Who Is Mark?
Who is Mark Wessner? At first glance, he is an executive leader, educator, and coach. But beneath the titles lies a deeper truth: Mark is a builder. Not of structures or systems alone, but of leaders, organizations, and legacies. His journey weaves together government service, pastoral leadership, academic innovation, and executive coaching. Across every chapter, his story reveals a consistent theme—leadership that is anchored in purpose, driven by strategy, and committed to transformation.
Mark often reflects on a guiding conviction: “Leadership is about making a positive difference by living the mission, not just managing it.” This perspective shapes his approach to every role he has held and continues to influence the leaders and institutions he mentors today.
Early Roots of Leadership
Mark’s leadership journey began earlier than most. As a middle school student, he found himself experimenting with business—loaning money to his older brother on weekends (at steep interest rates). By college, he was typing papers for classmates and selling hot dogs after curfew in the dorms. These experiences, while small in scale, reflected a natural entrepreneurial drive and an instinct for strategy that would carry through his career.
Formally, his professional foundation was laid during more than a decade of service with the Government of British Columbia. There, Mark managed an annual portfolio valued between $25–50 million, spanning nearly 70% of the province’s landmass. He oversaw commercial, industrial, residential, and recreational development projects, learning firsthand how to navigate complexity, balance competing stakeholder needs, and align immediate demands with long-term growth.
Perhaps most notably, Mark helped launch one of the province’s first integrated single-point-of-contact offices for natural resource development—an initiative that broke down silos, simplified processes, and modeled the collaborative leadership style he continues to champion today.
Leading Through Transition and Growth
Mark’s next professional chapter was one of transformation in an entirely different arena: pastoral leadership. For a decade, he served at Westwood Church, including six years as Lead Pastor. Leading a congregation of more than 650 people, he guided the church through a period of transition and restructuring. Under his leadership, Westwood expanded to three Sunday services, implemented new governance systems, and forged strong community partnerships.
This role demanded not only organizational insight but also emotional intelligence. As he strengthened staff leadership and built bridges between the church and the broader community, Mark learned the art of combining strategy with empathy—an ability that remains central to his coaching and executive work.
Simultaneously, Mark made significant contributions to higher education. At the American Public University System, he designed and launched the institution’s first undergraduate Religious Studies degree program, teaching more than 5,500 students worldwide. Later, at the University of Northern British Columbia, he introduced the university’s first undergraduate courses in Christianity and biblical studies. These academic milestones underscored Mark’s commitment to creating new pathways for dialogue, learning, and leadership development.
Shaping Institutions and Equipping Leaders
Today, Mark serves as President of MB Seminary, where his leadership has been nothing short of transformational. He has guided the institution through a major organizational redesign, moving from a traditional model to a distributed, collaborative approach to graduate education. His initiatives include the Teaching Churches program, the launch of the ACTS World Campus, and a strategic realignment of finances to ensure long-term sustainability.
In addition to institutional leadership, Mark has become a sought-after coach, consultant, and keynote speaker. Through LeadingWell, the coaching practice he founded, he equips CEOs, boards, and senior teams with tools for self-awareness, relational intelligence, and team effectiveness. Drawing on his certification as a Birkman Professional, Mark helps leaders understand themselves and others more deeply, enabling them to lead with clarity, confidence, and purpose.
His influence extends globally. From launching leadership cohorts across continents to advising the International Community of Mennonite Brethren Churches, Mark’s work transcends organizational boundaries. In every context, his goal remains the same: “to help leaders align purpose with performance so that strategy serves mission and people flourish.”
Vision for the Future
Looking ahead, Mark is not slowing down. His focus is on expanding MB Seminary’s reach both nationally and internationally, further growing LeadingWell’s executive coaching cohorts, and developing the Executive Ministry Leadership Institute—a hub designed to equip high-capacity leaders in both ministry and marketplace contexts.
For Mark, leadership is not about titles or positions. It is about lasting significance. He believes:
- Leadership flourishes when strategy and purpose align.
- Sustainable impact comes from collaboration, not isolation.
- Transformation requires both innovation and discipline.
- Self-awareness is the foundation of effective leadership.
- True significance is measured by legacy, not position.
These convictions, refined through years of leading across multiple sectors, are the compass guiding his next chapter.
Editorial Note
Mark Wessner’s journey is more than a professional biography—it is an invitation. His story challenges leaders everywhere to rethink how they define success, approach strategy, and invest in people. From government offices to classrooms, from pulpits to boardrooms, Mark’s example demonstrates that leadership is not confined to one sphere but is a calling to shape institutions, inspire futures, and build people.
As readers reflect on Mark’s path, the takeaway is clear: leadership that lasts is leadership that transforms. And in this sense, Mark Wessner is not only building leaders today but also laying the foundation for generations to come.
Connect with him on LinkedIn
