Wayne Gatien
President
Born and raised in Fort William / Port Arthur (Thunder Bay). Wayne attended the University of Guelph and has a diploma in Agriculture. He also attended Power Line Apprentice training at the Ontario Hydro School in Orangeville and is a Journeyman Power Lineman.
Wayne joined PowerTel full time in 1975. He worked through the ranks until purchasing the company and becoming president of PowerTel in 1986. Wayne is also President of PowerTel USA, a design-build company specializing in high voltage that performs contracts in the North-eastern United States.
President of Ocona Power, a Peruvian company that invested in private power in Peru started in 1992 when the power system in Peru was privatized. Wayne also assisted in starting Cobalt Power, a private generating company in Northern Ontario.
He has owned and operated a heavy haul float company ETI and an equipment leasing company P & W Equipment.
Wayne is President of Pouvoir Nord, a Quebec based electrical energy transmission company.
Wayne is married, has 5 children and his favourite pastime is flying the company airplane to the worksites or to go snowboarding.
Dean G. Gatien
Director of Purchased Services,
Safety and Quality
Dean Gatien is the Vice President and Director of Purchased Services at PowerTel Utilities Contractors Limited. He leads his company in items of Safety, Quality, Environmental Controls, Risk Management, Purchasing, Job Planning, Job Controls and Project Management.
He has been involved at PowerTel for 26 years in the construction and maintenance of transmission lines, substations, distribution systems and generation systems for Public & Private Utilities, Mining, Forestry, Industry, Remote Communities and First Nations Communities.
He has been an owner for 20 years and is recognized for numerous contributions in the industry on trade boards and safety organizations.
Michael Krueger
Director of Operations
Raised in Whitefish while attending high school and university in Sudbury, Michael worked part-time at PowerTel in the office and field. After a short stint working as a field geologist assistant for Inco, Michael joined PowerTel full time in 1989 as an apprentice Power Lineman, attending the MEA training center in Orangeville to become a Journeyman Power Lineman in 1993.
Michael continued on at PowerTel, becoming a Foreman and then General Foreman during construction of one of PowerTel's largest projects to date, a 270 km 115 kV powerline and associated substations built over two winter seasons along the James Bay Coast to connect the towns of Fort Albany, Kashechewan and Attawapiskat to the grid in Moosonee.
Upon retirement of his father Herb Krueger in 2002, Michael became an owner and Vice President at PowerTel and is now the Director of Operations, overseeing projects from Ontario to the Atlantic Provinces and the Northeastern US under PowerTel USA.
Michael is married with 2 children and resides in Sudbury. He enjoys boating, skiing and travelling with his family.
Chris Krueger
Director of Business Development
Chris is Secretary Treasurer of PowerTel as well as Director of Business Development since 2001 when he became an owner of the business. Chris started part time at PowerTel in 1981 and eventually joined the firm full time in 1989 working in a variety of roles of purchasing and estimating.
As Director of Business Development, Chris is tasked with looking after PowerTel’s interaction with new and existing clients for high voltage line and station installations, equipment rentals and tender / RFP submittals as well as being senior estimator for the various projects being bid / tendered on.
Chris is President of the Electrical Contractors Association of Northern Ontario as well as a Board Member of the Electrical Contractors Association of Ontario.
Chris is married with 3 children and enjoys traveling to new places where projects are located.
Frank Kirwan
Comptroller
Frank joined the firm in April 1979 and is comptroller of the PowerNorth group of companies which includes PowerTel, PowerTel USA Inc. and PowerTraxx Vehicles Inc.
A graduate of Laurentian University, a term in politics as a municipal councillor and numerous years convening & coaching minor sports and community associations; compliment Frank's role in the organization as relationship manager to professional services & financial institutions.
Married with two children, Frank is an avid golfer and currently sits on the Board of Direcors for the Idylwylde Golf & Country Club.