CCBC’s mission is to do more and better Canada-China business, and representing the full scope of Canadian businesses from coast to coast is key to our ability to fulfill that mission. On March 30, 2023, CCBC hosted a group in the Atlantic Canada region for a roundtable discussion on key immigration and education topics, as we work to develop specialized programming aimed to help fast-track the contributions that immigrants from China make to the Canadian economy. This roundtable focused on two primary groups: economic immigrants and students from China.

Click here to see more photos from the event.
Photos courtesy Zuya Production Inc.

Both groups will undergo comprehensive training designed to develop a deeper understanding of Canadian business culture and the disparities that exist between it and their native Chinese culture. Additionally, we will offer entrepreneurs a skills training component on acquiring or establishing a business in Canada, while students will be provided with an in-depth overview of the business/sector landscape in the region.

Stakeholders from the immigration and education sectors were invited to join CCBC Executive Director & COO Sarah Kutulakos to discuss and identify how CCBC’s programming can better serve the needs of the Atlantic region.

About the speaker:

Sarah Kutulakos
Executive Director & COO
Canada China Business Council

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 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.

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.