ABOUT
At De Paoli & Associates, our mission is to support Agribusinesses, to help them to start, grow and thrive.
To achieve our mission, we offer consulting services to Agribusinesses to help them to turn ideas into reality and to remove barriers in the process. We advocate for Agribusinesses with governing bodies, help find grants to make ideas a reality, help drive projects to the next level and promote good governance to allow for lasting success.
We enjoy the opportunity to speak and lecture across North America to a wide variety of audiences, both in the Agricultural sector and to businesses and non profits.
We are problem solvers, negotiators, facilitators and knowledge sharers. In a nutshell, we are doers who help our clients achieve measurable results.
Anna De Paoli, CMC, ICD.D
President
Michaela Frey
Associate
Anna is a Certified Management Consultant, and Corporate Director, who specializes in commercial negotiation in the Agriculture sector. Her negotiation experience ranges from small business transactions to multi billion-dollar supply agreements.
She is a Director at Big Marble Farms, Alberta’s largest vegetable greenhouse as well as a Director for Future Fuel, a power generation and composting operation and is President of ATCO Future Fuel RNG L.P who are developing a renewable natural gas project in Two Hills Alberta.
Prior to her consulting career, Anna spent 10 years working internationally for Shell in Canada, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK. She was involved in commodities trading and supply chain management for a wide range of refined products and biofuels.
Anna is an active volunteer in the local community, she is the Past President of the Millarville Racing & Agricultural Society, one of the oldest Agricultural Societies in Canada as well as Co-Chair of the annual Millarville Races. She is also Co-Chair of the Institute of Corporate Directors Calgary Chapter executive.
She has volunteered in the not for profit sector for 10 years and was awarded the Foothills 150 medal for service to the community by John Barlow MP.
Michaela is an experienced, dedicated advocate and skilled communicator committed to helping her clients tell their stories. Whether it be communicating with government officials to secure new grant funding or policy change, media training for executives, or navigating a crisis, she is here to help you grow and succeed.
She brings over 10 years of combined experience in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors. She was previously elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly, representing the “rurban” constituency of Brooks-Medicine Hat where she secured millions of dollars in funding as a result of her successful advocacy. Most recently, she served in the Office of Premier Danielle Smith as her Senior Advisor, as well as Chief of Staff in the Premier's ministry of Intergovernmental Relations.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Lethbridge and is nearing completion of a Master of Arts in Communications from Arizona State University.
In her spare time, you can find Michaela volunteering as a member of the board of directors with the Medicine Hat Rootcellar (Foodbank), HALO Air Ambulance and the South Eastern Alberta Chamber of Commerce’s Business Advisory Council.
She was awarded the Queen Elizabeth Platinum Jubilee Medal in 2022 for her service to the Province of Alberta and was nominated by community members for a Women In Business Inspire Award (2018).
"Anna and DPA Consulting have been instrumental to the growth of Big Marble Farms. Anna has helped our business manage the construction of a new 6MW cogeneration station and has been our voice at the negotiating table with ongoing power contracts and purchase agreements. She ensures that we fulfill our obligations from a regulatory, reporting, and compliance standpoint, and offers needed advice as we develop our organizational structure.
Anna brings clarity and perspective. She is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to business development and government relations. With Anna, we have no doubt that our voice is heard and that we are represented fairly. I cannot recommend her enough.”
David Hoekstra, General Manager
Big Marble Farms