Meet Candice Bergen

Candice Bergen is an Executive Leadership Consultant based in Manitoba, Canada, consulting several businesses in strategic leadership, organizational effectiveness, and advocacy. 

Candice is proud of her 15-year career as the Member of Parliament representing Portage-Lisgar. Highlights during her term include leading the Conservative Party of Canada and serving as Leader of His Majesty's Loyal Opposition. 

Candice was chosen by her caucus colleagues to lead the party during a turbulent time in both the Conservative Party and the country. Caucus was fractured, fighting amongst themselves, and had removed their leader. At the same time, protests against the government’s COVID measures were happening in Ottawa and across the country with the Emergencies Act being invoked. Despite those challenges, Candice delivered a strong, united, and prosperous party and caucus to the new Conservative leader, Pierre Poilievre. This was in large part due to Candice’s ability to find quickly where focus was needed to rebuild and repair, assemble a team, and execute a plan. It was also due to the respect and trust she had cultivated amongst her colleagues, party members, and the country at large.

As Deputy Leader, Candice used her keen sense of effective policy to lead the party’s approach to ESG. She is a fierce champion of the benefits of Canadian natural resources to the world.

Candice was also the Minister of State for Social Development, where she completely revamped federal delivery of employment programs and disability and housing strategies. During this time, Candice revamped program eligibility and improved processes to improve results in $2 billion worth of government programs. She was able to accomplish this while being able to increase benefits primarily for low-middle income families by an average of $1140 per year.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has selected her to represent Canada at the G20 Summit and conduct countless other trade missions.

Candice is proud to have instituted the Candice Bergen Leadership Award in 2023, awarding $5000 each year to a student from Morden Collegiate Institute who best exemplifies quiet, dependable leadership skills.

She has also done volunteer work in palliative care as well as with youth at risk and prison ministry.

Candice and her husband Michael live in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and have 5 children and 2 grandchildren.