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University of Manitoba
Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada, R3T 2N2
Family businesses are built for the long term—but remaining successful across generations requires the ability to adapt. Join Manitoba’s family business community for a day of candid conversation, practical insight and meaningful connection focused on leading through change while protecting the values and relationships that make family enterprises distinctive.
Attendees will leave with:
Wednesday, November 25, 2026
8:30 AM – Buffet breakfast and registration
9:00 AM – Conference opening
Debra Jonasson-Young, I.H. Asper Executive Director of Entrepreneurship, Stu Clark Centre for Entrepreneurship
9:15 AM – Welcome remarks
Dr. Robert Biscontri, Acting Dean, Asper School of Business
9:30 AM – Navigating the Future of Family Enterprise: Global Forces, Local Realities and Strategic Action for Manitoba Businesses
Richa Bahl, Partner, National Family Enterprise Advisory Leader, PwC Canada
10:45 AM – Networking break
11:00 AM – Future-Ready: How Family Businesses Can Win with AI
Moderator: Christos Vasilarakis, Principal & Founder, Vasila
Panelists: Joel Semeniuk, President and CEO, Primal; Scott Russell, Managing Partner, Amiron Ventures; and Kimia Ansari, Assistant Professor of Management Information Systems, Asper School of Business
12:15 PM – Buffet lunch
1:15 PM – Rod Senft Unscripted: Life, Legacy and the Future
The keynote talk will be moderated by Rick Duha, Chairman, The Duha Group and Chair, Business Council of Manitoba
2:15 PM – Networking break
2:30 PM – When Employees Think Like Owners: Lessons in Profit Sharing, Alignment and Building UnionWare
Jim Perchaluk, Founder and former CEO, UnionWare Inc.
3:45 PM – Closing remarks
4:15 PM – Networking reception
Hear directly from Rod Senft as he reflects on his journey from Manitoba to becoming one of Canada’s leading private equity figures. This candid conversation will explore the values behind his leadership, the evolution of private equity and the lessons he has learned about building businesses, empowering people and creating lasting value across generations.
Moderator Rick Duha is Chairman of the Duha Group, a fourth-generation Winnipeg family business that has grown into the world’s largest supplier of colour charts for the paint industry. He is also the Chair of the Business Council of Manitoba.
Economic uncertainty, technological disruption, changing workforce expectations and generational transitions are reshaping how family enterprises create, protect and transfer value.
Drawing on more than two decades of advisory experience, Richa Bahl will connect global trends with the realities facing Manitoba businesses and share practical strategies for strengthening governance, preparing for succession, attracting talent, encouraging innovation and building resilience.
Jim Perchaluk grew UnionWare into an international software company serving organizations across Canada, the United States and Australia. In this session, he will share the challenges, missteps and decisions behind that growth—and explain how profit sharing helped transform employees into engaged partners in the company’s success.
Family business leaders will gain practical insights into extending an ownership mindset beyond the family while preserving ownership, supporting succession and strengthening long-term enterprise value.
Artificial intelligence is no longer a distant possibility. Organizations of every size are using it to reduce costs, improve decision-making and allow employees to focus on higher-value work.
This practical discussion will demystify AI, identify accessible places to begin and examine how family businesses can manage risk while capturing the advantages of early adoption.
Rod Senft [BComm(Hons)/67, LLB/70] is an accomplished entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist with a passion for family enterprise. He is the founding partner in three successful Canadian private equity firms – Tricor Pacific Capital, Founder’s Group of Food Companies, and Pender West Capital Partners – and has over five decades of experience in the industry.
Rod obtained his Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Law degrees from the University of Manitoba, which helped him establish a successful career. He is committed to supporting family businesses and the entrepreneurs of the future and has been a strong advocate for raising awareness about the importance of family enterprise within the Canadian economy.
Beyond his work, Rod is also actively involved in philanthropic activities through the Senft Family Foundation. He has generously supported various initiatives and programs in Manitoba and Vancouver, empowering the next generation of entrepreneurs and business leaders.
View past Senft workshop event agendas.
The 2025 conference, themed Navigating the New Realities for Family Business, featured presenters including Dan Hursh, Chad Friesen, Joy Nott and Steve Beauchesne.
The 2024 conference themed Navigating Difficult Conversations in Family Business featured conference presenters including, Mark Dufresne, Estelle Metayer, and Lukas Neville.
The 2023 conference themed Succession Planning in Family Enterprise-Align the Family and the Business will Follow, focused on the intricacies of succession planning.
The 2021 conference, focused on Finance and Family Business, featured keynote speaker Silvio Vismara and presenters including Nan Li, Qunzi Zhang, Lior Adam and Maurizio La Rocca.
The 2020 Senft-Asper International Workshop on Family Business Studies featured presenters including James Chrisman, Jess Chua, Alfredo De Massis and Hanqing “Chevy” Fang.
"Asper is a community built on strong relationships which have meaningfully shaped the business landscape in Manitoba and beyond. I look forward to working with our students, faculty, staff, alumni and partners to build on the Asper School’s many strengths and help shape its future."
