CCBC 2022 China-Ready Virtual Mission for
Indigenous Business Leaders

Paul Blom is a Registered Professional Forester and Registered Professional Biologist. His studies include Mandarin at the Taiwan National Normal University and his 5-year tenure in Asia involves service at the Zhejiang Forest and Agriculture University in Zhejiang and with the British Columbia Trade Office in Taiwan.

Mr. Blom coordinated the development of the following province-wide First Nations plans and strategies, which form the basis of the mandate for the First Nations Energy and Mining Council, a policy organization advocating for the 203 First Nations communities in BC:

– First Nations China Strategy: Innovative Partnerships
– BC First Nations Energy Action Plan
– BC First Nations Mineral Exploration and Mining Action Plan

Mr. Blom has been involved in numerous indigenous, provincial and federal missions to China to develop trade opportunities and cultural understandings for First Nations; including the coordination of the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations mission to China to raise a totem pole in Beichuan to commemorate the victims of the Wenchuan earthquake.

Other current projects include:
– Negotiator at the Carrier Sekani Tribal Council/Tl’azt’en Nation reconciliation table with British Columbia and Canada
– First Nations advisor on natural gas pipeline impact benefit agreement negotiations,
– Advisor for the Musqueam First Nation – Canada reconciliation framework,
– First Nations negotiator for numerous mineral exploration agreements in northern British Columbia.

Eason Chen is currently the Regional Manager of CCA Canada Holdings that based in Toronto and he is in charge of the company’s business operation in Canada market, this company majorly focuses on real estate & infrastructure development, construction management and property investment, which is one of subsidiaries of CSCEC (China State Construction and Engineering Corp) that had successful operations with investment and construction businesses in US and entire America for last 37 years, CSCEC has been listed as the 9th largest company in the world by Fortune 500 in 2022 and the largest global contractor by ENR (Engineering News Record) for six consecutive years.

Prior to joining the company’s Canada division, Eason has been serving the company’s US & Latin America division for 9 years with the role as project manager, property manager, business development manager, sales director and assistant to president, he has obtained abundant experiences through projects execution in terms of business development, property acquisition, real estate development and construction management, he was also the one that explored new business markets for the company in multiple countries such as Panama, Jamaica, Dominican Republic and Barbados.

Eason is a person that passionate about his work within the field of real estate and construction related businesses and he also devotes himself to work with and contribute to local societies while company is seeking business opportunities in different areas.
Eason earned his Master Degree in Civil Engineering from ZJU (Zhejiang University).

Sam Gao is the owner of AKSO Marine Biotech Inc., based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. AKSO was established in 1983 as a sea cucumber processor, and has been focused on research and products development using Atlantic sea cucumber in recent years. AKSO is named after the Greek goddess of health Ακεσο, who has superb healing powers, which is in line with the functions of sea cucumber.

AKSO’s award-winning product NOVA SEA ATLANTIC® Sea Cucumber Capsules has been approved to boost the body’s immune functions by National Research Council of Canada. AKSO is investing in new research and development activities with local scientific partnerships including National Research Council of Canada, local universities and innovation centres. Since 2018, AKSO has been awarded over $2.8 million Canadian dollars from Federal and Provincial governments.

Sea cucumber is also called Ginseng of the Sea. In Asian countries such as China, sea cucumbers have been consumed as tonic food and traditional medicines for centuries due to their rich bioactive compounds, for example, saponins and polysaccharides, with health benefits against various diseases including cancer, inflammation, and virus infection. Chinese culture has similar values as Indigenous culture. Sam is from China, so he understands, respects, and admires the long history and culture of the First Nations. Sam hopes to take advantage of the essence of traditional culture and use modern technology to carry over the excellence of the traditional Indigenous culture. For example, this year AKSO launched a new product made from Atlantic sea cucumber and local cranberry. Both ingredients are considered natural antibiotics in Chinese and Indigenous culture, respectively. This is a great example of AKSO having the ability and capacity to develop ancient medicine with modern technology. This is the reason for AKSO’s great success in e-commerce in China and North America.

Now the Chinese market is beginning to recognize the history and value of Indigenous harvested products. It is a huge opportunity to further educate the Chinese market on Indigenous culture and beliefs. There is also potential for tourism driving Chinese visitors to local communities. It would be good to have more events like this to connect with Indigenous groups. For AKSO to partner with an Indigenous group, we would need to identify one that meets the regulatory requirements needed to ship to China and meet our customer requirements. Our focus is also on having a consistent supply of products and we would be interested in an exclusive agreement to get one. We expect to build the respectful and reciprocal relationships with the Indigenous people.

Ray is an Anishnabe and a member of the Sagamok Anishnabek First Nation. During his youth, Ray lived a traditional lifestyle of hunting, fishing, trapping and living within his homeland territory of the Robinson-Huron Treaty of 1850.

