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DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250117T163000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250117T193000
DTSTAMP:20260410T051342
CREATED:20241212T192730Z
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SUMMARY:[SOLD OUT] Lunar New Year Toronto Reception – Business Outlook of 2025
DESCRIPTION:Join CCBC for an exclusive Lunar New Year cocktail reception on Friday\, January 17\, 2025\, in Toronto. We are honoured to have Mr. LUO Weidong\, Consul General of the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Toronto\, provide China’s economic priorities in 2025\, along with opening remarks from Alex Besharat\, Executive Vice President and Head\, Canadian Wealth Management\, Scotiabank. Rebekah Young\, Vice President\, Economist\, Scotiabank\, will offer her perspectives on the global economic outlook for 2025 and beyond\, including international trade and the investment landscape. \nThis event celebrates the farewell of Sarah Kutulakos\, who has served as CCBC’s Executive Director and COO for nearly 18 years\, and welcomes her successor\, Bijan Ahmadi\, the newly appointed Executive Director and COO of CCBC. CCBC President Graham Shantz will also share remarks during the event. \nIn the spirit of Lunar New Year festivities\, guests can participate in various lucky draws for exciting prizes. Kindly remember to bring along your business cards to participate in the lucky draws. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to immerse yourself in the richness of Lunar New Year traditions while gaining valuable insights into the dynamic Canada-China business landscape. \nThe catering at the event may include seafood and other common allergens.\nPlease kindly ask and avoid them if you have any dietary restrictions at the event. \n  \n \nTickets:\nCCBC Members: $25+HST; Non-Members: $100+HST\nCapacity is limited and registration will be on a first-come\, first-served basis\, with priority given to CCBC members.\nClick here to register. \nRefund and Cancellation Policy:\nPayment is non-refundable unless the Canada China Business Council cancels the event. If you are unable to attend\, cancellations must be received in writing 72 hours prior to the event. No shows will be charged. \nAddress:\nScotia Plaza\nScotiabank Centre\, 40 King St. W\, 2nd Floor\nToronto\, Ontario \nSpecial Guest Remarks: \nLUO Weidong\nConsul General\nChinese Consulate General in Toronto \nMr. LUO Weidong was born in December 1967 and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree. \nHe began his career in 1990 in the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation\, which is now the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China. \nHe assumed his role as Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Toronto in September 2023. \nAbout the Speakers: \nAlex Besharat\nExecutive Vice President and Head\, Canadian Wealth Management\nScotiabank \nAlex Besharat is Executive Vice President and Head of Canadian Wealth Management. He is responsible for defining and implementing the strategic direction\, goals and values for Canadian Wealth Management\, including ScotiaMcLeod\, Private Banking\, Scotia iTRADE\, MD Financial Management\, Private Investment Counsel and Scotiatrust businesses. Mr. Besharat has more than 35 years of wealth management experience\, and over the course of his career\, has been recognized for his strategic leadership\, relationship management expertise and unwavering focus on client-centered\, comprehensive wealth management solutions. \n \nRebekah Young\nVice President\, Economist\nScotiabank \nRebekah Young is an economist with Scotiabank Economics. As Vice-President\, she provides thought leadership on a broad range of economic trends that will impact long-term growth in Canada and abroad including evolving demographics\, housing affordability\, fiscal sustainability\, and the green transition to cite a few. She also actively probes near-term economic and policy developments. Previously\, she held senior roles at the IMF\, the Canadian Department of Finance\, and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. \n \nGautam Mohorikar\nDirector\, Partnerships\nScotiabank \nGautam Mohorikar is a seasoned leader with a strong background in financial services\, marketing\, and strategic partnerships. With extensive experience across business strategy\, client acquisition\, and cultural segment development\, he has consistently delivered impactful results by fostering collaboration and driving innovation. With proven track record to build meaningful partnerships and generate growth and value\, Mr. Mohorikar is committed to driving sustainable success and driving transformational outcomes. He holds an MBA in Marketing and a Post Graduate Diploma in Business Marketing Analysis. \n \nGraham Shantz\nPresident\nCanada China Business Council \nGraham Shantz served for over 25 years in Canada’s public service providing advice to Canadian governments\, mainly on management of Canada’s relations with Asia. He has lived and worked for over 12 years in Asia\, half of that in China. In Ottawa\, Mr. Shantz has worked in senior management positions in Global Affairs Canada\, the Department of Finance and the Privy Council Office. In 2000-2001 he served as Canada’s lead negotiator for Foreign Investment Protection Agreements (FIPAs) and in 1996-1997 served as deputy chief negotiator for the Canadian team during China’s WTO accession talks. Over the past decades\, Mr. Shantz has been involved in numerous major bilateral visits between Canadian and Chinese leaders. \nMr. Shantz has served on the Board of Directors