Leadership Team

Cal Wenzel is CEO/CVO of the Shane Homes Group of Companies. Back in 1979, Cal founded Shane Homes alongside his partner Barry Basillie. His business commitment is to maintain the best reputation for building quality homes, continuously improving, and satisfying his customers. Over the last three decades, Cal has served as president of several home building associations, partnered in other home building and land development companies, served on numerous charity boards, and was honoured by his contemporaries with awards and other recognitions. Cal was inducted in 2016 into Calgary's Business Hall of Fame to recognize his lifetime achievements in business, entrepreneurial spirit and philanthropic contributions. Cal has been a lifelong fan of dogs and has two loving poodles that his family has deemed the "attack poodles."

Shane is the President of the Shane Homes Group of Companies and the namesake. Shane's responsibilities include strategic direction for the companies, policy advice for the building industry through BILD Calgary, and political involvement through the Alberta Enterprise Group on the economy, making him an industry leader in his field. Shane's sales and marketing background comes from growing up with two entrepreneurial parents, Cal and Edith, and participating in a business advisory group. On the personal side, Shane considers himself a bit of a "tech junky" and social media influencer on various platforms. He's also proudly apart of the LGBTQ community.

Dave Rickett is the VP of Operations and genuinely loves working in the home building industry. Over the past 40 years Dave has overseen many departments within the Shane Homes Group of Companies. Currently, Dave oversees numerous departments such as Estimating, Construction, Drafting, and Service. Dave leads our developer relations and lot purchases. He values family and appreciates the fact that he gets to work so closely with them! He is also a self-proclaimed golf professional and is quite the travel bug for warm locations.

Sharlene Rickett is the VP of Administration and has been with Shane Homes since 1992. In her first fifteen years, she served in the Customer Service and VP Administration role.  She has a straight shooter style, get it done mindset and learn from your mistakes attitude that has helped her. Shar believes that having a purpose, a connection, and personal fulfillment from contributing to its missions is rewarding to her career.
Shar's family has steadily increased in size and now has two outstanding grandchildren. She also loves to hang out with her friends and share in the laughter. Sharlene's favourite quote is "Be a rainbow in someone else's cloud" – Maya Angelou.

After ten years working as a planning consultant, Brenden jumped at the chance to work for the Shane Homes Group of Companies. As the General Manager of Land Development, Brenden brings a wealth of knowledge and passion for building communities to Shane Homes. His drive to build relationships with our developers, builders, consultants, and contractors leads to the strong delivery of projects. Brenden loves to grow and maintain his impressive beard when not working, even though it makes him look older than he is. At the office, Brenden enjoys bringing selections of his awesome vinyl collection to spin for his workmates.

 

Kevin Taylor is passionate about his role as General Manager of Shane Multi-Family.
He has a firm commitment to customer satisfaction and service, which is the main factor in our industry. Kevin can be found sourcing out new properties for development or reviewing potential projects' financial analysis during the day. When on vacation, Kevin's other passion is scuba diving down at the famous Lanai Cathedrals Lava Shoots off Maui's crystal-clear waters.

 

Melanie Gowans thoroughly enjoys her role as General Manager of Marketing and Sales. She brings a wealth of knowledge with her and is responsible for leading the marketing, sales, and interior design teams. She has a strong passion for the home building industry and especially enjoys guiding others to build the home of their dreams. Only 37 years young with a heavy addiction to 70’s music, Melanie loves to have a good laugh and enjoys a classic comedy.
 

As General Manager of Finance, Kayt Burren oversees the financial reporting and risk management functions across the Shane Homes Group of Companies. She supports the team with her strong background in financial analysis, compliance, and knowledge of private corporate structures. She believes in the benefit of remaining deeply curious throughout life and jumps at the opportunity to learn new skills. When Kayt is away from the office, this born and raised Calgarian loves to wander the beautiful city with her mischievous (but adorable) puppy.

Mark Albertin joined Shane Homes in 2007 as an Architectural Technologist. His hard work and dedication did not go unnoticed as he was promoted to Drafting & Design Team Lead in 2016, and to his most recent promotion of Manager of Drafting & Design in 2019.  Prior to working at Shane Homes, he gained industry experience by working on the designs of residential remodels and working construction on high rise buildings in downtown Calgary. From a young age Mark has had an interest in art and design, which has earned him several awards.  He pursued a career in the field he loved, completing his education at SAIT earning a Diploma in Architectural Technologies with a focus in Building Development Technology.  Mark strives to bring a unique feel to the Shane product line through the use of quality materials, strong colors and bold design elements

Paul comes to Shane Homes with more than 20 years accounting experience at the senior level and brings home building experience with him.  He worked as the corporate controller at a company in Calgary in the mid-2000s and a home building company in the United Kingdom in the 1990s. Included in his background is managing an accounting team as CFO for a technology company in Calgary and just prior to joining Shane Homes, was an accounting professional recruitment manager with Robert Half. He is originally from the UK and he tells us he was once told by a colleague he was the only accountant with a personality.

Nabeal started his managerial career in the hospitality industry at the young age of 21. After getting married, he shifted his career focus to find a job in estimating with a small Calgary home builder. After gaining 8 years of industry experience in purchasing and cost control, he proudly joined the Shane Homes’ team in 2014. His responsibilities include building relationships with trades and suppliers to ensure the Shane standards of quality and craftsmanship are met, while keeping the company’s costs within budget. Nabeal’s ambition and dedication to the success of the company led to his promotion to Team Lead of Purchasing & Cost Control in 2017 and eventually to Purchasing & Estimating Manager in 2018.

Daryl has been working in the construction industry for the past 25 years. Starting with Shane Homes in 1994 as a Construction Assistant his ambition to succeed helped him to climb the ranks within the company. Throughout his years with Shane, Daryl has worked in several job roles including Service Technician, Project Manager, Safety Manager, and to his current position of Construction Manager. His responsibilities include managing the daily operations in the field and overseeing the service department to ensure the company’s quality standards are met. Daryl has passion for safe practices in the workplace and he continues to manage the Shane Homes Group of Companies’ safety program.

Liz Lipton is the Customer Experience Manager here at Shane Homes and began her career in the homebuilding industry in 2007. Liz brings with her a wealth of industry knowledge and a passion for providing each and every one of our homeowners with an experience that is nothing short of exceptional.
While you’re busy ironing out the final details, Liz and her team are getting ready to help your new house feel like a home. As someone who “sweats the small stuff”, no question or detail is too big or too small. Ensuring our homeowner’s feel cared for from the time they meet our sales team until years down the road is her top priority. She is responsible for the overarching customer experience provided by Shane Homes and is thrilled to work alongside a team brimming with knowledge, ambition, and a genuine interest in delighting those who trust us to build their homes. A professional friend maker, full time 90’s music aficionado and number one fan of the homebuilding industry, you can count on her to make your journey with Shane Homes a memorable one from start to finish.

James Purcell oversees the daily financial reporting and accounting activity for the Multi Family and Land Development divison within the Shane Homes Group of Companies. James’ brings a wealth of knowledge in financial reporting and tax compliance from his previous role in public practice. He values Shane Homes commitment to providing customers with high quality products as well as building strong relationships with all the stakeholders in the industry. During his spare time you can often find James tearing down the edge of a mountain on either a snowboard or mountain bike!