Big move, bigger opportunity

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This article was published 03/08/2017 (2998 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Yes! Winnipeg is searching for a new leader.

Vince Barletta, who replaced former Yes! Winnipeg leader Bill Morrissey in July 2015, is leaving the post early next month to become president and CEO of the St. Boniface Hospital Foundation.

Barletta said in an interview Wednesday he starts his new job after the Labour Day weekend. He said he hadn’t considered leaving Yes! Winnipeg until a recruiter contacted him and asked if he’d be interested in the foundation job. He called the foundation’s chairman, Neil Duboff — who he has worked with in the past — and was urged to apply.

“When you think about the opportunity that lies ahead, and you think about the tremendous success an organization like the St. Boniface Hospital Foundation could have… it was just too good an opportunity to pass up,” Barletta said. “And I’m glad I didn’t pass it up because I think we’ve got some incredible ground we can cover in the coming years.”

He noted the foundation, which has a staff of 22, has a long track record of success in raising money to support patient care and medical research at St. Boniface Hospital. Since its inception in 1971, more than 75,000 people have donated a total of $120 million through the foundation.

Barletta said he was also attracted by the fact the foundation embodies the same “spirit or community” that has helped make Yes! Winnipeg a success.

Yes! Winnipeg was launched in 2011 as an initiative of Economic Development Winnipeg (EDW). Its mandate is to attract, retain and expand businesses and jobs in the city.

EDW president and CEO Dayna Spiring said EDW officials will be sorry to see Barletta go.

“But it’s a great opportunity for him. He’s going to get the chance to run his own team and it’s a nice step for him,” she said. “We’re certainly going to miss him at Yes! Winnipeg, but we’re grateful for the contributions he has made.”

Spiring said the search for a replacement is still in the very early stages.

“We want to do it as soon as we can, but it’s important to me to get the quality that I want and to make sure I get someone that has the skill set I want,” she said. “I have a few people in mind and I think there is probably going to be some great candidates out there. We’re going to make sure we find the right one.”

Duboff said Barletta was chosen from a pool of more than 90 people who had expressed an interest in the job. Among the reasons he was chosen were his broad experience, his capacity to deal with technical matters, his communication skills and his understanding of what the foundation is trying to do and the importance of strategic planning.

“While it was a very difficult decision on who to select, it was clear that Vince was going to be the leader to take us to even stronger positions than we’ve had until now.”

Barletta replaces Chuck LaFleche, who had served as the foundation’s president and CEO for seven years.

“We were sorry to see him (LaFleche) go… but he’s got new opportunities (he wanted to pursue),” Duboff said.

The move to St. Boniface Hospital Foundation marks another major career shift for the one-time senior provincial government official and former two-term Brandon city councillor. Prior to joining Yes! Winnipeg, Barletta was director of community and economic development with the Government of Manitoba’s priorities and planning committee of cabinet.

He said one of the highlights of his two-year tenure as Yes! Winnipeg leader was working with Skip the Dishes. The Winnipeg firm was acquired last year by U.K.-based Just Eat for about $200-million and is growing to more than 500 employees in the city as it continues to expand its operations.

“That was the largest technology transaction in Canada… when they were purchased,” Barletta noted. “(It) put Winnipeg on the map in terms of business and high-tech — something we don’t always think about when we think about Winnipeg.”

Other highlights he cited were Canada Goose opening a second major production plant in the city, Manitoba Harvest continuing to expand its operations here and machine-learning technology company Sightline Innovation setting up shop here.

murray.mcneill@freepress.mb.ca