"Find someone doing what you aspire to do and surround yourself with it," advises Clark Wiebe (MBA 2018), who worked his way up to become a key leader at Coachwood Group, a Windsor-based portfolio of businesses including Canadian Protein, Coachwood Capital, Coachwood Golf & Country Club, and its most recent acquisition, BioSteel.

Wiebe joined Coachwood Group as a sales representative right out of university and has since climbed the ranks to chief operating officer, where he serves as founder Dan Crosby’s "right-hand man."

"My role is kind of the glue between Dan, who is a hyper-ambitious and creative CEO, and carrying out those ideas," Wiebe explained. "With multiple businesses running, I act as the middle person between him and every department, making sure we turn his ideas into realities."

Wiebe’s journey started with a direct message to Canadian Protein’s founder on social media. He was drawn to the company by Crosby’s entrepreneurial spirit and business acumen.

"I thought being around that would be valuable, and I knew I wanted to learn from that, and now this has turned into a long-term career," Wiebe said.

Founded in 2011, the group recently expanded by acquiring BioSteel, a sports beverage brand that had filed for bankruptcy. Within six months, it became profitable, Wiebe said.

"When I started, we had around 20 employees, maybe fewer," he noted. "Now we have close to 150, and by the end of 2025, we’ll likely be closer to 200-250. We’re growing fast."

Wiebe noted that in the early days, it felt like the "new kids on the block," but now Canadian Protein is seen as a major player in the industry, securing big contracts with companies like Costco.

This rapid growth is something Wiebe attributes to the unique mentality of Windsor-Essex locals, many of whom are University of Windsor graduates.

"I feel like Windsorites have a unique mentality that’s incredibly valuable in business. It’s a scrappy, workhorse mindset—an attitude of ‘I’m going to get this done no matter what,’" he explained. "When combined with a solid education, it creates exceptionally valuable employees."

Wiebe has maintained strong ties with UWindsor, with Canadian Protein becoming an official partner of Lancers Football last year, providing protein powders for the smoothie bar Natural! in the Toldo Lancer Centre, and collaborating with Odette students on a one-day consulting project.

"We gave an entire pitch of BioSteel and some of the new acquisition problems we had faced and tasked them with coming up with recommendations to help solve some of the big issues," he said.

Since then, Wiebe said they’ve taken on two MBA interns. In total, Coachwood Group has employed more than 50 university students, both part-time and full-time.

As an alum, Wiebe says he knows how much he gained from the program, pointing to strategy classes as particularly impactful.

"It teaches you how to look at a big business problem—something complex that impacts a lot of people and is influenced by so many factors—and take a systematic approach to solving it," Wiebe recalled. "You figure out how to come up with recommendations and roll them out over time. Now, I’ve got so many examples to pull from."

Wiebe often draws from what he learned at UWindsor when facing challenges at Canadian Protein.

"Even as our company’s grown and we’ve faced new problems, I’ll think, ‘Oh yeah, I remember hearing about a company while in school that had a similar issue. Our class recommended X, Y, and Z, so maybe we can try that here.’"

Looking back on his career journey, Wiebe offers a few key pieces of advice for those looking to follow a similar path: find someone doing what you aspire to, get creative in your job search, and keep pushing forward, learning from each experience.

"Businesses often make decisions quickly, and rejection doesn’t always mean the end," Wiebe said. "Persistence and perseverance are traits that companies value, so don’t be discouraged after a setback. Some of our best hires have stood out because they got creative in reaching out to us, showcasing their skills, and finding unique ways to connect. That persistence and initiative can make a real difference."