Alex Gierus, BSc, MBA | Denting the Universe

01 / THE ROLE

See the whole system. Deliver what matters.

Alex leads the technical direction of engagements, working with clients to turn complex requirements into clear plans and practical software. His experience spans business strategy and hands-on technology delivery: understanding how an organization works, what its people need, and how the pieces of a solution fit together.

That perspective is especially useful when a project crosses organizational boundaries—connecting applicants and administrators, shippers and carriers, or the equipment on a terminal site with the systems that record a transaction.

02 / ENTERPRISE & LOGISTICS

Technology where the real world is moving.

Alex co-founded VantEdge and previously served as a Vice President of Innovation at Petrotranz. VantEdge’s products address industrial terminal operations, commodity logistics and regulatory compliance. These are environments where software must work alongside equipment, established procedures and people who depend on timely, accurate information.

Across its product portfolio, VantEdge serves major pipeline and energy infrastructure organizations including Trans Mountain, South Bow, Pembina and TC Energy, as well as clients in agriculture, rail, trucking and utilities. VantEdge reports 75+ active clients and approximately 70% of the Canadian terminal market. These are VantEdge customer relationships and company-reported figures. Explore VantEdge’s customer stories ↗

Alex joined Petrotranz later as Vice President of Innovation, overseeing the design and deployment of new features in a product-management role. The company’s software codified Western Canada’s pipeline-nomination workflows. Petrotranz reported over 1,400 registered companies as of January 2020, and its published history documents implementations for operators including Pembina and Gibson Energy. These are Petrotranz’s historical figures and customer relationships; Alex’s experience comes from his role within that organization. Explore the Petrotranz case study ↗

Alex is a co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of Trusted Dispatch, a marketplace connecting heavy-equipment shippers and carriers. The work brings together the practical complexity of transportation and the design challenge of making a specialized process easier to navigate.

This experience includes our principals’ work with these products through VantEdge and Trusted Dispatch, the respective product organizations.

03 / PROGRAMS & PEOPLE

Innovation and government initiatives.

Alex has secured millions of dollars in venture funding for innovative businesses, bringing first-hand experience connecting technology, commercial strategy and investment.

Alex’s experience with innovation funding comes from direct participation as well as work on the systems that administer public programs. He has secured two TECTERRA BUILD funding awards at the highest funding level, and approximately six grants through the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP), primarily through its main project funding programs. His experience also includes Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) tax credits and familiarity with the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).

Earlier in his career, Alex was a grant and business planning consultant with Vencom, working on funding strategies that included grants and venture capital. A number of technologies supported through Vencom were commercialized and ultimately sold or exited. That experience brings a practical understanding of moving innovation from a technical idea toward a viable business.

From public programs to community impact.

Alex’s background includes government and Canadian National Railway, bringing a perspective shaped by large organizations as well as entrepreneurial ventures. Denting the Universe’s work on methane programs for Modern West Advisory and Carbon Connect International adds experience with applications, program rules and multi-party workflows.

He is also a longtime volunteer and leader with the Calgary Youth Science Fair Society and is involved with the Canada-Wide Science Fair. The Society’s platform connects students, schools, judges, volunteers and organizers—a different kind of complex system, built around a shared educational mission.

04 / PERSPECTIVE

Sharing ideas across disciplines.

Alex has spoken at technology, geospatial and economics conferences, bringing together perspectives from software, innovation and the wider business environment.

A bridge between ideas and execution.

Alex holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from the University of Calgary and an MBA in Technology Transfer from the University of Alberta. Together, those disciplines reflect an approach that considers the technical details and the purpose behind them: what a solution needs to do, who it serves, and how it will work in practice.