He has worked full time in social justice for 43 years including 35 years with the Federal Public Service joining the Department of Human Resources & Social Development immediately following graduation. Ray has worked with various federal departments, the Saskatchewan Provincial Government and was the Executive Director of the National Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres.

Most recently, Ray worked as a Policy Advisory to the CEO of Sagamok Anishnawbek First Nation.

Within the Department of Aboriginal & Northern Affairs, Ray has held various regional and headquarters Executive positions. He was the Regional Director of Lands and Trust Services in three different regions; Manitoba, British Columbia and Ontario. In 1996, Ray joined headquarters as Director of Environment and Natural Resources, then on to Director, Assembly of First Nations – Joint Initiative. During his time as Director General, Registration, Revenues and Band Governance Mr. Hatfield provided great leadership during the DAND – AFN Joint Initiative – National Gathering in Winnipeg, June 2002.

One of his accomplishments is the implementation of the new secure Certificate of Indian Status card which was approved as a Federal secure trans-border Identity document. Ray led the successful negotiations for the creation/recognition of a new First Nation Band in Newfoundland; a multi-million dollar Subsurface Gas Storage Agreement between an Ontario First Nation & an Oil Company; Sale of Water from an Ontario First Nation to the City of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Federal-Provincial Government-Grassy Narrow/White Dog First Nations Mercury Contamination Settlement Agreement; lead in the Treaty Land Entitlement Agreements in Manitoba/Saskatchewan resulting in over 2 million acres of Reserve land creation, a transfer of $680 million to two First Nations from the INAC Capital Trust Account and the application of Canadian Human Rights Act on reserve. During his early career, Ray contributed to development of the initial proration for the Recognition of Indigenous Self-Government both at the Federal and Provincial Government perspectives which resulted in the Recognition of Aboriginal & Treaty Rights under Section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982. He has provided presentations to the Philippine National Commission of Indigenous Peoples, Office of the President, Manila, Philippines, at the Annual General Assembly of the National Congress of American Indians and participated in the Aboriginal Culture Awareness Week at the University of Silesia, Sosnowiec, Poland.

As Regional Director, Lands & Trust Services, BC, Manitoba and Ontario Regions, Ray lead INAC in the the negotiations/creation of the Tia-o-qui-aht First Nation urban reserve in Tofino, BC; lead the Sask Government team in the negotiations to create an urban reserve (commercial/industrial) in Saskatoon, Sask. for the Muskeg Lake First Nation; and lead the successful transformation of the Haisla First Nation Beese reserve for an industrial LNG Plant purposes. Ray was responsible for all land management. tenure, interests and land registry on reserve lands including reserve and Band creation.

Ray also facilitated the Lessons Learned national meeting of the All Parties Table, Federal Government, Churches and Survivors of the Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement.

Ray has visited Auschwitz-Birkenau in Poland and the International Slavery Museum in Liverpool.

Ray has an Honours Bachelor of Commerce from Laurentian University and Bachelor of Law Degree from Queen’s University.

Awards:

• Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for Executive Leadership Excellence
• Canadian Law Schools Curling Champion; Queen’s University Curling Champion;
• Ray was also presented with an Eagle Feather from Elders Dan & Marylou Smoke recognizing his commitment/contribution to advancing Aboriginal issues.

Volunteer Work:

• Sudbury Art Gallery – Member of the Board of Directors (2021-2024)
• Biscotasing Citizens’ Committee Corporation – President/Chair –  Board of Directors (2021-2024)
• Hudson Bay Company – Member of the Indigenous Advisory Circle (2021-2022)
• Advisor to Chief Ozawanimke, Sagamok Anishnawbek (2019-2022)

Based in Hong Kong, Adam works for CIBC in their Global Investment Banking team where he is responsible for leading the APAC ESG coverage as well as the coverage of private capital and energy, infrastructure and transition (“EIT”) clients. Having lived and worked in Canada, France, Japan, Hong Kong and the UK, Adam has advised senior policy makers and business executives globally.

While not Indigenous, Adam is an ally of Canadian Indigenous communities and a supporter of reconciliation. As an investment banker based in Asia, Adam believes there is a huge opportunity for Asian investors to work with the Canadian Indigenous community and he works to promote foreign direct investment into Canadian Indigenous investment projects.

Adam serves on the board of the Canada China Business Council and is a co-founder of the Canadian Chambers of the Asia Pacific. He is also Chairs the Council of Champions of the Century Initiative, an organisation focused on increasing Canadian immigration.

Adam received an MBA with Distinction from INSEAD, an M.Sc. (Mechanical Engineering – Space Resources Development) from the Colorado School of Mines, a B.A.Sc. (Chemical Engineering) and a B.A. (Classics) from Queen’s University, Canada.

