Oldfield is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Halifax Port Authority and leads the development of the Port of Halifax, a trade and transportation asset she strongly believes is vital to the economic success of our Region.
She assumed her role in January 2002, overseeing a federal government business enterprise responsible for 9,000 direct and indirect jobs, and almost $700 million in economic income. Nearly 2,000 cargo vessels and half a million units of containerized cargo move through the Port of Halifax annually. Sixteen shipping lines connect Atlantic Region exporters to countries around the world and bring import goods through this Atlantic Gateway port to North America. Each cruise season over 100 cruise ships call the Port of Halifax, generating over $20 million in economic spin-offs.
Through the Port’s capital investment program, $100 million will be invested in port infrastructure over the next 5 years. Recent, major improvements include deepening both container terminals to create the deepest container berths on the Eastern Seaboard of North America.
After graduating from Saint Mary’s and Dalhousie universities, Karen began her professional career in 1985 with the law firm McInnes Cooper, becoming partner a few years later. In 1999, Nova Scotia Premier John Hamm asked her to take on the role of Chief of Staff for the Premier’s Office. For two and a half years, Karen was instrumental in ensuring the strategic plans and priorities of the Government of Nova Scotia were carried out.
Currently serving as Vice-Chair of the Halifax Gateway Council, Karen volunteers on a variety of boards, including the Greater Halifax Partnership and the Board of Governors of Saint Mary’s University.
Paul MacIsaac
Senior Vice-President
Paul MacIsaac
Paul MacIsaac joined the Halifax Port Authority in September 2005 as Senior Vice-President. Currently, Paul has overall responsibility for finance, infrastructure, environmental management and the Seaport Redevelopment Project.
Prior to joining the Halifax Port Authority, Paul worked with the Bragg Group of Companies as Vice President of Finance for Buildrite Centres Incorporated (Pierceys) and FS Industries Limited, both in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Previously, he held the position of Senior Manager, Corporate Advisory Services with Ernst & Young Chartered Accountants.
Actively involved in his profession and community, Paul currently chairs the ACPA Finance Committee and is a member of Financial Executives International. He was a member of the 2000 Mastercard Memorial Cup Committee and serves as an executive member of Bedford Minor Hockey.
George Malec
Vice President, Business Development & Operations
George Malec
George Malec is the Vice-President of Business Development & Operations for the Halifax Port Authority. He oversees development of the cargo and cruise business, customer relations, marketing, vessel and cargo activities and security at the Port of Halifax. As a member of the port Senior Management team, he participates in the strategic decision making for port development activities. George has over 25 years of experience in port management, encompassing both the private and public sectors.
George holds a Combined Honours Degree from York University and a Masters Degree in Marine Management from Dalhousie University. He has extensive training in emergency response management and has completed numerous industry related training programs sponsored by the federal government and the American Association of Port Authorities.
He is actively involved in professional committees with the Association of Canadian Port Authorities, where he has been the Chair of the National Operations Committee and the Association of American Port Authorities Operations Committee. He is the founding Chair of the Port of Halifax Security Committee.
Krista Dempsey
Vice-President Real Estate
Krista Dempsey
As Vice President, Real Estate, Krista Dempsey is responsible for real estate acquisitions and the strategic direction of the Halifax Port Authority's real property, which currently consists of 258 acres of land plus a wide variety of facilities that support the diverse core activities of the Port of Halifax.
Prior to joining the Halifax Port Authority, Krista spent more than 20 years in various real estate capacities throughout Atlantic Canada. She has held increasingly senior roles in the commercial real estate industry having been accountable for the acquisition and disposal of real property as well as the leasing and property management of both office buildings and retail shopping centres. In the public sector, Krista has extensive experience with the Federal Government - Public Works and Government Services.
Actively involved in her community, professionally and personally, Krista is currently a member of the Halifax Harbour Planning Committee, the Building Owners and Managers Association, the Urban Development Institute and the Real Estate Institute of Canada.
