Winnipeg Business Leaders Discuss Faith and Leadership 

Audience seated in a modern lecture hall listening to a speaker at a podium near the front-right corner under glass walls and ceiling lights.

What does responsible and hopeful leadership look like in uncertain times? How can faith shape good leadership when the path forward is complex? 

Speaker at a wooden podium addressing a panel of three seated on stools, a large blue abstract painting behind them.

Those questions were at the heart of an October 2 gathering at Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) in Winnipeg, where panelists and participants explored them with thoughtfulness and candor. 

Presented by MEDA and host CMU, the event drew about 150 people, including members of the local business community, MEDA supporters, and students from CMU’s Redekop School of Business. 

The panel featured Heidi Reimer-Epp, former CEO and co-founder of Botanical PaperWorks Inc.; David Wiens, president of Dairy Farmers of Canada; and Mike Friesen, CEO of Elmer’s Manufacturing. 

Panelists reflected on their paths in business and discussed leadership, resilience, decision-making, and the role of faith during times of uncertainty. Participants continued the conversation through small-group discussions and an open-mic question period, with opportunities to connect before and after the event. 

Aaron Epp, business reporter at the Winnipeg Free Press, moderated the discussion. CMU President Cheryl Pauls and MEDA’s Randy Sawatzky also welcomed participants. 

Additional MEDA Network events are being planned for the Winnipeg area for spring 2027. 

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Six adults sit in a circle, smiling and talking in a lobby with a wooden wall and staircase in the background.
Author
  • MEDA is an international economic development organization that creates business solutions to poverty. We work in agri-food market systems, focusing primarily on women and youth in rural communities in the Global South. Our success is measured by income, improved processes, increased knowledge, and the creation of decent work.

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