Sarah joined the CCBC in 2007 and has since revitalized CCBC’s role as Canada’s premier bilateral trade and investment organization. Sarah has 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.

Prior to joining CCBC, Sarah worked for 11 years in marketing, product development, and management with a major multinational corporation, where she had multiple assignments involving China. Sarah 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. Sarah 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 1980’s 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.

A fluent Mandarin speaker, Sarah’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.

Mr. Qing Da LIAN is the President and CEO of Sungiven Foods Canada, and Chairman of the Board of Xiamen Sungiven Foods Holding and Sungiven Foods North America.

As a top-quality Asian supermarket chain rooted in the community, Sungiven Foods is a healthy daily meal provider, focused on “more natural, less processed, and fewer additives” products, while advocating for local, organic, and healthy foods.

Sungiven Foods consists of six private brands, including Sungiven, Onetang, Yuho, Ontrue, Sunfreesia, and Sünnbörg. With a global vision to develop top-quality and affordable meals, showcase professionalism, provide community trust, embody its values, and create a platform that builds a better world together, Sungiven Foods is committed to becoming a world-class high-quality food enterprise.

As of 2022, Sungiven Foods has more than 200 stores and more than 3,000 employees worldwide. It has nine stores in Metro Vancouver, B.C., with plans to expand to 20 stores in Canada, along with a simultaneous expansion into the U.S. market.

Mr. Lian graduated from Xiamen University where he majored in Computer Science. He and his wife Kathy immigrated to Canada in 2002 and founded Sungiven Foods in July 2011 following their stay in Canada in their hometown of Xiamen, China.

Kevin is a principal at the firm and has more than 25 years of accounting, auditing and tax experience. His client service focus includes public companies, owner managed businesses and not-for- profit organizations with specialized industry experience in oil and gas, international trade, wholesale and retail, manufacturing, commercial/residential leasing, and technology.

Kevin moved to Canada in 2002 after working in China for ten years as a CPA. He then obtained his bachelor’s degree in accounting from Concordia University in Montreal. Kevin moved to Calgary in 2006 where he completed his articling and become a Chartered Accountant in 2010. Kevin has also completed CPA Canada’s three year In- Depth Tax program in 2017.

After working at a national firm as a manager for eight years, he started his own practice in 2011. Today he is providing services to a broad range of clients including small and medium businesses across a variety of industries. Kevin’s professional passion is helping clients succeed by providing a broad range of professional services and expertise.

Kevin was also a Certified Public Accountant (“CPA”) in China and is proficient with both Canadian and Chinese GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”). His clientele includes a large portion of Chinese invested companies with operations in Canada. He has extensive experiences dealing with these companies and their parent companies in China and Chinese auditors while maintaining quality professional services for the subsidiaries in Canada.

With the aspiration to bring food self- sufficiency to every community on this planet, Frank Qin co-founded Mary Agrotechnologies in 2017. Mary Agrotech is a controlled- environment agriculture company that, through the deep integration of proprietary hardware and proprietary algorithms, gives food production independence from local climate and season. No longer at nature’s mercy, various crops can achieve consistent quality and predictable output.

Born in China and raised in Canada, Mr. Qin is Co-Founder and CEO of Mary Agrotechnologies, and a serial entrepreneur who firmly believes in creating businesses that are socially impactful as well as commercially successful. He graduated from the University of Western Ontario in 2014.

Mr. Qin has been active in Canada’s startup scene since 2012 when he was still an undergraduate student, and his past projects include the world’s first smart bike that saw thousands of active riders over 50 countries before acquisition (Vanhawks), one of North America’s largest restaurant inventory automation platforms (ChefHero), and Canada’s largest wealth management fund founded by Chinese Canadians (Goldenwise Capital).

In 2021, he was recognized as an Emerging Leader by media company The Peak.

Wei SHAO is the national practice group co-leader for the Canada China Country Collaboration group and specializes in international business transactions focusing on China. He has extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions, corporate and project financing, cross-border counseling, and general corporate and commercial transactions.

Wei has represented Chinese investors and entrepreneurs, sovereign and investment funds, private and public companies as well as major SOEs in various significant transactions in Canada, especially in natural resource and mining. Wei has also advised Canadian and international companies in natural resources, manufacturing, high-tech, environment, infrastructure and financial transactions in China. He has also provided legal advice to government agencies and diplomatic missions from both Canada and China. He is a frequent speaker at various conferences on matters related to investment in or from China.

Prior to his legal career Wei worked for the United Nations in New York. Wei is an interpreter accredited by the United Nations and by the federal government of Canada. As an interpreter or consultant, Wei has been involved in numerous ministerial and prime ministerial meetings or negotiations between Canada and China.