When Leadership Takes Flight: A Leader’s Journey to Mission Aviation
Release Date: 01/14/2026
When Leadership Takes Flight: A Leader’s Journey to Mission Aviation
Cause Leadership Podcast
Summary In this episode of the Cause Leadership Podcast, David Hutchinson interviews Brad Bell, the President and CEO of Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) Canada. They discuss the vital role of MAF in providing help and healing to remote communities through aviation, the significant contributions of Canadian pilots, and the impact of medical missions. Brad also shares insights on his transition from the tech industry to non-profit leadership, and the importance of fostering an innovative culture within organizations. The conversation also covers challenges in board governance,...
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Cause Leadership Podcast
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Cause Leadership Podcast
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Cause Leadership Podcast
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Cause Leadership Podcast
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Cause Leadership Podcast
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Cause Leadership Podcast
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In this episode of the Cause Leadership Podcast, David Hutchinson interviews Brad Bell, the President and CEO of Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) Canada. They discuss the vital role of MAF in providing help and healing to remote communities through aviation, the significant contributions of Canadian pilots, and the impact of medical missions.
Brad also shares insights on his transition from the tech industry to non-profit leadership, and the importance of fostering an innovative culture within organizations. The conversation also covers challenges in board governance, recruitment, fundraising, cybersecurity, and the implementation of the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) to enhance organizational performance. Brad emphasizes the need for professional development and succession planning in the non-profit sector, concluding with words of encouragement for leaders navigating uncertain times.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF)
03:06 The Role of Canadian Pilots in MAF
06:02 Medical Missions and Community Impact
09:09 Training the Next Generation of Pilots
11:56 Transitioning from IT to Non-Profit Leadership
18:01 Leadership Lessons from Non-Profit Experience
20:47 Board Governance and Recruitment Challenges
26:27 Challenges in Talent Acquisition and Fundraising
27:35 The Complexities of Fundraising in Today's Economy
28:46 Philanthropy vs. Sales: Understanding the Difference
32:20 Cybersecurity: Preparing for the Inevitable
35:25 Implementing the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS)
40:05 The Importance of Professional Development for Leaders
42:11 Succession Planning in the Nonprofit Sector
45:44 Finding Hope in Uncertain Times
Guest Bio: Brad Bell
Brad Bell is the President and CEO of Mission Aviation Fellowship Canada, helping to bring the love of God in tangible ways to thousands of isolated communities around the world. Brad is deeply committed to the Christian community. He began his academic career with a one-year study program at Emmanuel Bible College before studying Mathematics and Computer Science at the University of Waterloo. In 1988, Brad co-founded Campana Systems Inc., a Waterloo based software development company serving the healthcare and auto club industries for 25 years, growing the company organically and through acquisition to an innovative technology-based firm in four countries. Campana was sold in 2014, and Brad was excited to follow God's call in this next stage of his life when he was asked to join MAF as the CEO in 2015.
Connecting with Brad:
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradgbell/
MAF LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/mafcanada/
Website - https://maf.ca/
E-mail: bbell@maf.ca