On September 9, 2025, the Canada China Business Council (CCBC) hosted an event in Toronto exploring business opportunities in the Greater Bay Area (GBA), one of China’s most dynamic economic regions.

 

The program featured insights from Callan Anderson, CEO of Hong Kong Corporate Services Group, on Hong Kong’s strategic role as a gateway to the GBA, and Wang Wenlong, Head of Treasury of ICBC (Canada), who outlined cross-border RMB products and services available to Canadian enterprises. Additional remarks were delivered by Gavin Yeung, Acting Director of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Toronto; Ian Michael, CCBC Board Director and Partner at Bennett Jones LLP; and Bijan Ahmadi, Executive Director & COO of CCBC.

 

Events like this are an important part of our work. They bring Canadian and Chinese business executives, leaders, and experts together to share knowledge, build trust, and explore new opportunities. By creating these spaces, we aim to help turn conversations into real collaboration and partnerships.

 

CCBC extends its sincere thanks to our Co-Host, ICBC (Canada), our sponsor, the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Toronto, and our venue host, Bennett Jones LLP. We give special thanks to Callan Anderson, who joined us all the way from Hong Kong to share his valuable insights.

 

 

Tickets:
CCBC Members: Free
Non-Members: $100 + tax

 

Dress Code: Business Attire

 

Address: Bennett Jones (3400 One First Canadian Place, Toronto, Ontario, M5X 1A4 Canada)

 

Agenda:

3:00–3:30 PM EDT: Registration

3:30–4:35 PM EDT: Presentations

4:35–5:00 PM EDT: Networking

 

Featuring Speakers

 

 

Callan Anderson
CEO
Hong Kong Corporate Services Group

 

Callan Anderson has lived and worked in Hong Kong for over 25 years and will discuss how Canadian businesses can grasp the burgeoning consumer base and unique attributes of the GBA, while using Hong Kong as an extension of your Canadian business.  With over 300,000 Canadians living and working in Hong Kong, Callan will explain why this city is still vital for Canadian enterprise and why it benefits from the most important double tax treaties that support your business market expansion into Asia.

 

 

 

Mr. Wang Wenlong
Head of Treasury
Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (Canada)

 

Mr. WANG Wenlong brings over 12 years of extensive experience within the ICBC Group. Prior to current role, he held key positions at the ICBC International Trade Processing Center and ICBC Mexico, where he was actively involved in financial markets, international trade finance, and financial institutions business. He also serves as the business lead for the Toronto RMB Clearing Bank, playing a pivotal role in promoting the internationalization of the Renminbi in the region. With a strong background in global banking operations, Mr. Wang Wenlong has developed deep expertise in cross-border financial services and treasury management.

 

 

 

Mr. Gavin Yeung
Acting Director
Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Toronto

 

Mr. Gavin Yeung is the Acting Director of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (Toronto) (HKETO(Toronto)). HKETO(Toronto) is the official representative of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China in Canada.  Its mandate is to foster closer ties between Hong Kong and Canada, with a particular focus on economic and trade relationships.

 

Gavin joined the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China in 2017 as a member of the Administrative Officer Grade.  Before joining the HKETO(Toronto) in December 2024, Gavin had worked in various bureaux and departments, including the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau, Development Bureau and the Home Affairs Department.

 

Gavin received his Bachelor of Social Science degree from the University of Hong Kong.

 

 

 

Mr. Ian Michael
Partner
Bennett Jones LLP
Board Director
Canada China Business Council

 

Ian Michael is a corporate partner at Bennett Jones LLP in Toronto. Mr. Michael’s practice is focused on corporate and securities law with an emphasis on mergers & acquisitions and infrastructure investments by private equity and strategic investors. He regularly works with international investors in connection with their Canadian investments and acquisitions, including extensively with China-based investors. Mr. Michael works with boards of directors, senior executives, and private equity investors in a range of industries including aviation, real estate, technology, and automotive.

 

Mr. Michael previously served as a member of the Securities Advisory Committee (SAC) of the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC). SAC provides advice to the Commission on a variety of matters, including legislative and policy initiatives and important capital markets trends, and is a former member of the Mergers & Acquisitions team at the OSC.

 

Mr. Michael has been recommended by The Legal 500 Canada and the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory in the areas of Corporate Finance, Mergers & Acquisitions, Private Equity, and Transport – Aviation, in addition to being noted by Lexpert as a leading infrastructure lawyer in Canada for his extensive work with aviation infrastructure consortia at most international airports in Canada. Mr. Michael has taught mergers & acquisitions for the advanced securities law program at Queen’s University, Western University, and the University of Windsor. He is also a member of the Board of Governors of St. Andrew’s College in Aurora, Ontario.

 

 

 

Mr. Bijan Ahmadi
Executive Director & COO
Canada China Business Council

 

Bijan 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.

 

Before 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.

 

During 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.

 

In 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.

 

Mr. 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.