of the Asia Pacific Foundation (2013-2016) and on the Board of Directors of the Centre for International Governance Innovation (2006-2009). He served as Canada’s Ambassador to the Kingdom of Spain (2009-2012) and ended his career in the public service in senior management positions in Global Affairs Canada’s Asia Branch. \nA Mandarin speaker\, Mr. Shantz pursued his interest in China while studying economics at Goshen College in Indiana. He holds an M.A. in International Affairs from Carleton University’s Norman Paterson School of International Affairs. He also pursued language and economics studies in China\, including at Beijing University and Xiamen University\, under the Canada-China Scholars’ Exchange Program. \n \nBijan Ahmadi\nExecutive Director and COO\nCanada China Business Council \nBijan Ahmadi serves as the Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of the Canada China Business Council (CCBC)\, overseeing the operations and activities of the Council across its seven chapters in Canada and China. \nBefore joining CCBC\, he co-founded and served as the Executive Director of the Institute for Peace & Diplomacy (IPD) from 2018 to 2024. IPD is a non-partisan think tank operating in Canada and the United States\, dedicated to fostering constructive engagement and interest-based thinking in international affairs. \nDuring his tenure at IPD\, Mr. Ahmadi launched the organization’s Asia research program in 2020 and its flagship annual conference\, the Indo-Pacific Strategy Forum (IPSF)\, in Ottawa in 2021. Today\, IPSF is recognized as Canada’s premier conference on the country’s engagement in the Indo-Pacific region. He was also the co-editor of Canada-China Brief\, a biweekly policy newsletter providing the latest developments and expert insights on political and economic relations between Ottawa and Beijing. \nIn his work on China\, Mr. Ahmadi has advised large corporations and SMEs on navigating Canada-China trade\, policy\, and regulatory developments. He has also spearheaded the publication of numerous research reports on China and Canada-China relations and led Track 2 diplomacy initiatives in collaboration with Chinese and American research institutions. \nMr. Ahmadi holds a Master’s degree in Global Diplomacy from SOAS University of London and a Master of Applied Science from the University of Toronto. Before founding IPD\, Mr. Ahmadi worked in strategy and management roles in the financial services and real estate sectors\, where he honed his skills in organizational leadership and operational planning. He also served on the executive boards of several Canadian non-profits and NGOs\, including the Toronto branch of the Canadian International Council. \n \nSarah Kutulakos\nFormer Executive Director and COO\nCanada China Business Council \nSarah Kutulakos joined the CCBC in 2007 and revitalized CCBC’s role as Canada’s premier bilateral trade and investment organization. During her tenure\, Ms. Kutulakos re-centered the Council’s activities around providing business services\, catalyzing business growth and activity\, and advocating for stronger Sino-Canadian bilateral trade and investment. This has resulted in extensive public outreach activities\, internal infrastructure improvements\, the launch of new programs such as the Business Incubation Centre\, and thriving member relations. \nPrior to joining CCBC\, Ms. Kutulakos worked for 11 years in marketing\, product development\, and management with a major multinational corporation\, where she had multiple assignments involving China. Ms. Kutulakos managed worldwide product businesses that marketed to China and used China-based sources of supply. She was also involved in several projects requiring cooperation with the Chinese government. Ms. Kutulakos has led both established and start-up businesses within the context of a global corporation and has broad emerging market business experience\, and has been involved in the Greater China region since the late 1980s when she lived and worked in Taiwan. There\, she was the first non-Chinese employee of a local high-tech start-up firm\, where she gained a deep understanding of Chinese business practices. \nA fluent Mandarin speaker\, Ms. Kutulakos’s interest in China began at the University of Wisconsin\, where she studied Chinese\, marketing\, and international business. She holds an MBA in finance and operations from the Simon School of Business at the University of Rochester. She frequently speaks on China issues\, including marketing\, trade\, investment\, and Canada-China relations. \n \nJeff Zhang\nRegional Director\, Central Canada\nCanada China Business Council \nJeff Zhang has over 30 years of international experience in private\, public and non-profit organizations in a variety of sectors including E-commerce\, oil and gas\, retail\, commercial real estate\, education and financial services. Prior to joining the Canada China Business Council\, Mr. Zhang worked in establishment and operation management at a Sino-Foreign joint venture company and in strategic partnership management at a Fortune 500 multinational company. He also led and assisted a number of Canadian companies and educational institutions into China where he was responsible for strategic partnerships and branding establishment. \nMr. Zhang has an MBA in marketing and international business from Concordia University in Montreal and is fluent in Mandarin and English. He is a frequent guest speaker at professional business associations in Canada. \nPhotography/Filming: By taking part in this event\, you grant the Canada China Business Council full rights to use any images resulting from photography/video filming.
