Argentinian-born Javier Schwersensky heads up Winnipeg Humane Society
Credit to Author: Margaret Jetelina| Date: Wed, 16 Jan 2019 17:47:55 +0000
Javier Schwersensky leads the non-profit animal protection agency with compassionate leadership and communications savvy
Javier Schwersensky was confident in his decision to immigrate to Canada from Argentina. Born in the city of Villa Ballester, a suburban neighbourhood in Buenos Aires, Schwersensky felt his personality clashed with the culture in Argentina. “Given that I spent time studying in the U.S. [as a teenager], I just felt that North America was a better fit for me, but I did not necessarily want to live in the U.S.,” explains Schwersensky.
“So, I looked at Australia and Canada. I decided that Canada would provide great opportunity, a tolerant and open society, and that I’d be close to my friends in the U.S.”
But the communications professional’s confidence no doubt wavered when he found himself at his immigration interview at the Canadian visa office in Buenos Aires, facing a straight-talking immigration officer.
“The immigration officer sat down, looked at me and said this — I think I remember it almost word for word — ‘Let’s let the elephant out of the room. You are approved to immigrate to Canada. I just want to tell you this: if you choose to go, all your credentials, all your experience and everything you currently have in Buenos Aires will be gone. You won’t have Canadian experience and that means that you will have to accept jobs cleaning floors or serving coffee at a place called Tim Hortons for at least three or five years, until you can get back to your line of work. And that is not guaranteed.’”
Today, as CEO of the Winnipeg Humane Society (WHS), Schwersensky is glad he stayed the course, not only in choosing Canada, but his specific destination of Winnipeg, Manitoba.
READ MORE: Living in Winnipeg, Manitoba
Choosing to immigrate to Winnipeg, Manitoba
He credits his decision to move to Winnipeg to member of federal Parliament, Minister Jim Carr. “I met Jim Carr in Buenos Aires. The Province of Manitoba, the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg and the Business Council of Manitoba went to Argentina in 2000 to promote their new Manitoba provincial nominee program. I already had my Canadian permanent resident visa issued, but saw an ad in the paper that they were coming and e-mailed them.”
They told Schwersensky to come talk to them.
“In that meeting, Jim gave me his card (he was the CEO of the Business Council of Manitoba at the time) and told me, ‘If you come to Winnipeg, I will send your resumé to 50 CEOs.’ I took him up on that offer, and he put me in touch with the owner/principal at McKim Communications. McKim offered me a job as special projects manager within 40 days of landing in Winnipeg in 2001.”
After a successful stint at McKim and settling into the Winnipeg community with his then wife and son, Joel (now 13), Schwersensky moved on to other positions in his field of communications, first with Pollard Banknote, then with the Manitoba Museum as its deputy executive director with responsibility over marketing, communication, sales and programs.
There he was introduced to the power of social media in communications, and earned a little local fame in the process. Winnipeg was experiencing an extreme cold snap lasting more than 10 days, and “the team I was leading there came up with a clever social media post connecting our Planetarium, the Mars Rover and how cold it was,” he says. “Well, the story went viral like nothing we have ever seen. Even U.S. talk shows picked it up. Herzing College noticed it and they wanted to start a social media program, and they called me [to teach],” says Schwersensky. “The rest is history!”
Schwersensky is still a digital media instructor at Herzing College and believes CEOs must be fluent in how social media impacts the brand, reputation and support an organization receives.
It’s certainly part of his role at the helm of the WHS since 2015.
Must love animals
The job is a natural fit for Schwersensky not just because of his communications savvy, but also because of his deep love for animals. “In Argentina at home, we had a cat named Mumi and a dog named Pelusa, both rescued from the streets. And we also had for a while a canary, which we called Pipo. On top of that my mom’s family had a family farm and I spent many summers there, where I played with a dairy cow named Mimosa and learned about animals in general.”
Today, he shares three pets with his son and second wife, Elizabeth — two dogs named Floyd and Lucy, and a cat named Spencer.
“Floyd is a Humane Society alumni, Lucy comes from the City of Winnipeg Animal Services Agency, and Spencer was adopted a couple of weeks after I joined the WHS, because my wife, Elizabeth, fell in love with his long whiskers,” says Schwersensky, who is humbled by his leadership position with the oldest animal shelter and welfare organization in Manitoba.
I see my role as the facilitator of conversations to … make our shelter the most progressive, humane and successful animal welfare organization in Canada.
“This role is a responsibility, but also an opportunity very few people — let alone immigrants — get to experience. So, I always remind myself of the privilege and luck I’ve had,” says Schwersensky.
“Every single person working or volunteering at the WHS — we have more than 750 volunteers and about 90 staff — is an inspiration. Their passion, knowledge and ability to turn animals around from very difficult situations to a new chance at a good life is the most fantastic encouragement I can possibly receive.”
As the WHS turns 125 years, Schwersensky’s hope is to make sure it is a sustainable charity for the next 100 years by growing its endowment fund and by aligning the needs and wants of WHS’s supporters, board of directors, staff and volunteers. He subscribes to a holacracy leadership style, which eschews rigid job descriptions, instead focusing on managing and trusting dynamic teams working toward clearly defined goals.
“I see my role as the facilitator of conversations to understand what is expected of us and how to make our shelter the most progressive, humane and successful animal welfare organization in Canada. Our team is amazing, our supporters are the most loyal and phenomenal people you will find anywhere, so I am extremely humbled to be the CEO of such a prestigious charity,” says Schwersensky. “I love my job!”