Peter Tanchak and Kevin Tsang: Distinguished Young Pipeliner Awards 2019

At the 2019 YPAC Conference, Peter Tanchak and Kevin Tsang were presented with the 2019 Distinguished Young Pipeliner Awards.

From left: Molly Beckel (awards organizer), Peter Tanchak, and Kevin Tsang

Both Peter and Kevin have supported YPAC since its founding in 2012.

Peter

Peter is an avid golfer, a strong addition to the attributes of being a pipeliner, a master organizer, is a co-founder of YPAC, a Past-President of YPAC, a Past YPAC VP and currently a YPAC Board Advisor, and has organized over 5 YPAC golf tournaments since 2012, tournaments that have typically occurred just before the kick-off of IPC. The tournament has been critical to the organizational and financial sustainability of the YPAC as it was its first fundraiser. Peter manages the inner organization of YPAC, from developing and implementing the initial sponsorship model that is used by YPAC today to the development and maintenance of the current website edition. Peter was also a Master of Ceremonies of the very first edition of the YPAC Pipeline Conference in 2015, which drew in over 150 participants.

Peter was instrumental with the initiation and continued relationship between YPAC and CEPA Foundation, assisting with the development of the foundational YPAC value proposition and strategy to bring the initiatives of both organizations synergistically together. Most notably, Peter created and maintained the first pipeline industrywide mentorship program, developing over 150 mentoring relationships that not only spring boarded knowledge transfer and career development for young pipeliners, but also gave senior pipeliners an opportunity to understand and give back to the young pipeliner community.

Peter was the founding chair of young pipeliners international (YPI), bringing together the Brazilian, Canadian, Australian and American young pipeliner communities. He was the mastermind behind the first version of the MoU between each of these organizations, setting the stage for global growth of young pipeliner organizations abroad, such as YPP Europe, YPP Nigeria, and YPP Mexico.

Kevin

Kevin is a strategist, is a co-founder of YPAC and Treasurer, a Past YPAC VP and currently is a YPAC Board Advisor, and has assisted with the development and implementation of YPAC’s current vision and mission statements, and has a strong intuition of knowing the best decisions to make at the right time. He built the organization from the ground up attracting young pipeliners to see the value of YPAC and has found ways to align their personal development goals to growing YPAC’s reach. • Kevin has a strong ability to grow organizations through relationship nurturing and growth, seeding what are the current relationships between YPAC and each of CEPA ‘proper’, Young Women in Energy, ASME Pipeline Systems Division, International Pipeline Conference, Banff Pipeline Workshop and Queens University. Many of these relationships have proven invaluable to YPAC, including the current integration of YPAC into IPC, as well as both ASME PSD and CEPA’s unwavering support of YPAC.  

Kevin likes to encourage and develop other young pipeliners, assisting them with strategy development and implementation, challenging them to think broadly, and to come up with yearly plans that jive with finances, growth, strategy and internal capability. He has managed YPAC’s finances since its founding, ensuring YPAC maintains positive cash flow. He also assisted with the initial set-up of YPP USA, YPAC’s American counterpart, that has also transformed into a wildly successful organization, like YPAC.

Both Peter and Kevin

Both Peter and Kevin established YPAC’s initial government engagement, with the first YPAC appearance in front of the Canadian Senate in 2016, discussing the importance of the pipeline industry to young pipeliners, as well as expressing why YPAC was formed in the first place – a forum for young pipeliners to develop their careers, gain knowledge and build their networks.

Both are very worthy of recognition and it has been long overdue.