- Born
- February 25, 1962 — High River, Alberta, Canada
- Education
- Attended Mount Royal College (now called Mount Royal University), and the University of Calgary
- Career
- President/CEO and founder of Western Financial Group (formerly Hi-Alta Capital Inc.)
- Political Experience
- Elected as a senator-in-waiting in the 2012 Alberta Senate nominee election, and appointed to the Senate following the retirement of Senator Bert Brown on March 22, 2013. Leader of the Canadian Senators Group.
- Notable
- Son of Donald Tannas, a school teacher/principal and Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, serving as Deputy Speaker and Christine Tannas, a nurse.
Based on publicly available information — may contain inaccuracies
Business & Financial Interests
Before his appointment to the Senate in 2013, Scott Tannas had a long career in business. He is the founder and former CEO of Western Financial Group Inc., a major insurance and financial services company based in High River, Alberta. He grew the company from a single small-town brokerage into a large network. After stepping down as CEO of Western Financial Group, he founded and serves as the Vice-Chairman of The Western Investment Company of Canada Limited, which focuses on acquiring and growing businesses in Western Canada. According to his Senate disclosures, he holds significant investments in this company. He also has reported interests in his family's ranching operation.
Key Relationships & Connections
Senator Tannas is most known for being the founder of the Canadian Senators Group (CSG), a non-partisan caucus formed in 2019. He served as its first leader. The group was created to provide an independent, less partisan alternative to the traditional Liberal and Conservative caucuses in the Senate. His key relationships are with the other senators who joined him in establishing this group. He was appointed to the Senate by former Prime Minister Stephen Harper. As a prominent Alberta businessman before his appointment, he has connections within the province's business community.