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Karen Ogen is the CEO of the First Nations Natural Gas Alliance, a society of First Nations in support of responsible natural gas and LNG development in Canada – with a priority on the environment, and on First Nations consultation, engagement, and partnership.

Karen brings extensive experience to her role, having served as elected chief of the Wet’suwet’en First Nation for six years, 2010-2016. She was also a council member for the Nation 1987-1990 and again 2019-2022.

She is familiar with the needs of Indigenous communities throughout B.C. and seeks to increase economic opportunities for First Nations through providing information and education regarding responsible resource development.

While Karen recognizes that not all projects will be appropriate for all nations, she hopes to help inspire more First Nations to consider and engage in discussions with industry and government around the possibility of resource opportunities.

She is a Senior Fellow of the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, a director of the Public Policy Forum, a member of the advisory committee of Resource Works (a leading voice in Canada’s natural-resource sector), and is a member of the advisory committee for the School of Social Work with the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC).

Karen’s academic background is in social work. She achieved her Master’s degree from UNBC in 2007, and graduated from the Indigenous Governance Certificate Program from the University of Victoria in 2010. In August 2022, she  successfully completed her the Masters in Business Administration program from Simon Fraser University in the Indigenous Business Leadership program.  She is the first in her family and community to attain two Master’s degrees.

Karen was named one of the “35 Most Influential Women in BC” in March 2016, by BC Business Magazine.  And she was elected in 2021 and 2022, as one of the Business in Vancouver BC 500: The most influential business leaders in British Columbia.