Growth doesn’t just happen because of opportunity, it happens because of the people who are ready to lead through it.
Focusing on intentional growth, BQE has expanded its leadership team with three new roles that reflect where we’re headed and how we want to get there. As we continue to grow, we know that long term success depends on investing in expertise, experience, and people who care deeply about doing thoughtful, meaningful work.
We’re excited to introduce Alexandra Rutherford, Cristian Matus, and Sheldon McKee, three leaders who bring distinct strengths, shared values, and a collaborative mindset that mirrors BQE’s commitment to sustainability, innovation, and working better together.
Alexandra Rutherford: Helping People Grow with Intention
Alexandra joins BQE as Director of Talent Development, bringing more than 15 years of experience as a certified HR professional, team performance coach, and transformation expert.
At the heart of Alexandra’s work is a belief that when people have access to the right learning opportunities, leadership tools, and career pathways, they don’t just perform better, they thrive. Her focus is on creating programs that are thoughtful, inclusive, and grounded in real world needs, helping individuals build skills and confidence at every stage of their careers.
Outside of work, Alexandra practices what she preaches when it comes to growth. Whether she’s on a yoga mat, hiking in the forest, or exploring the latest thinking in neuroscience, she’s continually learning, bringing that curiosity back into her work. She’s passionate about connecting people to the experiences and resources that help unlock their potential, leading to a strong culture of learning and development.
Sheldon McKee: Making Safety Practical, Reliable, and Real
Sheldon joins BQE as Director, Environmental Health & Safety bringing more than 20 years of experience across oil and gas, heavy construction, industrial construction, manufacturing, and other high risk environments.
A senior occupational health and safety professional, Sheldon specializes in risk management, regulatory compliance, and hazard identification, with a strong focus on building safety systems that work in the real world. His background includes developing clear, effective safety programs for complex operations, supporting audit readiness, and helping organizations meet both legal and operational demands with confidence.
Sheldon’s professional credentials, including CRSP, RCSO, CMSE, and CSS designations, reflect deep technical expertise, but what truly sets him apart is his ability to turn regulations into practical systems teams can understand, trust, and use every day. His approach strengthens safety culture by making expectations clear, processes consistent, and accountability shared.
Cristian Matus: Addressing Market Gaps and Replicating Success in Latin America
Cristian joins as LATAM market lead, with over 15 years of experience in business development and sales across the mining, industrial, and engineering sectors. His background includes leading commercial strategies, managing projects, and optimizing sales processes that drive sustainable growth, not just short term wins. He is known for his ability to build long term, trust based relationships with customers.
Having grown up in the mining community in Calama, and his father working for Codelco operations, Cristian has mining in his blood and his personal and professional success reflects the success of this industry in South America. With extensive experience in water treatment projects in Chile and across Latin America, Cristian brings deep regional knowledge and hands on understanding of the operational and environmental challenges facing clients today. His goal will be to replicate BQE’s success achieved in North America in the rapidly growing Latin America market.
Leadership That Reflects Our Values
While Alexandra, Cristian, and Sheldon each bring unique expertise, they share qualities that matter deeply at BQE: collaboration, clarity, and a commitment to sustainable, long-term thinking.
Together, their leadership strengthens how we develop our people, how we grow in global markets, how we operate safely and responsibly. More importantly, it reinforces our belief that strong leadership is not about hierarchy, it’s about enabling others, making thoughtful decisions, and building systems that support people and performance over the long haul.
We’re proud to welcome Alexandra, Cristian, and Sheldon to the BQE leadership team and excited for the effect their experience, insight, and passion will have on the company.
