{"id":5,"date":"2021-12-22T01:37:17","date_gmt":"2021-12-22T01:37:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mason.ca\/?page_id=5"},"modified":"2026-09-14T09:38:21","modified_gmt":"2026-09-14T16:38:21","slug":"5-2","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/mason.ca\/","title":{"rendered":""},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div style=\"height:1px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns alignwide are-vertically-aligned-center is-style-default has-link-color is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-3a88641f wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"270\" src=\"https:\/\/mason.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Richard-Mason-BCUC-photo-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-82\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\">\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"line-height:1.5\">Richard Mason is a former Commissioner at the BC Utilities Commission, and an experienced leader of corporate transformation projects. His 40-year career has spanned entrepreneurship, consulting, corporate leadership and public service. He is now the editor of <a href=\"https:\/\/justandreasonable.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Just and Reasonable<\/a>, a web site dedicated to promoting good governance in BC&#8217;s energy sector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Previously, Richard held executive leadership roles at Pacific Blue Cross and Health Insurance BC, where he successfully led projects characterized by high visibility, organizational complexity and tight deadlines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"line-height:1.5\">Richard began his career in information technology, later founding two IT consulting businesses. He has led numerous IT-related projects, including some of the earliest internet commerce businesses in Vancouver.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"line-height:1.5\">Richard holds a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Arts (Mathematics and Computing Science) from Cambridge University. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\">Recent experience<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns alignwide has-orange-background-color has-background is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-3a88641f wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column has-medium-font-size is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">As a decision-maker at the BCUC, Richard adjudicated applications such as <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.bcuc.com\/Documents\/Other\/2021\/DOC_63154_G-187-21-BCH-F2022-RRA-Final-Order-Decision-Public_Redacted.pdf\">BC Hydro&#8217;s F2022 $5.2 billion revenue requirement<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.bcuc.com\/Documents\/Orders\/2021\/DOC_63276_C-2-21-FEI-Pattullo-Gas-Line-Replacement-CPCN-Decision-Final-Order.pdf\">FortisBC Energy Inc.&#8217;s $175 million replacement of the Pattullo Bridge gas line<\/a>, and the <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.bcuc.com\/documents\/wp-content\/11\/11-01-2017-BCUC-Site-C-Inquiry-Final-Report.pdf\">Site C Inquiry<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">All BCUC decisions require commissioners to apply their independent judgement and to act in the public interest.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">As a panel chair, Richard oversaw the adjudication process, balancing administrative law principles with regulatory efficiency. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">The panel chair ensures that public interest issues are raised and examined, panel members are supported in their deliberations, and decisions are clearly written. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Richard enjoys volunteering as a mentor and coach, and has mentored founders of early-stage start-ups, aspiring mid-level managers, post-graduate students and recent immigrants to Canada. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\">Projects<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns alignwide has-red-background-color has-background is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-3a88641f wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Richard served as project director for the <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/docs.bcuc.com\/documents\/wp-content\/11\/11-01-2017-BCUC-Site-C-Inquiry-Final-Report.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">BCUC&#8217;s Site C Inquiry<\/a>, in addition to being on the commission panel. This independent inquiry examined the implications of completing, suspending or terminating construction of the Site C dam in northern BC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">The three-month inquiry included the development of two expert reports, province-wide public consultation with 963 attendees and 290 speakers, written submissions, and a 188-page final report.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Richard was the project director responsible for the successful launch of BC&#8217;s 8-1-1 service, which provides non-emergency health information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">The six-month project involved the creation of an entirely new 24-hour call centre, including staffing, office space, health protocols and information databases.   <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">As project director and founding president and MAXIMUS BC, Richard led the transition of BC&#8217;s Medical Service Plan and PharmaCare administration to a private sector supplier under the Health Insurance BC brand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">The service required a new call centre to be built in a 45,000 square foot facility with new desktop and network technology, while meeting the government&#8217;s strictest privacy requirements for personal health data. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">200 government employees transferred to the new business with no interruption in service. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:1px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:39px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Richard Mason is a former Commissioner at the BC Utilities Commission, and an experienced leader of corporate transformation projects. His 40-year career has spanned entrepreneurship, consulting, corporate leadership and public service. He is now the editor of Just and Reasonable, a web site dedicated to promoting good governance in BC&#8217;s energy sector. Previously, Richard held [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-5","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mason.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mason.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mason.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mason.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mason.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5"}],"version-history":[{"count":83,"href":"https:\/\/mason.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":366,"href":"https:\/\/mason.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5\/revisions\/366"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mason.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}