Chelsie Klassen

Director, WPC Energy Canada
Chelsie Klassen

Chelsie Klassen

Director, WPC Energy Canada

Chelsie, an experienced social performance leader and consultant from small-town Canada, prioritizes stakeholder engagement and community connection in her work across energy, metals, and infrastructure sectors. As the Global Director of Community Engagement and Social Performance at Hatch, she leads a team spanning six countries, delivering projects worldwide for her clients. Recognized as a Rising Star in oil and gas and a UN Innovator, she values personal connections and cultural experiences, reflected in her collection of local art.
Long version:

Chelsie, an ‘S’ in ESG leader with experience in communications, social performance, and stakeholder engagement across the energy, metals, and infrastructure sectors, draws inspiration from her humble beginnings in small-town Canada. Her upbringing instilled in her a deep sense of connection to community, which she channels into her work by prioritizing active listening and integrating stakeholder feedback into major project designs. With a proactive and empathetic approach, Chelsie ensures that local cultural traditions are respected and social risks are effectively managed.

Currently serving as the Global Director of Community Engagement and Social Performance within Hatch’s Environment and Sustainability consulting team, Chelsie oversees a team of consulting professionals spread across six countries. In this role, she spearheads initiatives to support the social performance of infrastructure, metals, and energy projects for clients worldwide. Her prior experience encompasses media relations, communications planning, external relations and land negotiations. She serves on the Board of WPCe Canada (formerly World Petroleum Congress Canada).
Recognized for her leadership and contributions to the industry, Chelsie has received accolades such as being named a Rising Star in the oil and natural gas industry by Oilweek magazine in 2016, and being honored as a United Nations (UN) Innovator by the UN Global Compact in 2021. She was also nominated for the prestigious 2023 Sustainability Leader of the Year award by Environment Analyst.

In addition to her professional achievements, Chelsie values personal connections and cultural experiences. She takes pride in collecting local art pieces from her travels, including an Inuvialuit jacket from her time working in the Northwest Territories, Canada, and a painting depicting traditional gathering of bush medicines by the Numina sisters from the Northern Territory, Australia. These serve as reminders of the diverse communities she has engaged with throughout her career.