URL:https://ccbc.com/event/ccbc-lunar-new-year-toronto-reception-business-outlook-of-2025/
LOCATION:Scotia Plaza\, Scotiabank Centre\, 40 King St. W\, 2nd Floor\, Toronto\, Ontario\, Canada
CATEGORIES:CCBC Event,English,Ontario
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250123T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250123T200000
DTSTAMP:20260410T051342
CREATED:20250106T192556Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250121T235244Z
UID:78107-1737655200-1737662400@ccbc.com
SUMMARY:[SOLD OUT] Lunar New Year Montreal Reception
DESCRIPTION:Join us for an exclusive CCBC Lunar New Year cocktail reception on January 23\, 2025\, in Montreal at the head office of National Bank of Canada. Celebrate the Lunar New Year with the CCBC Quebec community and gain insights into the evolving Canada-China economic landscape. \nCCBC is delighted to announce the Right Honourable Jean Chrétien\, former Prime Minister of Canada\, will attend this milestone event in CCBC’s leadership and share remarks and offer festive wishes. We are honoured to have Mr. DAI Yuming\, Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Montreal\, provide remarks for the occasion. We also look forward to hearing from Vincent Joli-Coeur\, Chairman\, Asia Pacific\, National Bank of Canada and Vice-Chairman\, Financial Markets\, and the Honourable Martin Cauchon\, Vice-Chair of the CCBC Board of Directors and Special Advisor\, Counsel\, at DS Lawyers Canada\, as they share their respective insights into Canada-China business relationships. \nThis event celebrates the farewell of Sarah Kutulakos\, who served as CCBC’s Executive Director and COO for nearly 18 years\, and welcomes her successor\, Bijan Ahmadi\, who officially assumed the role on January 1\, 2025\, with both joining us from Toronto for the celebration. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to immerse yourself in Lunar New Year traditions while exploring the dynamic Canada-China business environment. \n \nTickets:\nCCBC Members: $25 + tax\nNon-Members: $100 + tax\nCapacity is limited and registration will be on a first-come\, first-served basis\, with priority given to CCBC members and invited guests. \nRefund and Cancellation Policy:\nPayment is non-refundable unless the Canada China Business Council cancels the event. \nAddress:\nNational Bank of Canada\n800 Saint-Jacques Street\, 36th Floor\nMontreal\, Quebec\n \nAgenda:\n5:30 pm – 6:00 pm EST: Registration and Networking.\nPlease check in at the lobby security desk of the new National Bank of Canada headquarters (800 Saint-Jacques) before proceeding to the 36th floor.\n6:00 pm – 6:45 pm EST: Welcome and Opening Remarks\, Special Remarks\n6:45 pm – 8:00 pm EST: Networking\nFor inquiries\, please contact Claire Zhang at claire@ccbc.com. \nAbout the Speakers: \nThe Right Honourable Jean Chrétien\,\nP.C.\, C.C.\, O.M.\, Q.C.\, Ad. E \nMr. Jean Chrétien was born in Shawinigan\, Québec\, Canada. Mr. Chrétien completed his law studies at Université Laval and was admitted to the Québec Bar in 1958. He is also a member of the Ontario Bar. \nMr. Chrétien was elected Member of the House of Commons in 1963. During his career\, he also served as Deputy Prime Minister\, Minister of Finance\, Minister of Industry\, Trade and Commerce\, Minister of Foreign Affairs\, Minister of Justice and Attorney General\, Minister of National Revenue\, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development\, President of the Treasury Board\, Minister of Energy\, Mines and Resources\, Minister responsible for Francophone Affairs and Minister in charge of Social Development. \nMr. Chrétien was sworn in as Canada’s 20th Prime Minister of Canada in November 1993 after winning a majority of the seats in the House of Commons. During his tenure he was re-elected with majorities in 1997 and 2000. As Prime Minister\, Mr. Chrétien stressed balanced budgets\, national unity and a strengthened place for Canada in the world. His government’s legacy also includes a number of social reform and humanitarian initiatives. \nMr. Chrétien left the Office of Prime Minister of Canada on December 12\, 2003. In February 2014\, Mr. Chrétien joined Dentons Canada LLP as counsel. \nIn 2007\, Mr. Chrétien was appointed Companion of the Order of Canada. \nIn 2008\, he became