Leadership

Glenn Byrne
General Manager & COO, DFB Group
President, D.F. Barnes Services Limited

Glenn Byrne has been with DFB Group for more than 20 years. He is a Journeyman Machinist by trade and has dedicated enormous time and talent to shaping DFB Group into what it is today. As General Manager and COO, Glenn oversees project goals and coordinates utilization of equipment, materials and labour. Glenn provides guidance to project managers in the areas of delivery, quality, safety and cost targets. A familiar and trusted face to customers and a skilled negotiator, Glenn is a critical part of DFB Group's marketing and business development team.

Jim Buckingham
Vice President, Quality, Health, Safety & Environment, DFB Group

Jim Buckingham joined the DFB team in February 2008. He was a Quality Manager at Penney Ozark and has also taught at the Marine Institute's Offshore Safety and Survival Centre. Jim holds an engineering degree in naval architecture and ocean engineering from Memorial University. Like others at DFB Group, Jim comes from an entrepreneurial background. He has owned a number of businesses and was a manufacturing representative for GEC Alstom for electrical switchgear, mechanical systems and electric motors.

When he's not ensuring DFB Group has one of the best QHS&E records in the industry, Jim is dedicating his free time to building an indoor soccer facility which will attract youth from all over the province.

Jason Fudge
Chief Financial Officer, DFB Group
President, Orphan Industries

As Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Jason Fudge's responsibilities include overseeing DFB Group's financial planning and reporting processes, developing financial models to evaluate and select high-yielding business opportunities, and liaising with external banking and investment partners to secure capital for strategy execution. Jason supports corporate planning and makes financial and strategic recommendations to the Board of Directors. Since joining DFB Group in 2003, he has developed specialized skills in the areas of financial modeling, business planning, and mergers / acquisitions.

Prior to joining DFB Group, Jason worked as a Senior Manager and Analyst with Telepix Imaging Inc. where he helped firms with advocacy, profile, marketing, export and systems. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) from Memorial University and a Masters of Business Administration from Dalhousie University.

Sean Power
Vice President, Business Development, DFB Group
President, GEC Installations Inc.

Sean Power brings more than 25 years of experience in sales, marketing and contract management to his dual roles as Vice President of Business Development for DFB Group and President of GEC Installations Inc. Sean joined DFB Group in 2003 as President of Orphan Industries Limited. Under his leadership, Orphan secured its first multi-million dollar contract to manufacture Launch and Recovery Systems (LARS) for Oceaneering International, Inc., the world's largest operator of remotely operated vehicles for use by the oil and gas industry. He then assumed the reigns of GEC Installations, presiding over DFB Group's expansion into western Canada. Soon after its launch, GEC Installations was employing hundreds of trades people in the Alberta oilsands.

From 1989 to 2003, Sean was President of Steelcor Manufacturing Corporation, where he managed contracts for large aerospace contractors, including General Electric, Lockheed Martin, Boeing and General Dynamics. Sean's industry knowledge, business development experience and professionalism have proven invaluable to DFB Group's growth.

Sean McCarthy
Vice President, Corporate Development, DFB Group
Project Manager - DFB Driver

In his role as Vice President of Corporate Development for DFB Group, Sean McCarthy works across all operational functions to find and implement improvements that simplify processes, while delivering more value to customers and improving company performance. As Operations Director for Orphan Industries Limited, he implemented the principles of lean manufacturing, resulting in cost savings and improved delivery on customer expectations. Sean's efforts have paid off nicely. Orphan Industries was the 2007 recipient of the BDC Canadian Innovation Award for Productivity Improvement.

Prior to DFB Group, Sean served as Regional Vice President with Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters (CME). At CME, Sean worked directly with firms to train and coach towards lean, continuous improvement and best practice adoption. As Vice President of the Newfoundland and Labrador Division of CME, he helped firms with advocacy, profile, marketing, export and systems.

Alex Corbett
Operations Manager, Extreme East Rigging Services Ltd.

Alex Corbett has more than 30 years of experience in the rigging and lifting business. He has spent the past 15 years building companies from the ground up and has been active in the growth of several small businesses, including Newfoundland Sling Limited, CFM Rigging and Industrial Sales Limited, and most recently, Extreme East Rigging Services. Well respected by clients and partners, Alex has been instrumental to the continued success of Extreme East, where has been Operations Manager since 2005. From 2003 to 2005, he was Owner/Operator of Extreme East. Alex has been in a management role with the company since it was founded in 1994 at Arnold's Cove during the early stages of the Hibernia project.

Jerry Byrne
Vice Chairman, Board of Directors

Jerry is the former CEO of DFB Group and is a recognized entrepreneur with more than 25 years of experience building companies from the ground up. Jerry has established several successful Newfoundland and Labrador companies, including SEA Systems Limited and its affiliates, Glamox Canada Limited, Navalco Canada Limited and Cantech Systems Limited. He also launched several companies in the United States, where he lived for 7 years. Jerry has extensive experience in the areas of budgeting, materials selection, sub-contracting, joint ventures, strategic alliance formation, operations and best practices.

In the past few years, Jerry has been named a Top 50 CEO by Atlantic Business Magazine, and is a past winner of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award at both the provincial and regional levels. Jerry is a well-recognized figure in the local oil and gas industry and is the immediate Past Chair of the Newfoundland & Labrador Oil & Gas Industries Association (NOIA).