More Than Your Business Card: A Wake-up Call for Leaders Desiring to Follow Jesus in the Marketplace

by Garth Jestley, Rod Bergen (Foreword)

The marketplace can be your mission field. Many of us, if we’re honest, tend to leave God at home when we go to work because we don’t feel comfortable sharing our faith in the secular marketplace. But what if God has called you to business? More Than Your Business Card confirms business leadership as a legitimate, important, and deeply fulfilling way to follow Jesus. It provides practical guidance for stepping into your calling as Christ’s ambassador while simultaneously fulfilling your mandate as a business leader. From his encounters as a seasoned business executive, the author believes most leaders today are essentially unaware of their need for God. In the busyness and pressures of professional life, they are constantly distracted from considering matters of ultimate importance. As their peer, you may be the only one who can reach them with the good news of Jesus. Garth Jestley earned his MBA at Richard Ivey School of Business in London Ontario and BSc from University of British Columbia and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation. Over the course of his business career, he has held many senior leadership positions including vice president of both Citibank and Bank of Montreal and CEO of Middlefield Group’s core investment management business. After stepping back from his full-time duties at Middlefield in 2012, Garth assumed the role of Executive Director of LeaderImpact for several years. The mission of LeaderImpact is to help marketplace leaders across Canada and around the world explore the relevance of faith in God in their professional and personal lives. Garth and his wife Mary are involved in various church leadership roles and enjoy spending time with their children and grandchildren. Reviews/“This is a must read for every leader wanting to make a Kingdom impact. This is a book that will help you realize your Kingdom potential using your platform as a marketplace leader.”Nathan HildebrandtLeaderImpact Global“Garth’s marketplace career, his faith journey, and his knowledge of apologetics give him the unique credibility to write such a book. Whether you need to get off the sidelines or the fence, this book will provide encouragement and practical steps.”Jacques LapointeFormer CEO of GSK Canada and UK“Garth has unveiled a key truth we need to embrace in this one ‘When we accept our call to business, we become ambassadors for God in the secular marketplace.’ Deep gratitude and thanks to Garth for inspiring the missionary in all of us.”C. Esther De Wolde, CPA, CGAChief Executive Officer, Phantom Screens

258 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 7, 2021

About the author

Over the course of his business career, Garth Jestley has held many senior leadership positions in investment management, venture capital, corporate banking, international project financing, private debt placement, and investment banking.

After serving as Vice President Project Financing at Bank of Montreal and Vice President of Citibank responsible for Corporate Banking in Eastern Canada, he joined Middlefield Group in 1985. Based in Toronto with offices in Calgary Alberta and London England, Middlefield provides investment services to individual and institutional investors across Canada and internationally. For many years, he served as CEO of the group’s core investment management business.

After stepping back from his full-time duties at Middlefield in 2012, Garth assumed the role of Executive Director of LeaderImpact for several years. The mission of LeaderImpact is to help marketplace leaders across Canada and around the world explore the relevance of faith in God in their professional and personal lives. This involvement was a catalyst for his recently completed book More Than Your Business Card: a wake-up call for leaders desiring to follow Jesus in the marketplace.

Garth is currently Vice Chairman of Middlefield Group and Special Advisor to the senior management team. He also serves on the national board of directors of Teen Challenge Canada based in London Ontario and the board of Catch The Fire Church in Toronto. Previously, he served as Vice Chairman of Crossroads Christian Communications in Burlington Ontario.

Garth and his wife Mary are involved in various church leadership roles, including ministering and speaking in Canada and around the world. They place a high priority on family and, in particular, enjoy spending time with their children and grandchildren.