SASKATOONEXPRESS - May 8-14, 2017 - Page 1 Volume 16, Issue 18, Week of May 8, 2017
Saskatoonʼs REAL Community Newspaper
The Chamber’s new CEO
F Vi lee e i Pa tn ng ge a 17 m
Darla Lindbjerg well prepared for position Joanne Paulson Saskatoon Express arla Lindbjerg has tested the limits of work-life balance. There was a time when she was working for a regional housing authority; putting in 30 hours a week as a business analyst in Regina; leading the Swift Current United Way at 50 hours a week; and taking a full-time slate of classes, majoring in finance, at the University of Regina. She also already had her three kids. The youngest was two. To an outsider, the math doesn’t add up. Are there that many hours in a week? How was that possible? “Well, I did it,” said Lindbjerg in an interview. “I like to think I’m a good multi-tasker. I got to the point where I realized, this is my limit. It was a good moment for me, because I realized how much I could take on; but at the same time, it taught me a lesson that I need to watch it. I need to look after myself, because you can only take so much mentally before you let things go. “I never did let things go, but I realized that point where if I would have pushed any further, it wouldn’t have worked. So running two organizations for six months was easy.” She was referring to the time when she also simultaneously served as CEO of the Swift Current Chamber of Commerce and ran the United Way. Now, Lindbjerg is the new CEO of the Greater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce. She took over the top job on May 1, and if her past work life is any indication, she has the energy to fill the shoes of retiring Kent Smith-Windsor. “It’s definitely a big honour to walk into his shoes,” she said. “I’ve known Kent for years. I come from the chamber world; I ran the chamber in Swift Current, and I’ve been involved there for well
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Darla Lindbjerg became the CEO of the Greater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce on May 1. (Photo by Joanne Paulson) over a decade,” including a stint as board president. “I would bump into Kent at events, and we would have conversations. I’ve always had a lot of respect for him. He has a lot of knowledge . . . and particular knowledge around certain topics like tax differentials. “If you have someone who understands what they’re talking about when it comes to those topics, it’s a lot easier to get results and it’s a lot more effective.” She regards Smith-Windsor as a mentor, as well as John Hopkins at the Regina chamber and Steve McLellan at the Saskatchewan chamber. Backing up her experience are an MBA from the Kenneth Levene Graduate School of
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How do you say “ Thank You”? Joi n us i n s ayi ng “ T hank You” to our nur ses for t he e xcep ti onal care t hey prov i de every day to pa ti en t s and t hei r f ami l i es a t Royal Univer sity Hospit al . One w ay you can s ay “ T hank You” for t he care you received i s to consi der mak i ng a dona ti on In Honour o f a nur se to suppor t Pro fessi onal Devel opmen t t r ai ni ng and schol ar shi ps . Your suppor t s ave s l ive s . Dona t e t oday .
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Business at the U of R, a chartered director designation through The Director’s College, DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University, a Bachelor of Business Administration degree with a major in finance as well as a Public Relations Certificate, both from the U of R. Lindbjerg comes to Saskatoon directly from her position as associate vice-president at Innovation Credit Union, which headhunted her and took her away from the Swift Current Chamber. Innovation is the third largest credit union in the province, after Conexus and Affinity, with 22 advice centres and almost $3 billion in assets. Lindbjerg’s position crossed many portfolios, from marketing to human resources.
“It was one of the most interesting roles I could have attained at the organization, because I touched every different aspect,” she said. “But when the opportunity came up for the chamber here, I couldn’t pass it up. The chamber is my passion, it’s my love, it’s what I enjoy doing. I love working with businesses; I love working with entrepreneurs. They are forward thinking, they are out-of-the-box thinkers, they want to make their community better. It’s just the best environment you could wish for in terms of a role.” Jason Yochim, outgoing chamber president, was instrumental in selecting Lindbjerg for the CEO position. (Continued on page 7)