co-president of the InterAction Council\, an international organization that mobilizes the experience\, energy and international networks of former Heads of State and Government. Council members jointly develop recommendations and practical solutions for the political\, economic and social problems confronting the global community. \nIn 2009\, he was awarded the Order of Merit by Her Majesty Elizabeth II. \n \nDAI Yuming\nConsul General of the People’s Republic of China in Montreal \nMr. DAI Yuming has assumed the position of the Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Montreal since December 2022. Since 1992\, he worked at different positions in Department of African Affairs\, Department of Personnel and Department of Policy Planning of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China\, and served several terms at the Chinese Embassies in Liberia\, the United States\, Sierra Leone\, Namibia\, and Israel. He was also Deputy Mayor of Sanya City\, Hainan Province\, from 2016 to 2019. \n \nVincent Joli-Coeur\nChairman\, Asia Pacific\, National Bank of Canada\nand Vice-Chairman\, Financial Markets \nVincent Joli-Coeur joined National Bank of Canada in 2011 as Vice-Chairman Financial Markets. He is responsible for senior coverage of our corporate\, government\, and institutional clients. \nIn his career of 30 years in the financial services field\, Mr. Joli-Coeur has acted as a trusted advisor to large Canadian and International companies in various industries and has been involved in some of Canada’s largest capital markets and infrastructure financings. Recently\, Mr. Joli-Coeur led the team behind National Bank of Canada’s successful inaugural Panda Bond issuance of RMB3.5 billion in the People’s Republic of China\, the first issuance of its kind for a North American bank. \nIn addition to his professional activities\, Mr. Joli-Coeur is also actively involved in his community. He served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Université de Sherbrooke. He is also involved in several charitable organizations’ financing campaigns. \nMr. Joli-Coeur has a Master’s degree in business administration from Université Paris Dauphine in France. \n \nThe Honourable Martin Cauchon\, P.C.\, LL.M.\, ICD.D\, Ad. E.\nSpecial Advisor\, Counsel\nDS Lawyers Canada LLP\nVice-Chair\, Board of Directors\nCanada China Business Council \nMartin Cauchon has had a distinguished career. First elected as a Member of Parliament in October 1993\, he has held many positions in the Government of Canada. He has served as Secretary of State (Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec)\, Minister of National Revenue\, and Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada. In 2013\, he was an official candidate in the leadership race of the Liberal Party of Canada. From 2015 to 2019\, he was also a shareholder and Executive Chairman of Groupe Capitales Médias\, which gave him a better understanding of the challenges facing the print media in a digital world. \nMr. Cauchon’s unparalleled experience in government and the private sector has given him a deep understanding of a wide range of issues. As counsel at DS Lawyers Canada\, he advises companies on the various issues facing the knowledge economy and the globalization of markets\, taking into account geopolitical factors. Mr. Cauchon also facilitates the creation of partnerships at the provincial\, national\, and international levels. \nHaving established relationships with several counterparts in China\, Martin Cauchon has acquired a good knowledge of that market\, which allows him to intervene in projects that are related to the Canada-China relationship. \nAfter obtaining a law degree from the University of Ottawa\, Mr. Cauchon became a member of the Quebec Bar in 1985 and completed a master degree in International Business Law in 1991\, at the University of Exeter\, in England. He was the 2004 recipient of the Equality Forum’s International Role Model Award. In 2015\, he received the honorary distinction of “Advocatus emeritus” and “Le Mérite” from the Quebec Bar. He is also Vice Chair\, Board of Directors of the Canada China Business Council and Chair of its Quebec Chapter Advisory Council. He also serves on the board of directors of several companies. \n \nBijan