Top row, from left: Curt Vossen, president and CEO, Richardson International Limited. Glenn Feltham, dean of the Asper School of Business; Polly Craik, president and CEO, FineLine Solutions and Charlene Rocke, chair, Board of Directors, Royal Winnipeg Ballet. Bottom row, from left: Premier Gary Doer; Gordon Giffin, former U.S. ambassador to Canada (1997-2001), keynote speaker; Kerry Hawkins, chair, CentrePort Canada and Robert M. Chipman, chair, Megill-Stephenson Company Limited.

More than 100 of Manitoba’s business, governmental and community leaders met in early May to participate in an invitation-only executive symposium on the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Co-sponsored by the Asper School of Business Executive Program and the Business Council of Manitoba, the symposium was the fourth in an ongoing series designed to bring together Manitoba’s leaders to discuss policy issues central to the province’s future.

Gordon Giffin, former U.S. ambassador to Canada (1997-2001), opened the symposium with a keynote address that focused on the impact of NAFTA from an American perspective.

This was followed by two panel presentations. The first consisted of Martin Loken, Canadian Consul-General based in Minneapolis, who is responsible for international business development, public affairs, political relations and the consular program across five states in the upper Midwest: North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska and Iowa; and Diane Gray, Manitoba’s Deputy Minister Responsible for Federal-Provincial and International Relations and Trade. Loken and Gray both emphasized cross-border relationships as an important contributing factor to successful international trading partnerships.

The second panel brought together local business leaders. Curt Vossen, president and CEO, James Richardson International Limited, discussed his company’s experience of trading internationally under NAFTA. Kerry Hawkins presented on the potential of CentrePort Canada, a new entity of which he is the chairperson. Rounding out the panel was Dr. Glenn Feltham, dean of the Asper School of Business and CA Manitoba chair in business leadership, who discussed the impact of tax policies on international trade.

Dr. David Barnard, president of the University of Manitoba, moderated the session, and Premier Gary Doer gave the luncheon address. Mexican officials had been invited to participate in the symposium but were unable to attend due to the H1N1 influenza issue.

The Asper School and the Business Council of Manitoba will continue partnering to offer future symposiums, as well as workshops throughout the year.

Naomi Levine is director of the Asper School of Business Executive Programs. She can be reached at (204) 474-9624 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .