Page 46 - INSIGHT MAGAZINE_January2025

MEMBER PROFILE

‘I love dealing with entrepreneurs’

- Rebecca Schoenhardt – Canadian Western Bank

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY CWB

The path to a successful Competitive horseback riding played She too went on to obtain an MBA after
career doesn’t often follow a a major role in her early life, but so stepping away from her equestrian career,
straight line, just ask Rebecca did business and finance. Thanks to which took her to Germany for nearly
Schoenhardt. her father, who owned and operated a two years to train her horse aided by a
manufacturing company in Dundas not scholarship with the Canadian Olympic
As the Assistant Vice President and Market far from the family home in Flamborough, Committee.
Lead for Canadian Western Bank (CWB) Rebecca says he would consult daily with
in Waterloo Region, her typical workday her mother about various work issues. “Being there, I picked up a bug for
centres on not only helping a team create Those discussions often followed them to international experiences and came home
success for clients but also raising the the supper table, where she and her two to try out for the 2004 Olympic Games,”
corporate profile – especially among older brothers would join in. says Rebecca, adding that despite being
small and medium-sized business owners short listed, she didn’t make the team
-of this fast-growing financial institution “My mom would always joke that we and her horse also experienced a career-
that recently expanded into the area. It’s shared the Schoenhardt family MBA, ending injury – not to mention suffering
a scenario far removed from the world of because we’d talk about exchange rates six concussions herself during her years
equestrian riding, which dominated her and import/export issues and what’s in the saddle. But her involvement in
previous career life. going on with this buyer or this customer the sport didn’t end there. She went
and this was before I was out of grade into business for herself training horses,
“I often joke that banking is my second school,” laughs Rebecca. coaching riders, and judging equestrian
career ‘marriage’,” laughs Rebecca, seated competitions when needed.
in an office in CWB’s bright banking centre Her two brothers would go on to obtain
located on Sportsworld Crossing Road their MBAs, one eventually developing “That was my life for about 10 years,”
in Kitchener’s south end. “So, I had a a career as an engineer consultant in says Rebecca, admitting that despite her
‘love match’ and then I had an ‘arranged Alberta and the other as an educator, who passion for the equestrian world, the
marriage’, and statistically, both worked before retiring led the outdoor education uncertainty that surrounded it became
out.” curriculum in York Region. increasingly difficult.

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