Ahmadi\nExecutive Director and COO\nCanada China Business Council \nBijan Ahmadi serves as the Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of the Canada China Business Council (CCBC)\, overseeing the operations and activities of the Council across its seven chapters in Canada and China. \nBefore joining CCBC\, he co-founded and served as the Executive Director of the Institute for Peace & Diplomacy (IPD) from 2018 to 2024. IPD is a non-partisan think tank operating in Canada and the United States\, dedicated to fostering constructive engagement and interest-based thinking in international affairs. \nDuring his tenure at IPD\, Mr. Ahmadi launched the organization’s Asia research program in 2020 and its flagship annual conference\, the Indo-Pacific Strategy Forum (IPSF)\, in Ottawa in 2021. Today\, IPSF is recognized as Canada’s premier conference on the country’s engagement in the Indo-Pacific region. He was also the co-editor of Canada-China Brief\, a biweekly policy newsletter providing the latest developments and expert insights on political and economic relations between Ottawa and Beijing. \nIn his work on China\, Mr. Ahmadi has advised large corporations and SMEs on navigating Canada-China trade\, policy\, and regulatory developments. He has also spearheaded the publication of numerous research reports on China and Canada-China relations and led Track 2 diplomacy initiatives in collaboration with Chinese and American research institutions. \nMr. Ahmadi holds a Master’s degree in Global Diplomacy from SOAS University of London and a Master of Applied Science from the University of Toronto. Before founding IPD\, Mr. Ahmadi worked in strategy and management roles in the financial services and real estate sectors\, where he honed his skills in organizational leadership and operational planning. He also served on the executive boards of several Canadian non-profits and NGOs\, including the Toronto branch of the Canadian International Council. \n \nSarah Kutulakos\nFormer Executive Director and COO\nCanada China Business Council \nSarah Kutulakos joined the CCBC in 2007 and revitalized CCBC’s role as Canada’s premier bilateral trade and investment organization. During her tenure\, Ms. Kutulakos re-centered the Council’s activities around providing business services\, catalyzing business growth and activity\, and advocating for stronger Sino-Canadian bilateral trade and investment. This has resulted in extensive public outreach activities\, internal infrastructure improvements\, the launch of new programs such as the Business Incubation Centre\, and thriving member relations. \nPrior to joining CCBC\, Ms. Kutulakos worked for 11 years in marketing\, product development\, and management with a major multinational corporation\, where she had multiple assignments involving China. Ms. Kutulakos managed worldwide product businesses that marketed to China and used China-based sources of supply. She was also involved in several projects requiring cooperation with the Chinese government. Ms. Kutulakos has led both established and start-up businesses within the context of a global corporation and has broad emerging market business experience\, and has been involved in the Greater China region since the late 1980s when she lived and worked in Taiwan. There\, she was the first non-Chinese employee of a local high-tech start-up firm\, where she gained a deep understanding of Chinese business practices. \nA fluent Mandarin speaker\, Ms. Kutulakos’s interest in China began at the University of Wisconsin\, where she studied Chinese\, marketing\, and international business. She holds an MBA in finance and operations from the Simon School of Business at the University of Rochester. She frequently speaks on China issues\, including marketing\, trade\, investment\, and Canada-China relations. \nPhotography/Filming: By taking part in this event\, you grant the Canada China Business Council full rights to use any images resulting from photography/video filming.
URL:https://ccbc.com/event/lunar-new-year-montreal-reception/
LOCATION:National Bank of Canada / Banque Nationale du Canada\, 800 Saint-Jacques Street\, 36th Floor\, Montreal\, Quebec\, H3C 1A3\, Canada
CATEGORIES:CCBC Event,CCBC Events,English,French
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